A well-known name in the swimming world and in West Texas, Bev Ball began the McMurry University swim program in 2000 and served as its head coach through the 2016-17 season. She continues to work with the program, assisting with all aspects of the War Hawks' teams.
When McMurry University started its swimming program in 2000, it did not have to look far to find its choice to head up the program: veteran coach Bev Ball.
After attending college at North Texas, she began a coaching career in Abilene that spans over 70 years.
Longevity has been Ball’s mainstay, and after her “retirement” from the Abilene Independent School District, she stepped up as the head men’s and women’s swim coach for McMurry at the college level.
Because of her dedication and loyalty to the area, her programs, students and student-athletes, Ball has earned recognition in many different areas, including local tournaments and awards named in her honor.
For the 1997-98 school year, the regional Fox Sports TV affiliate named Ball the Fox Sports Southwest “Coach Who Makes A Difference.” From there, she was awarded the Theron Pickle Outstanding Achievement Award by Texas High School swim coaches in 1998. In 1999, Ball was named the Chuck Mosier Girls Coach of the Year named after Mosier the legendary Abilene High football coach that won three state championships.
In 2003, she was inducted into the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame for her service to Abilene High and Cooper. To celebrate 55 years of coaching in the Abilene area, mayor Norm Archibald declared June 10, 2006 as Bev Ball Day in the City of Abilene where she was honored at McMurry University in front of hundreds of former athletes, colleagues and friends.
In April of 2012, Ball was named as a Woman of Outstanding Achievement by the Abilene branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Later that same month, McMurry’s venerable swim coach also received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2012 Texas Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame induction ceremony and Legends Dinner.
Ball was further honored on August 25, 2016, when she was selected to throw out the first pitch at the Texas Rangers game (the Rangers beat the Cleveland Indians that night, 9-0).
At McMurry, Ball has led two NCAA Division III teams that began swimming as proud members of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) in 2014.
In 2016-17, Robyn Remschel repeated as the SCAC champion in both the 100 and 200-yard backstroke. Additionally, men's team member Jerick Pena set a pair of school records.
The 2015-16 season saw Ball earn the SCAC women's swimming co-Coach of the Year in a vote of her peers. The McM women placed fifth with a handful of participants and Robyn Remschel earned a pair of gold medals with record-setting swims in the 100 and 200-yard backstroke events. McM's men were sixth.
In 2014-15, the War Hawks were sixth - both men and women - at the SCAC championships. Remschel broke the school 200-yard backstroke record. She, and men's team member Christian Chavez, were both named to the SCAC's "Sportsmanship Team."
Prior to joining the SCAC, McMurry swimming competed in the New South Intercollegiate Conference (which had both NCAA II and NCAA III swimming membership) from 2000-2005, winning the league championship for both men and women in 2002 and 2003. after that, the War Hawks participated as an independent in the Liberal Arts Championships - recognized as a premiere small college meet - in lieu of a conference post-season meet.
Ball has been able to prove her standing at the national level, as well, as she’s coached national qualifiers Justin Schultz and Hillary Poole.
Prior to starting the McMurry University’s swim program in 2000, Ball had a brief three-year coaching and teaching stint at Jefferson Middle School (1951-54) in Abilene before spending the next 46 years (1954-2000) at Abilene High and Cooper High School as swim coach for both teams.
Ball still resides in Abilene and is an active member of McMurry's Athletics Department and the Big Country community.
