Courtesy: Caltech Athletics
PASADENA, Calif. – The Caltech Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation has named Andrew Brabson the next head coach of the swimming & diving programs.
“We are delighted to welcome Andy to our team,” Betsy Mitchell, Director of APER, said. “His blend of experience and success distanced himself as a natural fit for the position and his ability to recruit and mentor exceptional young athletes in a high-academic environment should serve him well. We believe he is the right person to continue the recent run of Caltech success in the pool.”
Brabson will be tasked with continuing the ascent of the men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams among SCIAC competition as well as national meet regulars. Both programs are coming off a year where two swimmers, junior Thomas Gallup (Houston, Texas / Phillips Exeter Academy) and senior Brittany Percin (Lake Tahoe, Calif. / Stanford Online), competed at the NCAA National Championships in Indianapolis, Ind. and the team’s past success falls in line with Brabson’s previous accomplishments at Oberlin College. The Maryland native has led his swimmers to six NCAA ‘B’ cuts since 2015 and won the NCAC Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year award that same year.
“I’m really excited about working with the team and given my interaction with some of the team members, they’re every bit as excited about Caltech and ready to compete,” Brabson said. “After speaking with them, seeing the campus and coming out for a visit, I’m really excited to move out there and can’t wait for the season to get going.”
Brabson spent five seasons at Oberlin, where he also led the men’s and women’s teams to CSCAA All-Academic status in every season. Prior to moving to Ohio, Brabson worked as an assistant coach for three years at Hood College, where he helped the Blazers establish 23 new school records at the 2013 Middle Atlantic Conference Championship meet. An accomplished swimmer in his own right, Brabson earned two-time Honorable-Mention All-America status at Denison University, where he also made All-NCAC in breaststroke back in 2009, in addition to captaining the team and being named Freshman of the Year in 2007.
Brabson will inherit Caltech men’s and women’s programs that each had a measure of success last season. The men’s team improved its score at SCIAC’s to go with a second-consecutive sixth-place finish while the women’s team secured its first eighth-place finish since the SCIAC expanded to nine teams. With a slew of new talent set to join the program on both teams, the Brabson-led Beavers could be in store for another big season.
“I’ve noticed the rise of the program over the last couple seasons and I definitely think this is a program that isn’t done, and can continue to rise through the ranks of the SCIAC conference,” Brabson said. “I’m just excited to get started.”
Brabson and the Beavers will begin the 2018-19 season on Saturday, Nov. 10 when they host California Lutheran University.
Great coach & mentor…congrats Andy! Much deserved!