Bloomfield's Dave Zulkiewski Resigns as Boys Swim Coach

The Bloomfield Hills High School Varsity Boys Swim Team is looking for a new coach after Dave Zulkiewski resigned effective immediately on Thursday.

He will remain coach of the girl's varsity team for the foreseeable future, a letter from Athletic Director Mike Cowdrey stated. Cowdrey said the open position is posted on the district's website, and that Zulkiewski will assist with the transition.

"It was a very hard decision to step away, but a necessary one," Zulkiewski told Patch, citing the need for more time with his family and students. "I want to make sure the right people are in place to ensure success on the pool deck and in the classroom."

The school intended to have Zulkiewski, who started as boy's coach in 2000, lead both teams druing the inaugural Bloomfield Hills Black Hawks seasons. But Zulkiewski determined that the demands of coaching both teams would be too high.

"Swimming is an incredible sport and demands a great deal of time to achieve the necessary success," he said.

Zulkiewski earned Coach of the Year honors in 2011 while leading Andover High School's varsity girls team, and will be difficult to replace in such short order, which Cowdery addressed. 

"Although we do not want to rush the hiring process, we are aware that the start of the boys season is less than two months away and we would like to act accordingly, providing we find the right fit as coach," he wrote. 

Do you have memorable coaching moments of Dave Zulkiewski's tenure with the boy's team to share? Tell us with a comment.