Coaching Career
- BYU assistant swimming coach (2012-)
- Mountain Crest High School (Hyrum, Utah) and Cache Valley Marlins head swimming coach (2006-12)
- Logan High School (Logan, Utah) head swimming coach (1998-2003)
- Sky View High School (Smithfield, Utah) head swimming coach (1984-93)
Swimming Career
- Swam breaststroke and individual medley for BYU (1979-81)
- Helped BYU women's swimming to its first-ever conference championship (1980)
- BYU teammates with head coach Shari Skabelund
- Competed for Mexican National Team (1974-80)
- Named Mexico's National Female Athlete of the Year (1976)
Personal
- Formerly Yolanda Mendiola, native of Mexico City
- Husband's name is Brian, they have four kids
- Sons, Daniel and Sammy both competed for BYU (2008-12)
- Daughter, Nikki Walsh, competed for BYU (2002-06)
Yolanda Bates is entering her twelfth season working with the stroke swimmers since joining the BYU coaching staff in June 2012.
Bates, formerly Mendiola, swam breaststroke and individual medley while a swimmer at BYU. Originally from Mexico City, she was a member of the Mexico National Team from 1974 to 1980. After graduating from BYU with bachelor's degrees in public relations (1982) and Spanish (1984), Bates has coached youth swimmers in Logan, Utah. Many of Bates’ former high school students went on to swim for BYU, including Jake Taylor, a five-time All-American.
In 2001 she graduated with a master's from Utah State in second language teaching. She previously served as the first female assistant coach to Stan Crump at BYU.
Bates and her husband, Brian, have four children, including two sons, Daniel (2008-2012) and Sammy (2008-2012), and a daughter Nikki Walsh (2002-06) who have all competed on BYU's swim teams.