USC swim coach Dave Salo to step down following season

After 14 years at the helm of USC’s men’s and women’s swimming programs, head coach Dave Salo is stepping down at the end of the current swim season.

Salo, who coached 165 All-Americans during his tenure at USC, will remain at the school through the NCAA championships in March. He’ll also continue to coach various 2020 Olympic hopefuls leading into the summer.

“I have spent one third of my life at USC, as a grad student, assistant men’s coach and now as head coach,” Salo said in a statement. “I will always be proud of the time spent here with the many people that make USC special.”

Salo is the second USC head coach to announce his exit in the past week, joining women’s volleyball coach Brent Crouch, who left for the same job at Auburn. Six head coaches have left USC over the past year.

His departure also comes just two days after three senior officials in USC’s athletic department were removed, in part due to concerns over the academic admissions scandal.

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Salo was inducted into the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2010 and has served as an assistant on the U.S. Olympic swim teams during the 2000, 2004 and 2012 Olympics.

Last season, USC’s women’s swim team finished 10th at NCAA finals. This season, USC’s women’s swim team isranked ninth nationally, while the men’s team ranks 20th.

“USC has a long history of championship swimmers, many of whom trained under Dave,” athletic director Mike Bohn said in a statement. “We wish him well and will be rooting for the outstanding Olympic swimmers he is training.”