Beth O'Connor Baker is an assistant coach and tech meet coach for American University swimming and diving in Washington, D.C. She has been part of the Eagles' coaching staff for 23 years and returned as an assistant coach in 2022-23 after spending several years as a volunteer assistant. Her work centers on technique, especially stroke mechanics, starts, and turns, and she has applied that expertise with athletes across multiple events and disciplines. Baker is a 1983 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Education, where she was a 10-time All-American in butterfly and individual medley events. She later earned a master's degree in exercise physiology from Virginia.
After her collegiate career, she continued competing at a high level in age-group triathlon and masters swimming. Baker broke more than 30 world and national masters swimming records, was ranked No. 1 in the world in more than 15 events, and was recognized as one of 12 USMS Masters Swimmers of the Year. She also was featured in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd," earned induction into Virginia's Swimming Hall of Fame, and was named one of the top 50 swimmers in ACC history. Beyond her collegiate coaching work, Baker has worked with swimmers at many levels, including athletes from the national champion Curl Burke Swim Club, as well as prominent masters swimmers and triathletes that include an NCAA champion and several age-group national record holders. She lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband, Tom, and their son Ryan was a nine-time All-American swimmer at Virginia.
