Ellen Varley joined the Bates College swimming and diving coaching staff as an assistant coach in 2025.
Varley comes to Bates following a successful collegiate career at St. Olaf College, where she was a four-year member of the Oles’ varsity swim team and served as team captain during her senior year. In addition to her impact in the pool, she gained valuable experience as a recruiting assistant for St. Olaf Swim and Dive, developing recruiting strategies, coordinating campus visits, and creating content for prospective student-athletes.
Her coaching background includes working as a coach at St. Olaf Swim Camp, where she led high-performance training sessions, conducted video stroke analyses, and mentored athletes. Varley has also been a longtime youth swim instructor with Making Waves Swim School, helping swimmers of all ages build foundational skills and confidence in the water.
Beyond the pool, Varley demonstrated a commitment to leadership and athletics administration. She served as vice president of St. Olaf’s Student-Athlete Advisory Board, participated in the Ole Leadership Academy, and was selected as the sole women’s student-athlete representative on St. Olaf’s Athletic Director Search Committee.
Varley earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a concentration in Business Management from St. Olaf in May 2025.
