Following an eight-medal performance at the Olympic Games in Athens, everybody knows who Michael Phelps is. Following a promotional tour that will ensure that fact, Phelps will join his coach, Bob Bowman, in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Bowman is taking over as head coach of the men's swimming team for Jon Urbanchek, who retired after 22 years of leadership that included one national title and 13 Big Ten crowns.

Phelps and Bowman come from the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, where Bowman has coached since 1996.

Phelps will not be eligible to swim for Michigan because of his numerous endorsements, but will serve as a volunteer assistant while training in preparation for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

"Michael is going to be volunteer assistant for the program, which means that he will be helping and traveling with the team," Bowman said. "He will be able to train with the team and that's where he will be able to help the most. He will raise the expectations of everybody around him, so that will be his biggest contribution."

Phelps will see some familiar faces in the Michigan pool, as junior Peter Vanderkaay and senior Dan Ketchum swam on the gold medal-winning 800-meter relay team with Phelps in Athens. Ketchum has used up his eligibility, but will assist the team as well, while finishing up his last semester.

As volunteer assistant, Phelps will fill the same role at Michigan that another member of the 800-meter relay team did -- former Club Wolverine member Klete Keller. Keller swam the anchor leg of the relay in Athens and served as volunteer assistant while he trained for the Olympics.

"Klete and I had a great relationship because we were friends in and out of the pool," Vanderkaay said. "We had a good, healthy competitive relationship and I think it was positive for both of us. We pushed each other at practice everyday. Now that Klete is going to be out on the West Coast, and Michael is coming in, I hope we can have the same relationship and push each other to be the best."

Urbanchek emphasized the importance of the role that Phelps will play in the development of swimmers like Vanderkaay and the team as a whole.

"Klete did a great job training with the team and working with Peter," Urbanchek said. "He is a world-class athlete that raised the bar for everyone on our team. With Michael coming in it can only get better. He will raise the bar for the whole team. He can only do good things for the program."