Vanderbilt Hires Bella Cothern as Assistant Coach
Vanderbilt on Thursday announced the hiring of Bella Cothern as an assistant coach and director of operations. Cothern arrives in Nashville after a successful SEC career at Arkansas.
Cothern was an All-SEC performer for the Razorbacks. She was an honorable mention All-American on relays teams four times in 2022 and 2023 and competed in three individual events at NCAAs in 2024. She finished fourth in the 50 free at SEC Championships in 2024. The native of Jonesboro, Arkansas, wrapped up her collegiate career in 2025.
Cothern swam at Olympic Trials in 2024 in the 50 free. She received her bachelor’s degree in recreation and sports management in 2024 and completed a master’s degree in the same subject in 2025. She began coaching with the Aquahawgs Swim Club team attacked to the school in Little Rock.
“We are thrilled to welcome Bella to the Vanderbilt swimming family,” Vanderbilt head coach Jeremy Organ said in a team statement. “She is an outstanding young coach with a passion for developing student-athletes both in and out of the pool. Her competitive background and drive to succeed make her a perfect fit for our program as we continually strive for excellence and to continue the momentum we’ve built the last couple of seasons.”
