Vanessa Williamson Named Head Coach & Aquatics Director At Wesleyan

Courtesy: Wesleyan Athletics

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – The Wesleyan University Department of Athletics has officially hired Vanessa Williamson as Aquatics Director and head coach of the men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs. Coach Williamson is set to start at Wesleyan on June 30.

No stranger to the NESCAC, Williamson graduated from Bates in 2005 and has spent the last 11 years coaching at her alma mater. She joined the Bobcats’ coaching staff as an assistant in 2012 after coaching at the high school and club levels for five years in California and in April 2016 she was promoted to associate head coach.

“I am honored and thrilled to be given the opportunity to lead the Men’s and Women’s swim and dive team at Wesleyan,” Williamson said. “I’m excited to be a part of a community that is championship-caliber and in the NESCAC conference. I am looking forward to building relationships with the student-athletes at Wesleyan and to help them reach their academic and athletic goals.”

In her 11 seasons coaching at Bates, Williamson helped transform the program into an annual contender at both the NESCAC and national level. The Bates women finished top five and no worse than sixth in the NESCAC eight times in 10 championship meets during her tenure while the men finished fourth through sixth nine straight seasons starting in 2014. She oversaw a NESCAC runner-up finish for the women in 2014 and a team record 1345 points in 2015 while the Bates men finished a program-best fourth in 2020 while the Bobcats racked up a team record 997.5 points in 2017.
“Vanessa brings a standard of excellence, both as an All-American swimmer herself and on the pool deck as a coach, and we’re thrilled to welcome her to Wesleyan,” said Director of Athletics and Recreation at Wesleyan, Mike Whalen ’83. “Her experience at Bates and within the NESCAC is valued and we have the upmost confidence in her and in the program’s success in the years to come.”

At NCAA’s, the Bates women finished a team-best 11^th in 2015 while the Bobcats racked up 113.5 points in 2022 (team record). Bates fielded swimmers at the national meet eight times under Williamson and the Bobcats finished Top 20 in all eight appearances. The Bates men recorded team record 14^th place finishes in both 2018 and 2023 under Williamston with the program just recently accumulating a team record 104 points at this year’s NCAA Championship.

In Williamson’s 11 seasons at Bates, the Bobcats accumulated 231 total All-American awards (173 women, 58 men), a staggering total considering there are 273 combined All-American awards in school history for the men’s and women’s programs.

“Vanessa’s time at Bates has corresponded with our best seasons to date, and that is no coincidence,” said Peter Casares, Head Swimming & Diving Coach at Bates College, about Williamson in a press release in March. “Her work on the pool deck with our student-athletes and in the office recruiting, planning, and fundraising has helped create a program that positively impacts each member of the program. Vanessa brings creativity and connection to our profession. Always coming up with new ways to get the most out of our athletes, while being a steady and consistent mentor and coach, Vanessa has contributed to the success of her swimmers, our coaching staff, and her colleagues in the athletic department.”

A decorated swimmer in her own right, Williamson is one of the best to ever swim at Bates as she totaled eight All-American honors in her swimming career from 2001-05. She was a two-time NCAA runner-up in the 200 butterfly while she placed third in the 100 fly twice. Williamson is a three-time NESCAC Champion, winning the 200 fly in 2003 and 2004 while she captured the 100 fly title in 2005 after finishing runner-up in the event in 2004.

Just this spring, Williamson was announced by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association (CSCAA) as the recipient of the 2023 Jean Freeman Scholarship. These scholarships are given annually to six coaches whose exceptional contributions have brought recognition to their college or university, and whose leadership, integrity, honesty, competitive attitude, and personal graciousness epitomize those characteristics reflected by Jean Freeman, longtime women’s swimming coach at the University of Minnesota. The scholarship provides each recipient with a grant that paid for registration and lodging at the 2023 CSCAA Convention and Annual Meetings held in May.