Dara Torres is diving into a new opportunity…
Boston College has hired the 57-year-old Cuban-American five-time Olympian as its swimming and diving coach to help the school rebuild the program after a hazing scandal.
Torres, a 12-time Olympic medalist and former world record-holder in three events, will coach both the men and women.
“From the moment we met with Dara, it was evident that she was exactly the fit we were looking for to begin a fresh, new chapter of Boston College swimming and diving,” BC athletic director Blake James said in a statement. “Her record as a world-class competitor is historic and her ability to clearly articulate her vision as a coach and leader will allow our student-athletes to develop and excel in and out of the pool.”
BC suspended the swimming and diving programs last fall after allegations that freshmen were coerced into binge drinking and told to wear plastic bags around their necks to catch the vomit. Head coach Joe Brinkman, diving coach Jack Lewis and two assistants were fired after the school found “a team culture that has failed to meet the expectations Boston College holds for its student-athletes.”
Torres was a 28-time All-American at Florida and was named the 1988 Southeastern Conference Female Athlete of the Year.
She held six world records and 10 American records in a career that spanned Olympics from 1984-2008, where she won four gold medals, four silver and four bronze.
