While Ball State knew at least as early as June that their previous head coaches wouldn’t return, the team still entered November without an announced assistant swimming coach for J. Agnew’s new staff after he was hired in early August. That changed this week when the program hired former University of Miami All-American Kelsi Hall as their new assistant coach.
The new position is a homecoming for Hall, where she’ll reunite with her high school coach, Agnew, who coached her to 3 Indiana state titles in the 50 free at Yorktown High School – located less than 10 miles from Ball State’s campus.
“I worked with J. for many years when I was a young athlete, so I’m very excited to be working alongside him again but this time as a coach,” Hall said. “I have a diverse training background with the sport and I’m excited to use all my experience and knowledge to help develop Ball State’s swim program.”
Hall swam at Kentucky as a freshman and sophomore before transferring to Miami as a junior. With the Hurricanes, she broke the school record in the 50 free multiple times, eventually settling at a 22.03 that remains the school record today. She also ranks 2nd in program history in the 100 free (49.72) and 5th in the 100 breaststroke (1:02.31).
As a senior in 2012, Hall won the ACC title in the 50 free and became the program’s first All-American swimmer in the Christie Shefchunas era (she was head coach there from 2006 through 2013). She finished 10th in the 50 free that year.
Hall joins a staff that includes head diving coach Nick Gayes, graduate assistant Chris Bals, and graduate assistant Matt Bird. She will coach her first meet for the Cardinals on November 17th against Division II Grand Valley State University.