Mark Bennett Becomes Clovis Swim Club’s New Head Coach

Mark Bennett has been hired as Clovis Swim Club’s new head coach, after serving as head age group coach for eight years. 

Bennett succeeds John McGough, who accepted the head coach position at Texas Ford Aquatics in Frisco, Texas. The team recently placed third overall at the North Texas Long Course Age Group Championships, and seventh overall at the 2021 Southern Zone Senior Championships.

“We are excited to build on the strong foundation John built over his 15 years in Clovis,” wrote Jennifer McDougal, president of the Clovis Swim Club Boosters.

Clovis Swim Club has over 400 athletes and is located in Fresno, California. The team is operated by Clovis Unified School District and is ranked as a silver medal club team by USA Swimming. At Western Zone Senior Championships, the team placed eighth overall. At the Western Zone Age Group Championships, the team ranked fifth as part of the Central California Zone Team. The team sent two swimmers to Wave I of Olympic Trials, and two swimmers to Wave II.

Clovis has produced some notable alums. Uzbekistani Olympian Yulduz Kuchkarova and former Olympics Trials qualifier Carl Weigley both swam for the team, as well as Olympics Trials qualifier and University of Virginia commit Claire Tuggle. Former Cal Berkeley swimmer Connor Hoppe, former USC swimmer Cary Wright and former Open Water National Team Member Tristin Baxter also swam for Clovis. 

According to his bio, Bennett has previously coached for five different teams, including teams in Virginia and Oregon. He joined Clovis Swim Club in 2013, and during that time he has coached a number of LSC team members and National Top 10 swimmers, including a national age group record holder.

Bennett swam at the University of Nebraska, where he competed as a Division I NCAA All-American. He received his teaching credentials from Cal Poly.