Jim Henry, who helped guide the University of Texas women’s swimming program to four top-10 NCAA team finishes, begins his first season as the Robert J.H. Kiphuth Head Coach of women’s swimming and diving at Yale in 2012-13.

Henry spent six years at Texas, the first five as an assistant coach before being promoted to associate head coach following the 2010-11 season.  During his tenure, the Longhorns won three Big 12 Conference championships, produced 44 All-Americans and set 19 school records. In addition, Texas received a CSCAA Team Academic Excellence Award all six years.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Yale community,” Henry said. “The tradition and history of the Yale swimming program is second to none, and it’s a dream come true to become a part of it.”

Henry is headed for the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, Neb., next week and then will spend much of July on the recruiting trail.

“I want our swimmers to become better students, better athletes and better individuals,” Henry said. “Hopefully that will lead to the ultimate goal, which is to bring an Ivy League team championship back to Yale.”

Henry, a former Texas swimming captain and All-American, returned to his alma mater after leading the University of Denver swimming programs from 2004-06. He guided Denver to back-to-back runner-up honors at the Sun Belt Conference Championships in 2005 and 2006 and was named Sun Belt Female Head Coach of the Year in 2005 and Male Head Coach of the Year in 2006. He coached two Pioneers to Sun Belt Swimmer of the Year honors. During his coaching tenure at Denver, the Pioneers set 66 school records and had 16 “B” qualifiers for the NCAA Championships. Both the Denver men's and women's teams registered team grade-point averages which ranked among the nation's top 10 swimming programs in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Henry was part of three NCAA Championships at Texas as he swam for current UT mentor and Olympic coach Eddie Reese from 1987-90. Henry was a team captain and All-American in the 400 individual medley his senior year. The Longhorns won the Southwest Conference Championship in each of Henry's four years and were NCAA champions in 1988, 1989 and 1990.

A nine-time SWC finalist, Henry also was a U.S. Olympic Trials participant in 1988. He was a three-year recipient of UT's Bob Cone Spirit Award from 1988-90. Henry received his bachelor's degree in 1990 in speech communications at UT.

Prior to his three-year tenure at Denver, Henry served as assistant men's swimming coach and recruiting coordinator at SMU from 1999-2003 when he coached 12 NCAA All-Americans and helped lead SMU to the Western Athletic Conference title each year. Henry enjoyed his finest season at SMU in 2001-02, when he helped the Mustangs finish 12th at the NCAA Championships.

Prior to getting into collegiate coaching, Henry was the aquatics director and head swimming coach for the Allen (Texas) Independent School District in 1998-99 and the aquatics director and head swim coach at The Peddie School in Hightstown, N.J. (from 1995-98). Peddie finished fourth at the 1997 U.S. Nationals and was second at the U.S. Open that year. Henry led Peddie to the 1998 Junior National Team Championship and developed 31 high school All-Americans as well.

Henry and his wife, Heather, have three sons, Aidan (9), Finn (7), and Hugh (5)