DURHAM, N.H. — Lindsay Close has been named the diving coach of the University of New Hampshire women’s swimming & diving program, announced Monday by head coach Josh Willman.
Close arrives at UNH after serving as the diving/assistant swim coach at the Academy of Notre Dame located in Tyngsboro, Mass.
“We are excited to have someone with Lindsay’s experience and passion for diving join our staff,” said Willman. “Her experience coaching college level student-athletes, creating a comprehensive training program and working in partnership with our entire swimming and diving staff is exactly what the diving component of our team needs to become a strong force on our team and within the conference.”
A 2004 graduate of Hope College with magna cum laude distinction in Psychology, Close was a four-year letterwinner and named a captain in her senior season. She consistently placed in the top 10 at the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Meet during her collegiate career, including top five finishes in her last two years at Hope. In the classroom, the four-time league Scholar-Athlete was inducted into the Mortar Board and Psi-Chi Psychology honor societies.
After her collegiate career, she joined the coaching staff as an assistant coach at Hope (2004-07), where she coached multiple divers to top 10 finishes in the MIAA and produced one qualifier for the NCAA Division III National Championships.
In 2008, Close was hired as a Spanish teacher at Bedford High School and works there today. She returned to the deck at the Academy of Notre Dame in 2014 and started building a program with novice divers. After two years of training, Close had one diver qualify for the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Division II Sectionals and States.
Outside of the pool, she is competitive runner for the Whirlaway Racing Team in Methuen, Mass.
Swimming news courtesy of New Hampshire Swimming & Diving.