The choice of Michael Bohl (women’s team) and Rohan Taylor (men’s team) to replace Leigh Nugent as head coaches of the Australian swim team will appease some and horrify others.
Bohl has always been that rare thing, a darling of almost any interest group you care to name within the ocassionally fractious swimming community – so svelte is his poolside and general manner.
His opening remarks, however, on the most contentious area of his new appointment – swimmer behaviour – must leave some scratching their heads.
“My job will not be to impose discipline’, he said.
“That is something I would take up with the swimmer’s individual coach.”
At this point someone should perhaps have reminded Bohl that he personally coached the two most troublesome males on the (pre-Stilnox) London team, Nick Darcy and Kenrick Monk, before they were foisted onto Leigh Nugent’s shoulders. Bohl’s comments don’t seem to tally with the current expectations after the recent turmoil.
By naming Taylor as the men’s coach, Swimming Australia has risked outcry from the pedagogically precious for his part in a swimmers’ training camp in which mock executions were held.
Swimming Australia itself reprimanded him over the incident, which occurred in the context of an Australian Navy boot camp. If he can assuage this possible outrage, Taylor may be just the man swimming’s ‘bad boy’ culture needs.
Swimming Australia, however, will defend any criticism of the choices in the context of the temporary solution they are. It has claimed a permanent head coach will be appointed after this year’s world championships in August.
In any case, both Taylor and Bohl have expressed a determination to hang on to their day jobs with their own super successful swim squads (Bohl at St Peters in Brisbane and Taylor at Nunawading).
Short of bringing back former no-nonsense head coach Don Talbot, now in his seventies, the next permanent appointment will be one of the most awaited announcements of recent years.
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