Bella Cothern joined the Vanderbilt swimming staff in August 2025 as assistant coach and director of operations. She joined the program after completing a career at Arkansas that saw her earn All-America and All-SEC honors.

Cothern was an honorable mention All-American as part of the Razorbacks’ 200 and 400 freestyle relays teams at the NCAA Championships in 2022 and 2023, adding recognition with the program’s 200 medley relay squad the latter year as well. Individually, she competed in three events at the 2024 NCAA Championships—the 50 and 100 freestyle, and 100 butterfly—after just missing the podium with a fourth-place finish in the 50 free at the SEC Championships that winter.

Originally from Jonesboro, Arkansas, Cothern advanced to finals in the 50 and 100 free as well as the 100 breaststroke at the SEC Championships in 2023, winning the C Final in the latter race the previous year. In addition to earning second-team All-SEC recognition in 2023, she was named the league’s Swimmer of the Week on Oct. 31 the following season.

Cothern competed in the 50 free at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, and she competed in the A Final in multiple events at the U.S. Open in 2021. She concluded her career ranked second all-time in school history with a 52.52 mark in the 100 fly.

In the classroom Cothern was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll on five occasions, and she also served as a team captain each of her final four seasons with the program.

A 2024 graduate with a degree in recreation and sports management, she added a master’s degree in recreation and sports management from Arkansas in 2025. She has experience as a member of the coaching staff with the Aquahawgs Swim Club.