As a part of its centennial celebration, the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA)has named its 100 Greatest College Swimming & Diving Coaches of the past 100 years. Ithaca College had two individuals earn this distinguished honor: recently retired women’s swimming & diving coach Paula Miller and current director of intercollegiate athletics Susan Bassett ’79.
Miller completed her 36th and final year as head coach of the women’s swimming & diving program in the 2019-20 season. During her career, she guided the Bombers to 12 top-10 finishes at the NCAA Division III Championships, 29 NYSWCAA/UNYSCSA titles and 30 conference championships.
Swimming Standouts
By Justin Lutes, December 17, 2021
CSCAA Bestows 100 Greatest Coaches Honors on Bassett and Miller.
Paula Miller (left) and Susan Bassett '79.
Paula Miller (left) and Susan Bassett '79.
“It is truly my greatest honor, and I am forever grateful and blessed to have had the opportunity to work with so many outstanding coaches, support staff and athletes who made this possible.”
Paula Miller
“Words cannot express the gratitude and surprise of being on this esteemed list of great coaches, many of whom I admire and respect,” Miller said. “It is truly my greatest honor, and I am forever grateful and blessed to have had the opportunity to work with so many outstanding coaches, support staff and athletes who made this possible. Through these relationships I have had the benefit of establishing many close friendships, which to me are priceless and will last a lifetime. This sport has impacted me on so many different levels, and I will cherish the time that I devoted to it.”
Miller won NCAA Division III Coach of the Year honors in 1987 and 1999. She coached 78 student-athletes to 496 All-America honors and nine members from her teams are in the Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame, to which she herself was inducted in 2014. Her overall record in 36 season was 334-61-3.
Bassett, who was elected to the Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005, began her coaching career at William Smith College, where she coached 22 All-Americans. She then served as the head men’s and women’s swimming & diving coach at Union College from 1987 to 1995, guiding Union to a combined 111-35 dual meet record, three state titles, and a combined five top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships. She was named the 1993 CSCAA Co-Coach of the Year and her student-athletes earned more than 100 All-America honors and two national championships during her tenure.
“It is an incredible honor to be included in a list of the legends of the coaching ranks of collegiate swimming and diving ... It is icing on the cake to share this honor with Paula Miller who has been a mentor, competitor, colleague, and friend. Ithaca College swimming and diving has broad reach, and this recognition says as much about that as it does about us.”
Susan Bassett '79
Bassett earned her bachelor’s degree from IC in physical education and returned to her alma mater in 2013 to serve as director of intercollegiate athletics and recreational sports.
“It is an incredible honor to be included in a list of the legends of the coaching ranks of collegiate swimming and diving,” Bassett said. “This is most unexpected and truly appreciated. Contemplating the 100 individuals honored with this CSCAA distinction, I am so fortunate to have learned so much from so many of these great professionals. Attending CSCAA conventions afforded me the opportunity to hear them generously share their expertise on training and technique. Serving on the NCAA Swimming and Diving committee provided the chance to work with exceptional colleagues from Divisions I, II and III. Learning from, working with, and observing these brilliant coaches propelled me to grow and improve. I am beholden to them for my wonderful coaching journey. I am grateful for the education I received from Ithaca College which provided the foundation for my career. I am thankful as well to Union College and William Smith College for the privilege of coaching their swimming and diving teams.
“It is icing on the cake to share this honor with Paula Miller, who has been a mentor, competitor, colleague, and friend,” Bassett continued. “Ithaca College swimming and diving has broad reach, and this recognition says as much about that as it does about us.”
Founded in 1922, the College Swimming Coaches Association of America is the nation’s first organization of college coaches. The mission of the CSCAA is to advance the sport of swimming and diving with coaches at the epicenter of leadership, advocacy, and professional development.