Dawn Dill Named Head Swimming & Diving Coach at Wellesley College

Courtesy: Wellesley Athletics

WELLESLEY, Mass. – Bethany Ellis, Director of Athletics and Chair of the Department of Physical Education, Recreation and Athletics (PERA) at Wellesley College has announced the hiring of Dawn Dill as Head Swimming & Diving Coach and PERA Assistant Professor of the Practice. A former assistant coach for the Blue, Dill will officially rejoin the Wellesley community on July 1, 2024.

“We are excited to welcome Dawn back to Wellesley and we are looking forward to her leadership in this next era of Wellesley Swimming and Diving,” said Ellis.

Dill returns to Wellesley after spending the 2023-24 season as an assistant coach at Harvard University. In one season in Cambridge, Dill helped guide the Crimson to a 5-2 season record and a runner-up finish at the Ivy League Championships while seeing four student-athletes earn invitations to compete at the NCAA Division I Swimming & Diving Championships.

“I am thrilled to be returning to Wellesley College as the new Head Coach of Swimming and Diving! I am excited to honor the tradition and success of the program, and will continue to foster a culture of excellence, both in and out of the pool,” said Dill. “I’ve been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with extraordinary coaches along the way. Now I am eager to bring those experiences and ideas to Wellesley to lead this team of ambitious student-athletes.”

During her five seasons as Assistant Swimming Coach and Aquatics Coordinator with the Blue from 2018-2023, Dill helped the program establish multiple program records, while guiding Wellesley’s first relay team (200 Medley) since 1990-91 to a spot at the 2023 NCAA Division III Championships. As aquatics coordinator, Dill helped design the aquatics schedule for multiple user groups including recreation, varsity programming, physical education, USA swimming & diving clubs and she was a key collaborator in designing an adaptive aquatics program.

Prior to her time at Wellesley, Dill was the head men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach and an associate professor in the department of physical education at MIT from 2003-2015. In 12 seasons as head coach, Dill guided the Engineers to 10 NEWMAC team championships while also seeing success on the national stage, with the men finishing in the top-10 at the NCAA Division III Championships eight times and the women finishing top-10 nationally four times. The three-time NEWMAC Swimming Coach of the Year (2006, 2009, 2010), Dill had a 152-36 dual meet record and coached over 125 All-Americans.

Before her time at MIT, Dill coached at Vassar College from 2001-03, spending one season as an assistant coach before being elevated to the role of interim Head Coach during the 2002-03 season. During her time at Vassar, Dill coached the team to 23 new school records and led the women’s program to its highest ever finish at the NYSWCAA Championships.

Prior to Vassar, Dill served as a graduate assistant coach for the Smith College swimming and diving program from 1999-01 while earning her master’s degree in exercise and sports studies. A graduate of Smith College, she earned her bachelor’s degree in physiological psychology in 1996.

Dill was an accomplished swimmer for the Pioneers, garnering All-America accolades in the 100 and 200 breaststroke seven times over the course of her four-year career. Dill was named New England Swimmer of the Year in 1996 following a career where she was a seven-time New England champion in the 50, 100, and 200 breaststroke and an eight-time Seven Sisters champion. An Academic All-American in 1993 and 1994 she was named both an Academic All-American and ECAC Scholar Athlete in 1995. She currently resides in Waltham.

“I would like to thank Bethany for the opportunity to lead the program into its next chapter,” added Dill. “Thank you as well to Bonnie DIx for her leadership, dedication and commitment to building the swimming and diving program over the last 37 years. Go Blue!”