Courtesy: UTPB Athletics
In her 30 years as a swim coach, Betsy Graham has coached a Paralympian medalist, a US National Team member, five All-Americans, and had a team hold the title of highest GPA in the NCAA. She brings that experience to UT Permian Basin where she takes over as the new Head Men’s and Women’s Swimming Coach and University Director of Aquatics.
Graham comes to UTPB after serving as the Head Swimming Coach at Arena Club Aquatics in Bel Aire, Maryland, where she coached 15 swimmers to Sectionals, five to Futures, two made Junior National cuts, and two Academic All-Americans.
“It’s an honor to be selected as the next head coach at UT Permian Basin,” said Graham. “The opportunity to return to college coaching is exciting. I can’t possible overstate my gratitude and appreciation to Scott Farmer and the search committee for placing their confidence in me.”
Prior to that, Graham had a decorated stint from 2001-15 as Head Swimming Coach at Catawba College, in Salisbury, NC. Graham started as the Women’s Swim Head Coach before launching the Men’s Swimming program in 2006. At Catawba, she produced five All-Americans, seven All-Academic Team members, and a pair of Academic All-Americans. Six swimmers qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships during her tenure. Graham’s teams were also excellent in the classroom. In 2015, her men’s squad finished with the highest GPA in nation, including teams from all three levels of the NCAA.
“Coach Graham comes to us with a track record of success,” said Director of Athletics Scott Farmer. “We believe she is the right person to take over the program as her teams have always exceled academically and athletically.”
Graham had stops as an assistant at various places including the University of Arkansas at the Division I level, Ferris State, and Northern Michigan where she got her start as a coach in 1988. She has experience in Texas, serving as the Head Coach for the Aqua-Tex Swim Team (ATEX) in Houston. There she coached a finalist for the 1996 Olympic trials, two Olympic Festival finalists, and placed a swimmer on the US National Team. She also coached Ashley Owens, a US National Paralympian who won four medals at the 2010 World Championships.
“I look forward to getting to know the student-athletes,” said Graham. “I’m excited to work with them and have great success in and out of the pool.”
Graham holds an American Swimming Coaches Association Level Five certification and in 2016 was recognized as a Coach of Excellence by the organization.
As a parent of swimmers at UTPB, Coach Betsy has been a nightmare. She is currently the worst decision Scott Farmer has done at the school, right before he retired. Betsy kicked my son off the team for talking back to her, He has ADD and Dyslexia and had to ask a lot of questions, she doesn’t like questions. The current AD thinks she cares about the swimmers and is so fair. If you are fair, you actually try to talk to your swimmers like adults and don’t rule with fear and intimidation. Betsy had my son come back from Thanksgiving break, carpool to the pool (18 miles away), dress out and is standing on the pool deck waiting to… Read more »
They had better candidates for this position, but didn’t do their due diligence.
This is one great coach!!! So inspiring.
UTPB is getting an awesome coach! I am sad for ACA. Coach Betsy has helped me become the swimmer I want to be. I have dropped so much time under Coach Betsy. She has a way of teaching technique and taper where other coaches I have had hasn’t. ACA doesn’t have a clue what they are are about to lose. I hope ACA gets a coach as good as Coach Betsy or there will be a lot of people leaving. Thank you Coach Betsy!!! You will be missed!!!