ASU’s Bowman apologizes for sexually graphic texts
Arizona State swim coach Bob Bowman has confirmed his involvement in sending inappropriate, sexually related text messages to a former Olympic female swimmer prior to his hiring at ASU.
Bowman, a Hall of Fame coach and 2016 U.S. Olympic men’s coach, recently told ASU Vice President of Athletics Ray Anderson that he was involved in a textmessage exchange with Caroline Burckle in 2011.
A statement released by ASU on Tuesday says Anderson “initiated a review of the matter” last week in which Bowman confirmed his involvement. Bowman apologized at the time to Burckle in the presence of Frank Busch, former USA Swimming national team director.
Anderson, per ASU’s statement, “communicated to Mr Bowman (via letter) that the text message exchange was inappropriate and unprofessional and that no such incidents will be tolerated at ASU.”
It is not clear if Bowman will face more than a reprimand from ASU.
ASU hired Bowman as men’s and women’s swim coach in 2015.
Bowman is best known for coaching 28-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps.
Bowman said in a statement, “I regret the exercise of poor judgment in being involved one evening seven years ago with inappropriate communications. I promptly apologized to the person to
whom the communications were sent and my apology was accepted.”
A story about the text messaging was published July 19 by the Orange County Register.
The texts were sent in May 2011 to Burckle, a 2008 U.S. Olympian who retired in 2010, from U.S. national team coaches Sean Hutchison and Bowman from a phone belonging to Bowman.
“They were so aggressive,” said Burckle, who described being “haunted” by the incident to the Los Angeles Daily News. “I was a 24-year-old female swimmer who had retired way too young but was sick of all the (garbage). I wanted to change lives and do different things but felt trapped.
“I was disgusted. I felt violated, felt sad too. This was a sport that I had just left and loved and so I felt very sad.”
The Register story includes a June 3, 2011, letter from Busch to Bowman on the seriousness of the charges and that if directed toward a current USA Swimming member “the behavior would be considered a potential violation of USA Swimming code of conduct.”
Busch was among those who recommended Bowman when ASU was looking to hire a new swim coach.
ASU President Michael Crow told the
Republic in March that he would fire any athletic-department employee guilty of inappropriate behavior.
“Here it’s this notion we build into our culture of maximum diligence for the safety of our athletes,” Crow said. “It’s zero tolerance. You can’t always prevent something from happening, but you can take immediate action the second you hear about it.”