Bates College Names Ellen Varley Assistant Swimming and Diving Coach

LEWISTON, Maine – Bates College head swimming and diving coach Peter Casares has introduced the hiring of Ellen Varley as assistant coach for the Bobcats’ males’s and girls’s swimming and diving applications.

Joining returning assistant coach Boomer Druchniak, Varley’s addition completes the Bobcats’ workers.

Varley involves Bates following a standout collegiate profession at St. Olaf College (Minn.), the place she was a four-year member and senior captain of the Oles’ varsity swim crew. In addition to her aggressive success, she served as a recruiting assistant at her alma mater, serving to develop and implement recruiting methods, coordinating campus visits, and creating digital content material for potential student-athletes.

She additionally brings in depth teaching expertise, having served as a coach for the St. Olaf Swim Camp, the place she led high-performance practices, carried out one-on-one video stroke evaluation, and mentored senior campers of their athletic and private growth.

Varley has a protracted background in youth swim instruction, instructing ages 2–12 in important swimming strategies, water security, and confidence-building expertise and has been actively concerned in athletic management initiatives. She was vice chairman of St. Olaf’s Student-Athlete Advisory Board, represented student-athletes on the Ole Leadership Academy, and was the only ladies’s student-athlete consultant on the College’s Athletic Director Search Committee.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ellen to our staff; Her success as a student-athlete and her deep swimming knowledge were immediately apparent and impressive,” stated Casares. “What truly set her apart, however, was her ability to connect with others, her professionalism, and her knack for finding solutions to every challenge — qualities that make us excited to work alongside her.”

“I’m honored to join a program that excels both academically and athletically,” added Varley. “I’m also excited to work alongside such an outstanding coaching staff and with student-athletes who are motivated to succeed. I look forward to helping this program build on its proud tradition of success.”

Varley earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a focus in Business Management from St. Olaf in May 2025.