Competitor Coach of the Month is a recurring SwimSwam feature shedding light on a U.S.-based coach who has risen above the competition. As with any item of recognition, Competitor Coach of the Month is a subjective exercise meant to highlight one coach whose work holds noteworthy context – perhaps a coach who was clearly in the limelight, or one whose work fell through the cracks a bit more among other stories. If your favorite coach wasn’t selected, feel free to respectfully recognize them in our comment section.
It was a highly successful pair of championship meets in Irvine for the University of California swimmers and head coach Dave Durden, helping him earn Competitor Coach of the Month honors.
At the U.S. National Championships, which kicked off in late July but didn’t conclude until August 1, Cal’s Ryan Erisman put on a dominant display, winning gold medals in the men’s 200 free (1:45.23), 800 free (7:43.53) and 400 IM (4:09.57), setting new best times in all three, while he also claimed silver in the 400 free (3:44.39).
Also representing California Aquatics, Brooks Curry was the top qualifier out of the prelims of the men’s 100 free in 47.56, just shy of the 47.51 PB he set earlier this season, and he went on to place 2nd in the final (47.81). He also placed 4th in the 200 free (1:46.09).
Two weeks later, at the Pan Pacific Championships, Cal’s Jack Alexy won gold in the men’s 100 free in a Championship Record time of 47.14, and he also anchored the U.S. men to gold in the 4×100 free relay (46.78) and 4×100 medley relay (46.97). Alexy also snagged silver in the 50 free (21.42).
One of the breakthrough performances for the American team in Irvine came from Gabriel Jett, who won silver in the men’s 200 free in a time of 1:43.96 to become the third-fastest American ever and #9 all-time. Prior to that swim, Jett had only broken 1:45 once, having set a best time of 1:44.70 at the 2025 U.S. National Championships.
Jett also set a best time of 1:57.75 in the 200 back, and anchored the U.S. men to gold in the 4×200 free relay in 1:44.09.
Another Cal swimmer performing well in Irvine was Keaton Jones, who set new lifetime bests in the 100 free (48.53) and 200 free (1:46.30) while adding a 4th-place finish in the 200 back (1:58.00) after leading the prelims in 1:55.24.
Durden also coached Ryan Murphy to a successful return to the sport this season after taking a break after the 2024 Olympics, with Murphy officially earning his 14th U.S. National Team berth on Tuesday.
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