Kevin Walsh Hired as Bentley Swimming and Diving Head Coach
Kevin Walsh was hired on Wednesday as the head coach of Bentley University’s swimming and diving team.
Walsh succeeds Mary Kay Samko, who led Bentley for 29 seasons before retiring at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.
Walsh has spent most of his career in the Northeast 10 Conference. He swam at the defunct College of Saint Rose for four seasons, serving as a team captain his senior season. He coached at his alma mater for three seasons, one as an assistant before guiding the final two seasons of the program as head coach.
“I am incredibly excited to join Bentley University and return to the NE10 – a conference I know well from both my time as a student-athlete and as a head coach at The College of Saint Rose,” Walsh said in a press release. “I understand what it takes to build a winning culture in this conference, and I’m committed to carrying forward the legacy of excellence that Mary Kay established here. Her impact on this program is undeniable, and I’m honored to continue that tradition while bringing new energy and vision to Falcons swimming and diving.”
Walsh spent last season as an assistant coach at Division III Union College in New York.
Walsh earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in education. He has taught as an adjunct professor at both Saint Rose and Siena College.
He’s inheriting a Bentley women’s program that has finished second in the Northeast 10 for four consecutive years, producing the last two conference Divers of the Year and two of the last three Women’s Swimmers of the Year. The Bentley men are on a run of 12 consecutive seasons in the top three of the conference, including three championships in that span.
“We are very excited for our men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs,” Director of Athletics Vaughn Williams said. “Coach Walsh has the experience and mindset to match our goals to be the best version of ourselves.”
.jpg "NCAA Division II Coverage - logo"){kind=logo}