Rob Herb delivers strong start for swim and dive

While Rob Herb’s official journey as the head coach of swimming and diving began in 2004, he has a long history of being a part of the Lehigh community. 

His father graduated from Lehigh in the ‘60s, and his grandparents lived close to campus. He said his father always took him to the Lehigh-Lafayette football game. 

Growing up, Herb swam and ran cross country. He participated in club teams and swim programs at the YMCA. He then attended Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, and won two national championships for swimming.

When Herb decided to go to school in the Lehigh Valley, he ran cross country at Muhlenberg College for two years. Then in his junior year of college, he was asked by his swim coach at Northampton High School to help instruct her teams. This made him interested in one day pursuing a coaching job. 

His high school coach also encouraged him to pursue a master’s degree in education at Lehigh.

“Education has always been important,” Herb said. “My purpose of attending Lehigh as a student was to become a better teacher, and therefore, a better coach.” 

While pursuing his masters, he reached out to swim and dive’s previous head coach, Chris Marshall, for a volunteer position with Lehigh’s team. When Marshall left, Herb applied for the position and took over as the leader for the Mountain Hawks. 

When he first started, he said he observed the competitive nature of the Patriot League and how it has required his athletes and the staff to work together. 

He said talking to his athletes about interests and goals, along with the challenges they face, has helped them to develop a competitive yet friendly team with a strong culture. 

Bonita Zuo, a first-year swimmer from Easton, Pennsylvania, praised the team’s close-knit dynamic. After watching how encouraging everyone was after practice, she said it was a large contributing factor as to why she chose to swim at Lehigh.

But while Zuo had competed at a national level prior to attending Lehigh, her training had been significantly different, which made her nervous to swim at the collegiate level.

“I was homeschooled, so my dad coached me and I trained by myself,” she said. “It’s different now, training with other people on a rigid schedule. (Herb) knew that and was really patient and understanding with my adjustment.”

Zuo said the group’s high energy during meets and interactions with teammates has helped her build better relationships with them, allowing them to push and support one another. 

Herb commended his student-athletes for coming in with a primary focus on their schooling, as many of them are hard-workers with both their athletics and academics.

“My job is to empower them, through education, dedication and hard work,” Herb said. “I want to help people discover more about themselves and their ability to be successful and grow.” 

When senior captain Mairin Ludwig was recruited, she admired Herb’s interest in not only her swimming, but also her achievements in the classroom and as a runner on the cross country team.

After four years on the team and taking on a leadership role this season, Ludwig believes this is one of their best seasons so far.

“The team works hard but has fun,” Ludwig said. “We come to practice to be challenged. (Herb) writes practices for us to be successful and strategically places us into groups with similar times to push one another.”

Halfway through the regular season, the Lehigh swim and dive teams have tallied five wins and one loss. 

The Mountain Hawk’s Lehigh-Lafayette Rivalry meet on Nov. 21 earned the team its 34th straight rivalry win. 

Ludwig said Herb had been talking about the meet nonstop in the leading weeks and that he continued to motivate them to prepare them for tougher competition. 

“He always tells us, even when we are working hard, that Lafayette’s swimmers are working harder,” Ludwig said. “Herb continues to motivate us to help prepare for tougher competition.” 

As Herb reflected on his time at Lehigh, he said he’s noticed how the program and the sport have evolved. He said change is a constant in swimming, and instead of being rattled, it’s necessary to adapt. 

Herb also said his athletes are competing to build a future for themselves. While he said they’re strong in the pool and the classroom, they’re also looking ahead.

“They are here for their futures, but also to be part of a team to compete for a sport they love,” he said. “I hold everyone responsible to remember why they’re here. It unites us to be able to do everything with a purpose.”