Former Lady Vol Head Coach Dan Colella Passes Away

Former Tennessee women's swimming head coach Dan Colella passed away Friday at the age of 60 after a battle with cancer.

Colella, who spent 15 years working with the UT program, served as the head coach of the Lady Vols from 1993-2005. Prior to his 12-year stint at the helm, we worked as an assistant coach from 1990-93.

During his time on Rocky Top, Tennessee earned eight top-20 finishes at NCAAs—including a top-10 ranking during the 1995-96 campaign—and the Lady Vols garnered a combined 143 All-America honors. Tennessee swimmers won six SEC titles under his direction.

"It's a tremendous honor to be able to call Dan Colella a friend and colleague," director of swimming & diving Matt Kredich said in a statement following the news. "He represents the best of what the word 'Coach' means to me. Dan is responsible for so much of the DNA of the Lady Vol program. The impact he has had on Tennessee Swimming and Diving, as well as on the people that he worked with and coached, is immense. As the Lady Vol coach, Dan helped so many women navigate the tumultuous years that college encompasses through the pursuit of excellence in a team-first environment. He helped them realize their strengths and abilities, and guided them to help each other strive to become their absolute best. The success that the alumnae of those years have had in their communities and in the world is staggering, and is a tribute to Dan's leadership, compassion, and skill.

"Dan was a great caretaker and steward of swimming and diving at the two institutions that I hold nearest and dearest to my heart – Tennessee and Duke. He helped me be a better coach at Tennessee, he helped Duke become a national presence in swimming and diving, and most sacred to me, he was a great Coach and caretaker for my son Coleman.

"My deepest sympathies go out to Dan's wife Victoria and his four beautiful children, the Tennessee Swimming and Diving community, the Duke Swimming Community, and the hundreds of others whom he impacted. We've lost a great friend, a great man, and a great coach."

Colella, who was serving as the head coach of Duke swimming & diving, is survived by his wife, Victoria, and their children Henry, George, Ellinor and Caroline. A memorial service will be held Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023, in the Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center in Durham, N.C.

University of Tennessee Athletics

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