GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— Colorado Mesa University's Andy Parro has been promoted to the role of Associate Head Swimming & Diving Coach, Head Coach Mickey Wender has announced.
 
Parro is in his fifth year on the Maverick staff since joining CMU in the fall of 2021 and has served as Wender's top assistant and the program's recruiting coordinator.  He previously had been the head coach for two seasons (2018-20) at NCAA Division III Illinois Teach in his native city of Chicago.
 
"We are thrilled to announce the elevation of Coach Andy Parro to the position of Associate Head Coach.   In my 34 years as an NCAA head coach Andy has distinguished himself as one of the very best in the business," Wender said.
 
"His work ethic, professionalism and attention to detail have enabled him to positively impact every aspect of our program. I am so grateful for his loyalty, constant support and insights. I have no doubt that the best is yet to come for Andy and Maverick Swim/Dive."
 
"I'm grateful to Coach Wender for the opportunity to continue to grow and learn as a part of such an amazing team," Parro said.
 
"I'm inspired by our athletes every day and am motivated to help them develop to their potential in and out of the pool. The best is yet to come. Go Mavs!"
 
Parro's talents on and off the pool deck have helped the Mavericks sweep the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference titles in all four of his previous seasons on the Maverick staff.
 
The Maverick women have also finished in the top five at the NCAA Division II National Championships in each of the previous four years, taking second in 2024 and third in 2025.  CMU's men have two fifth place national championship finishes and have finished no lower than ninth in Parro's four years.
 
The Maverick swimmers have also combined to win 13 individual and four relay NCAA Division II National Championships over the past four years, including 11 titles in 2024 alone.
 
The Maverick athletes have also combined to win 283 total CSCAA All-America honors and have claimed 106 RMAC event wins in the past four seasons.
 
While at Illinois Tech, Parro guided the Scarlet Hawk men to a Liberal Arts Conference team title and was named as the conference's coach of the year in 2020.    He also guided the Scarlet Hawk women to a third place finish and guided the program's first ever NCAA Division III Championship Qualifier in Anna Slominski.
 
Before coaching in the college ranks, Parro served as the head boys and girls swimming coach at Whitney Young High School in Chicago.  In his eight seasons of what was his first coaching job, Parro coached the Dolphins to seven conference championships and coached five high school all-Americans and several Illinois State Championship qualifiers.
 
Parro was a collegiate swimmer as well, competing at the University of Illinois-Chicago from 2007-09, where he was a Horizon League Finalist.
 
Parro, an outdoor enthusiast, and his wife Sarah have three children: Braydon, Logan and Lilliana.