Campbell University

Zachary Bagby was elevated to Campbell's head swimming coach in 2024.

Bagby brings 20 total years of swimming experience to the Camel coaching staff. He is a former letterman at St. Andrews University and Limestone College, and was a NAIA national qualifier in the 200 fly, 400 IM and 400 free relay.

Bagby was officially named head coach after serving on an interim basis in 2023-24, guiding the Camels to a 2-4 record in dual competition, while setting eight school records. The team also made program history, securing its first CAA medal at the 2024 conference championships. 

Prior to 2023-24, Bagby served as an assistant coach for the program for six seasons. The Fighting Camels posted a 6-8 record in 2022-23, highlighted by a third straight win at the TYR ‘85 Invite at Liberty in November. Campbell wrapped up the season with a sixth-place finish at the CCSA Championship, setting eight program records at the championship in Knoxville, Tenn. Campbell once again garnered academic recognition, including the second highest semester GPA in program history, with a 3.62 in the fall of 2022.

Campbell finished with a 4-5 mark in dual meets during the 2021-22 season, and another fifth place finish at the CCSA Championship. The Camels were the top finishing team that does not include diving at the conference championship.

The 2020-21 season was abbreviated due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but saw Campbell go 3-3-1 in dual meets before wrapping up the year with a fifth-place finish at the CCSA Championships. The Camels were also named a CSCAA Academic All-America team. Simone Palomo earned all-conference recognition in the 200 fly, and Colleen Renshaw earned all-conference in the 100 free. 

Campbell posted an 8-8 dual meet record culminating in a sixth-place finish at the CCSA Championships during the 2019-20 season. The Camels were again recognized as a CSCAA Academic All-America team. Maddie Baiotto earned all-conference honors in both the 100 and 200 fly, while Jessi Snover joined her in the 100 fly.

Campbell bounced back with a 9-5 record in 2018-19, the second-most dual wins in a season in program history. The squad went on to finish fifth at the CCSA Championships, and earn CSCAA Academic All-America honors. Four different CU Relay teams earned all-conference recognition at the championship meet. 

In 2017-18, Bagby’s first season at Campbell, the Camels finished 4-10 overall and took sixth place in the CCSA Swimming & Diving Championships with 759 points, as nine program records were broken at the conference meet. A pair of Campbell relay units earned All-CCSA honors, taking third place showings in the 200 freestyle relay and 400 freestyle relay. In total, the Camels broke 15 program records during the 2017-18 season.

During his collegiate career, Bagby gained experience swimming in the 200 back, butterfly and IM, 100 back, fly and breast as well as the 400 IM.  He worked with various coaches such as Molinard, Ryan Mallam, Brooks Teal and Taylor Cooper.

Bagby graduated from St. Andrews in 2017 with a B.S. in business administration with a minor in political science. He spent the summer of 2017 studying abroad in India and the summer of 2014 in Ecuador traveling both countries extensively.

Bagby is CPR/AED certified and a USA Certified coach. He is an avid scuba diver and, as a PADI-certified diver, frequently dives in the Cayman Islands, Wrightsville, N.C., and the finger-lakes in Upstate New York.