DIVING COACH BETHANY HOVLAND |
Coach Hovland enters her fifth season as UNI’s diving coach.
Coach Hovland enters her fifth season as UNI’s diving coach. Hovland earned the Missouri Valley Diving Coach of the Year recognition in 2022 after coaching diver Taylor Hogan to a 3 meter conference title and 3rd place finish on 1 meter. Under coach Hovland’s leadership, Hogan was named the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Diver of the Year, making her the first diver in school history to win this award. To conclude the 2021-2022 season, Hogan qualified and competed at the NCAA Zone D Diving Championships.
Hovland found success during the 2021-2022 season where three of her divers placed in the A final on 1 meter at the MVC Conference Championships and two divers earned honorable mention conference recognition.
During the 2019-2020 season, two of Coach Hovland’s divers earned Missouri Valley Conference Diver of the Week honors. At the Missouri Valley Conference Championships in 2020, Bethany led freshman diver Anna Penning to a top 8 finish, earning her the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman Diver of the Year title.
Upon her hire in July 2018, Hovland still held the 1-meter and 3-meter school records at the University of Northern Iowa. She was the 1-meter Missouri Valley Conference Champion in 2011, making her the first diver in school history to win a conference title. After making four-straight appearances at the NCAA Zone Diving Championships, the "Bethany Hovland Diver of the Year" award was established in her honor in 2013.
Hovland is the founder and head coach of Cedar Valley Diving Club, where she trains divers ages 8-18 years old. She coached high school diving from 2013-17. During her high school coaching career, she coached a two-time state champion along with multiple state qualifiers and finishers, including athletes who continued their diving careers at the collegiate level.
As a native of Cedar Falls, Hovland began her diving career at Cedar Falls High School where she held the 6 and 11 dive school records. She was a two-time Iowa High School State Champion and earned All-American status in 2009.
Hovland earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Northern Iowa in 2013 and her master's degree in teaching at Morningside College in 2017. Bethany lives in Cedar Falls, Iowa with her husband Nolan, and their three kids, Benson (5), Laina (3), and Josiah (1).