--Courtesy of La Verne Athletics--

The University of La Verne and Director of Athletics Dr. Jenna Panatier are proud to announce the appointment of Andrew Brabson as the Head Coach of Swimming and Diving.

"Andrew brings a rare combination of competitive excellence, proven recruiting ability, and genuine investment in the student-athlete experience. His track record of building strong, resilient teams in an academically demanding environment is exactly what we were looking for. We are excited to welcome him to the Leopard family and look forward to the energy and vision he will bring to our swimming and diving program," said Panatier. 

Brabson arrives at La Verne with sixteen years of collegiate coaching experience, including eight seasons as Head Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Coach at the California Institute of Technology. During his tenure at Caltech, his athletes broke 129 school records, earned five NCAA All-American honors, and claimed five individual SCIAC championships. His teams were also recognized for their academic excellence, earning CSCAA Scholastic All-America status each year, including three terms with the highest team GPA of any swim and dive program in the country. Brabson was honored as the 2022 SCIAC Men's Coach of the Year and received the 2025 ASCIT Staff Appreciation Award.

"I would like to thank Dr. Panatier and the search committee for the opportunity to lead the Leopard Swimming and Diving program. Throughout the interview process, it became clear that the University of La Verne is deeply committed to academic and athletic excellence. I am excited to join the Leopard family and help our student-athletes reach their full potential in the classroom, in competition, and beyond. Having spent the past eight years in the SCIAC, I have seen the success that La Verne's teams have achieved, and I look forward to building a swimming and diving program that reflects those same championship standards," said Brabson.

Prior to Caltech, Brabson spent five seasons as head coach at Oberlin College, where he was named the 2015 NCAC Women's Coach of the Year. 

He holds an MBA with a concentration in marketing from Hood College, where he also served as the assistant swim coach and assistant aquatics director. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Denison University, where he was a two-time NCAA Division III Honorable Mention All-American and team captain.