Mike Bottom Position: Head Coach Experience: 2nd Season

Mike Bottom is in his second year at the helm of Michigan swimming and diving. Bottom, recognized as one of the finest swimming coaches in the world, returned to the collegiate coaching ranks when he accepted the reigns of the University of Michigan men's swimming and diving program on June 10, 2008.

In his first year as head coach at U-M, he guided the Wolverines to a seventh place NCAA finish and their second consecutive Big Ten Conference title. Tyler Clary won two national titles while U-M picked up 19 All-America citations at the national meet. At the Big Ten Championships, the Wolverines dominated the meet, defeating second-place Ohio State by 308 points. U-M won 13 events with 12 swimmers earning All-Big Ten honors. Clary was named Swimmer of the Year and Swimmer of the Championships.

In 2008-09, the Wolverines went 8-1 in dual meets with a perfect 6-0 mark in Big Ten action, falling only to No. 1 ranked Texas. Michigan knocked off six ranked foes, while finishing the year with a No. 7 ranking.

Bottom was also selected as an assistant coach at the 2009 FINA World Championship in Rome during the summer of 2009.

Bottom brings a wealth of collegiate and international coaching experience to the pool at Michigan. He has coached at each of the last four Olympic Games, including 2008, and spent 17 years in collegiate coaching. Bottom has been with The Race Club in Tavernier, Fla., since 2003 and has served as head coach of the World Team, its elite level training group. Among his most notable protégés is 10-time Olympic medalist Gary Hall Jr.

Perhaps the world's best sprint coach, Bottom coached the top two finishers in the 50-meter freestyle at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, with Hall (USA) and Duje Draganja (Croatia) placing 1-2 in 2004 (Athens) and Anthony Ervin (USA) and Hall tying for the gold medal in 2000 (Sydney). From the 1996-2004 Olympiads, nine of the 18 medals awarded in the 50- and 100-meter freestyle events have been won by Bottom's swimmers.

At the NCAA level, Bottom has mentored individuals in every stroke to 17 national titles.He has learned from the best in his sport, coaching alongside the likes of Doc Counsilman (Indiana), George Haines (UCLA), Peter Daland (USC), Mark Schubert (USA Swimming national team head coach, USC) and Nort Thornton (Cal).

Bottom spent 10 seasons (1997-2007) at California, serving as co-head coach of the men's team alongside Thornton.Prior to moving to Cal, he spent four years as the Southern California men's and women's assistant coach (1994-97), helping the women's team to its first NCAA championship in 1997. Bottom began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant with the Auburn men's and women's squads, coaching with David Marsh for four seasons (1991-94).

Since 1987, Bottom has directed BottomLine Aquatics, a start-up company dedicated to promoting health and growth in individuals of all ages. Initiatives range from after-school care programs for children ages 4-11, fundraisers, and instructional classes for beginners to elite level swimmers.

A member of the 1980 United States Olympic team, Bottom was a world record-holder in the 400-meter freestyle relay. A four-time USA National team member, he was part of three NCAA champion teams (1975-77) at USC and was an NCAA medley relay champion and five-time All-American.

Bottom is a charter member of the American College Counseling Association, a member of the American Counseling Association, the American Swim Coaches Association and College Swim Coaches Association of America. He is also certified by the National Board of Certified Counselors.

Following the 1980 Olympic boycott, Bottom spent 10 years in the business world, including positions with Pacific Bell in San Ramon, Calif., as a systems analyst (1984-90), and with Utah International, Inc., in San Francisco as an internal controls analyst (1982-84).

Bottom received his bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Southern California (1978) where he graduated with the highest grade-point average among student-athletes and was a health advocate and peer counselor. In 1993, he graduated summa cum laude with a master's degree in counseling psychology from Auburn University. From 1995-98, he completed all course work for a Ph.D. in sport psychology.

Bottom and his wife, Lauralyn, have two daughters: Dublyn and Macaiah.