Courtesy: OBU Athletics
ARKADELPHIA – Ouachita Baptist University Director of Athletics David Sharp has announced that Dawson Pritchard has been selected as the new head coach for the men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams.
Pritchard has been on the Ouachita campus since 2010, first arriving as an undergraduate student and member of the Tigershark swimming team. Since then, he has worked in the admissions counseling office, has served as an instructor for the department of kinesiology, and has worked as an assistant coach for the swimming & diving teams.
Most recently, Pritchard held the title of head diving coach and assistant swim coach and was instrumental in recruiting and developing the student-athletes that won the New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference championship this past season, which was the first men’s swimming & diving conference title for Ouachita since 2000.
“We searched globally for the next head coach for our swimming & diving teams, but everything kept pointing back to Coach Pritchard as the best fit for the job,” said Sharp. “Dawson is all-in for Ouachita and has done an exceptional job in all of his roles here on campus. Our swimming & diving program is in great hands, and I look forward to seeing what our teams will accomplish under Coach Pritchard’s leadership.”
“I am beyond blessed and excited to be stepping into the role of head swimming & diving coach here at Ouachita,” said Pritchard. “I want to thank Coach David Sharp and Dr. Ben Sells for giving me this opportunity. I would also like to thank Coach Steven Bostick for eight years of mentoring and friendship. He helped build a new legacy of success for our program and I can’t wait to add to it.”
As an assistant coach for the swimming teams for the past eight seasons and head diving coach this past year, Pritchard has extensive experience in all areas of the program. He has coordinated strength & conditioning, planned practices, organized recruiting, handled meet day operations, facilitated academic success efforts, and assisted in the maintenance of Waggoner Pool.
As head diving coach this past year, he coached Ouachita’s first conference diving champion since 1999 and was named the NSISC Diving Coach of the Year. He coached three Tigersharks to NCAA qualifying rounds of diving, which was the most in school history.
During his tenure as an instructor of kinesiology (2021-2024), Pritchard taught and developed curriculum for multiple courses and served as an advisor to nearly 50 students.
As a member of the admissions counseling staff (2014-2021), Pritchard was responsible for territory management, including recruiting, correspondence, and giving tours to prospective students. He also managed student workers and assisted students as a tele-counselor.
Pritchard earned a bachelor’s degree from Ouachita in kinesiology in 2014 and added a master’s degree in the field from Southern Arkansas University in 2018. He is a member of the United States Professional Diving Coaches Association and is a certified Red Cross lifeguard. He and his wife, Griffin (Kretzer), also a Ouachita graduate, have two children – Darby and Enoch.
