Remembering Reagh "Doc" Wetmore
November 6, 2012 | Women's Swimming & Diving
Nov. 6, 2012
BOSTON - The Boston University Department of Athletics is saddened to announce the passing of Reagh “Doc” Wetmore, the longest tenured and winningest coach in BU men’s and women’s swimming and diving history.
Wetmore spent over 30 years leading the Terriers’ swimming and diving program, guiding the team from its inception to conference and national success over the course of three decades. He retired from his position in January 2005.
“Our thoughts go out to the family of Reagh “Doc” Wetmore,” said Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics Mike Lynch. “Reagh’s impact on the BU swimming and diving program is immeasurable. He created a foundation of success for the program. The Terrier family lost a special person in Doc.”
Under his leadership, the men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs captured 13 conference team titles while the Terriers captured 172 individual conference titles. In all, 52 records were set in four different conferences during his tenure.
“Reagh Wetmore provided a lasting foundation for the Terriers Swimming & Diving Program,” said BU swimming and diving head coach Bill Smyth. “ He cared deeply about all aspects of aquatic and swimming culture and the people involved in the sport. Doc developed his own Drownproofing techniques which were recognized nationally, as well as developed championship swimmers in the America East Conference.”
Wetmore guided two swimmers to All-American honors on three occasions while three of his former student-athletes competed on the Olympic teams of their respective home countries. He also led 10 individuals and four relay teams that qualified for NCAA competition. In addition, five of his former swimmers have been inducted into the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
“I loved Doc, I loved going into his office and hearing stories of his glory days,” said former swimmer Abbey Clark Randell (COM ’00). “I’ll always be grateful to Doc for bringing me and Marc, my husband, together and I always smile when I think of him.”
The Nova Scotia native arrived at Boston University in 1968 to pursue his doctoral degree in education after having earned his bachelor’s degree in science from Acadia University and his master’s in physical education from Springfield College. He had also spent time at the University of Colorado and the University of Florida engaged in graduate work in chemistry.
In 1971, just after he received his doctorate degree, Wetmore was named the Terriers’ swimming coach four years prior to BU fielding its first women’s team. Wetmore did spend time teaching swimming in BU’s physical education department. Then, in 1975, women’s swimming became the first official intercollegiate varsity sport for women at BU with Wetmore at the helm. The following year, the men’s program was elevated to varsity status.
Success came early for the Terriers, as the women won the Greater Boston Conference title within their first four years while the men finished second. During the program’s first seven years, the teams had a combined record of 58-8.
After the women claimed the New England team title in 1981 and the men finished second, BU joined the conference featuring the Ivy League schools, where the Terriers remained until the formation of the America East in 1979.
Wetmore was bestowed with numerous honors as both a swimmer and a coach. He received the Certificate of Excellence Award from the American Swimming Coaches Association for outstanding accomplishments to swimming in the United States. The four-time America East Coach of the Year also earned the Eastern College Athletic Conference Women’s Coach of the Year award in 1993.
An outstanding swimmer as an undergraduate at Acadia University, Wetmore was inducted into his alma mater’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.
Prior to BU, Wetmore completed coaching stints at the high school level in Hawaii and at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass.
While at Andover, Wetmore helped develop drown-proofing, which is designed for people to survive in water for great lengths of time. He taught the technique as part of the Outward Bound program at Hurricane Island, which is located off the coast of Maine. The program drew such national attention that he was summoned by Sargent Shriver in 1961 to teach it to the Peace Corps volunteers in Puerto Rico.
Upon completion of his six-month tour with the Peace Corps, Wetmore returned to Andover where he received the Claude M. Fuess Award for "distinguished contribution to the public service." This award was given by Phillips Academy in recognition of his role with the Peace Corps.
Wetmore conducted over 100 clinics at universities, schools, camps, and yacht clubs throughout the United States and Canada. In 1983, at the request of the Colombian government, he held several clinics in drown-proofing and competitive swimming for all coaches in that country. He also conducted a teacher training institute in drown-proofing for all aquatic personnel in Hawaii - a series of clinics that brought about a state-wide program in which 30,000 school children learned to swim in the ocean until they felt secure in the water.
