AUBURN, Ala. – Former Auburn swimming and diving head coach David Marsh will be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in October as part of the Class of 2021, the ISHOF announced last week.
Marsh, who coached at Auburn from 1990 to 2007, served as the 2016 Head U.S. Olympic Women's Swim Coach in Rio where he led Team USA to the most medals in USA Swimming's already storied history. Under Marsh's leadership, Team USA dominated the swimming competition in Rio with a final medal haul of eight gold, four silver and four bronze.
Marsh currently serves as the head coach Team Elite Aquatics who has placed more U.S. Olympians than any program in the country with six, all of whom have earned gold medals.
In his time at Auburn, Marsh led the men's team to seven NCAA national championships (1997, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007) and the women's team to five national championships (2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007). In 2003, he led both the men's and women's teams to a sweep of the NCAA titles, a first in collegiate swimming and diving. Marsh and the Tigers went on to repeat this accomplishment three more times in 2004, 2006 and 2007.
In total, Marsh has coached 49 Olympians from 19 different countries. His swimmers have combined to win 89 individual NCAA titles and 277 individual SEC titles.
First-year Auburn head coach Ryan Wochomurka swam for Marsh from 2002 to 2005 and contributed to three men's national championships.
"It is impossible to overstate the contributions Coach Marsh has made to the sport of swimming and in particular to Auburn University," Wochomurka said. "In many ways he revolutionized the sport on the collegiate, national and international levels. He is a visionary and technical master of the sport, but his greatest contributions have always been on the lives of he has touched, brightened and enhanced through the sport he loves so much."
Marsh is one of 13 honorees in the Class of 2021 and one of just two coaches to be inducted. Fellow Auburn S&D alum Rowdy Gaines will serve as co-emcee of the ISHOF Induction Ceremony, set to take place Oct. 8-9 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.