Betsy Graham Tabbed to Lead New Program at UT Rio Grande Valley
The new women’s swimming and diving program at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has a head coach in Betsy Graham, hired Tuesday.
Graham has experience in the space, having been the founding head coach of Catawba College’s men’s program in 2006. She’s been in Texas for the last four years as the head men’s and women’s coach/aquatics director at the University of Texas Permian Basin.
“I am honored and thrilled to accept the position of head coach for UTRGV’s inaugural women’s swimming & diving program,” Graham said in a university statement. “My heartfelt appreciation goes out to Chasse and (Deputy Director of Athletics) Molly (Castner) for their vision and support in bringing this program to fruition, bringing college swimming & diving to South Texas, and believing in me to lead it. My objective is clear, and that is to achieve competitive success while nurturing the personal academic growth of our student-athletes I’m looking forward to collaborating with our students, coaching staff, athletic administration, and university of administration. I am committed to fostering a culture of excellence, dedication, and teamwork in the classroom, the pool, and in life. I’m excited about leading our student-athletes to both individual and collective greatness.”
UTRGV announced the addition of swimming in November. It will compete at the Division I level.
Graham swam at Texas Tech, where she qualified for NCAAs in 1986, and the University of Wyoming. She received her bachelor’s degree at the University of Northern Michigan. The native of Richmond, Va., was an assistant coach at Northern Michigan from 1988-90, Ferris State from 1990-91 and Arkansas from 1996-2001. In between those college stints, she was the head coach of Aqua-Tex Swim Team in Texas.
Graham joined Catawba in 2001 and spent 14 years there. She initially led the men’s team and oversaw the launching of the women’s team in 2006. She mentored five Division II All-Americans, six Division II qualifiers and World Paralympic Championships medalist Ashley Owens.
After Catawba, she spent six years leading Arena Club Aquatics in Bel Air, Maryland. She won ASCA Coach of Excellence Awards in 2013 and 2016.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Graham as our first head coach for swimming & diving at UTRGV,” director of athletics Chasse Conque said. “Throughout our national search, Coach Graham impressed us with her leadership experience, her love for the sport, and her already proven ability to start and develop a new program. Coach Graham’s strong Texas ties, track record developing young people, and her nearly 20 years of college head coaching experience make her the right leader for our program. We are all excited to watch swimming & diving develop under Coach Graham’s leadership.”