1 What's a unique skill or hobby you have that we don't know about – or a hobby you'd like to pursue once you have more time?
Bob: That you don't know about? Well, you know about the horses. I know. I play the piano. That's the one. It’s definitely not a second career (laughs), but it’s something that I really enjoy.

2 Your transition to college coaching has been pretty seamless. What do you attribute that to?
Bob: I think it has been an easier transition than I thought, and I credit it to a couple of things: the administration at Michigan has been fantastic in providing a lot of help for me to get up to speed and knowing the rules. The second thing was the support I’ve gotten from (former Michigan coach) Jon Urbanchek, who has really supported me and helped me out with advice. He’s been a real positive influence and a key element in the transition going so well. I can’t thank him enough.

3 The guys you coach have said the transition has gone well, too. That makes you feel good, I imagine?
Bob: It does make me feel pretty good because the most important thing we do as coaches is communicate. If you can’t get your message across or hear what the athletes are saying, I don’t think it works. It’s good to know they feel they are getting good coaching. These are great athletes – Chris, Davis, Peter and so on – and they are already motivated. So I can move full speed ahead since I don’t have to worry about them getting on board the train. They already are on board before I even start.

4 Huge meet for Club Wolverine at Nationals – surprised?
Bob: We thought we could do that before the meet. We thought we could win. It was nice that it worked out that way. Everyone swam well. That was the nice thing. A lot of lifetime bests, or in the cases of Klete and Michael, significant times, if not best times.

5 Michael seems to have fit in well. What’s the key to that been?
Bob: It’s not anything different from me. I coach the same here that I always have, though you are always developing and learning as a coach, and person. To have someone like Michael here does bring a lot of extra attention, but that’s from the media, not from me!

6 Katie Hoff would’ve been a good addition to your program, but she turned pro. Could you have seen her in a U of M uniform?
Bob: She would have done great. Maize and blue would look good on her. (Laughs) But she will do just fine in NBAC’s colors, and I think she made the right decision for her, and I respect that.

7 Paul Yetter has continued to develop since going from being your assistant at NBAC. How happy are you for him?
Bob: I couldn’t be prouder of Paul. The program he is running now is fantastic. He put in the time and effort to be a top-level coach. He studies, he thinks all the time, and doesn’t do anything unless there is a reason for it.

8 To have your team do so well at Michigan, did you know the program was getting to where you wanted it to be, or did you have to see the results to know what you were doing was working?
Bob: Honestly, you have to have the results. The irony is, I have always found the meets where we do the best are the ones where I doubt myself beforehand. Now that we’ve done well for a season or so, it feels good because we’re through the process and everyone knows where they are, and we as coaches know what we did helped them. It was very gratifying.

9 What’s it like competing in the Big Ten?
Bob: I love it. I will be perfectly honest. I was not prepared for what the Big Ten meet would be like emotionally. The intensity level was much higher than I thought. So I will do a better job with that this year. But I like that kind of emotional intensity.

10 What’s it like coaching so many swimmers with so many meets in a year?
Bob: It really isn’t any more chaotic where I am now compared to where I was, because you get a general plan and see where people are going. Once you know their competition schedule, you work backward from there to their daily training plans. Besides, I like being busy. (Laughs) I’m a good multi-tasker.

11 I was talking to Phelps not long ago, and he told me about you running all the time, and losing weight – still the case?
Bob: Yes. Exercise is important, but I could still do better on eating. I am on a 100-percent streak for running in 2006 and plan to stick with it.

12 How optimistic are you for U of M’s swimming future?
Bob: I am very optimistic for the future. One of the things I feel best about is we’ve been able to recruit two good classes – our kids who are freshmen this year, and the group that comes in this fall. That’s going to help us achieve our goals in the long run.

13 How do you like the Michigan winters?
Bob: The first Michigan winter was really rough – cold and we had lots of snow. I like snow, though. That doesn’t bother me too much. This winter has been very mild – in the 50s for the most part and no snow. So it’s good running weather!

14 I have been able to talk to just about every standout on your team and Club Wolverine – except Klete Keller. The guys I’ve spoken with all really like having Michael there, but you’d think there’d be some jealousy. Why has it been so smooth?
Bob: It’s worked out really well. A lot of that is Michael, and a lot of that is the team. When you get down to it, Michael a regular guy who does wonderful things. He just fits in very well. We have a lot of people in this program pulling in the same direction – people like Michael, Klete, Peter, Chris DeJong, Chris Thompson, Davis Tarwater – so to have all of these great swimmers adds to the excitement.

15 It must be like an Olympic final in your practices.
Bob: It is pretty competitive, and it’s fun. One of the things I would say – Jon and I joke about this quite a bit – is that only two or three of them are ready to go like that on a given day, and the others are on the next day, so it’s rare that all six or seven or eight are all like that, but when they are, it’s something to behold.

16 What has running done for you, perhaps mentally?
Bob: It makes me handle stress a lot better. Honestly, that’s one of things I was talking about with boys today. Running helps me make better decisions about training, and keeps me from getting frustrated as much.

17 What's the toughest part about recruiting?
Bob: I really enjoy recruiting actually, especially (laughs) when I get the swimmers I want! One of the things I love is to go out recruiting and see the other programs. This affords me the opportunity to watch some great coaches coach. I also really enjoy traveling and doing the home visits. Meeting so many families has been great.

19 Tell us something about Klete Keller that you didn't know before you coached him?
Bob: Klete is absolutely dedicated to this sport. Sometimes from his outward demeanor, not everyone picks that up right away, but this is a young man who is probably the most caring person I have ever met. The care he shows for other people is just incredible. I learned as a coach (laughs) the one thing I cannot do is yell at him. You can’t reach Klete that way, and I respect that.

20 You have had a chance to absorb all that is the U of Michigan. Tell us one thing or a couple of things that make it such a special place, and perhaps why it is that you fit in there so well.
Bob: It's a very simple answer – the people here, and that’s the reason I came here, too. I love the attitude of the people, and there’s always an infectious enthusiasm about the future. I like the high standards and how everyone at this university wants to be the best, whether it’s in the classroom, doing research, or making a positive impact.