The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1190316
42 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Harrell followed up her stint in Raleigh by becoming the head coach at South Carolina from 1995-2000 and then at North Florida from 2000-11. She was the founder of the Ospreys swimming and diving program in Jacksonville, Fla., and served as the organiza- tion's head coach until 2014. "Coaching is awesome and I did that forever, but I wanted to stay home more and be around home more," she said. Harrell is currently the assistant director of recreation and intra- murals at North Florida. Every now and then a student will Google her past swimming accomplishments and let her know about it. She enjoyed coaching, but likes this new challenge. "I wanted to see another side of it — athletes that have a huge passion but are doing it in a different way," Harrell said. "I'm creating programs in different sports, and I'm getting others in- volved." Harrell has tried to get the professors to enjoy "being out there and moving around" and wants to see students get more exercise. "We are trying to get them away from their phones and away from their computers," Harrell said. "We want to get them out there doing the things that athletes like to do." North Florida, which was established in 1972, has risen in stu- dent enrollment to 16,525. "We have a football team," Harrell said. "We aren't a major school, but the population has grown some. We are in Florida, so we can do a lot of outdoor sports." She's made Jacksonville her home, though she originally made the move to the area for other reasons. "My parents were here, and I wanted to be around them as they got older," Harrell said. "I moved here in 1999, and I started the swim team here." Harrell has a few health situations to battle through. As an ath- lete, she enjoyed pushing herself through the uncomfortable. Now, she already has had a knee replacement, and her shoulders are not in an ideal situation. "I can't move my arms much over my shoulders," said Harrell, who last got in the pool about four years ago. "I just don't want to have shoulder surgery yet." The last few years have been difficult with her mother passing away four months ago, and her father dying just prior to her mom. Harrell's husband has also passed away. Her support group in Jacksonville has shifted from family to work and friends. "I'm kind of left here, but we all came down to Jacksonville and loved it," Harrell said. "I've stayed here. You have a little bit of winter, your summers aren't too bad, but you are still in Florida, and I live a couple of miles from the beach." Harrell has been an avid fan of what Holloway and the Wolfpack swimming program have been able to accomplish in the same swimming facilities she knows all too well. She was excited to hear the Wolfpack will be getting an outdoor pool to help them continue to thrive. "They are just doing awesome," Harrell said. "Braden is just fantastic, and he's knocking it out of the ballpark in recruiting. I love it." ■ After head coaching stints at South Carolina (1995-2000) and North Florida (2000-11), Harrell became the founder of the Ospreys swimming and div- ing program in Jacksonville, Fla., and served as the organization's head coach until 2014. PHOTO COURTESY BETH HARRELL "I didn't really like the backstroke, and the breaststroke felt slow. I was a butterfly and freestyle swimmer, and I was a sprinter. I usually anchored the freestyle relays. It was nerve-wracking, but awesome." ■ Harrell