Dr. Rick Schavone

One of the nation's premier diving instructors, Stanford head coach Dr. Rick Schavone is the architect of the Cardinal diving while taking the team to unprecedented heights during his time on The Farm. The 2013-14 campaign marks his 36th season at Stanford.

Taking over a program that was once an afterthought when he first started in the 1970s, Schavone has molded Stanford into one of the top all-around diving programs in the nation. A four-time NCAA Diving Coach of the Year (1992, 1993, 2007, 2013), Schavone is also an eight-time recipient of the Pac-12 Diving Coach of the Year award (1995 - men, 1995 - women, 1997 - women, 1999 - women, 2000 - women, 2007 - women, 2008 - women, 2013 - men).

Schavone served on Team USA's Olympic coaching staff at the 2012 Olympics after two of his divers earned their first Olympic nods. Kristian Ipsen won the 3-meter synchro and Cassidy Krug won the individual 3-meter event at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Krug was seventh off the 3-meter springboard at the 2012 Olympics. 

Ispen went on to win the bronze medal in his respective event at the 2012 Olympics with partner Troy Dumais. The duo's medal along with David Boudia and his partner Nicholas McCrory's bronze in the synchronized 10-meter platform were the first Olympic medals of any kind for the United States in diving since 2000.

Schavone was tabbed to coach Team USA and Ipsen at the 2013 FINA World Championships.

Schavone led an unprecedented four Stanford divers to the 2013 NCAA Championships, as Ipsen was named the 2013 NCAA Diver of the Year after winning the springboard events and took second in the platform. The Cardinal diving corps made it a no-brainer for the committee to name Rick Schavone the NCAA Diving Coach of the Year. Schavone also earned the 2013 Pac-12 Men's Diving Coach of the Year award as Ipsen was named Men's Diver of the Year. Schavone is one of the only individuals to twice be named the Pac-12 and NCAA diving coach of the year in the same season, having also earned the distinction in 2007.

Ipsen, who swept the springboard events at the Pac-12, NCAA Zone and NCAA Championships, posted an NCAA meet record in the 1-meter with 473.75 points, bettering the previous benchmark set by Olympic medalist David Boudia (486.65) in 2010. The performance was good for Stanford's second 1-meter title in program history. Ipsen joined Ed Thorndsen with the distinction, as Thorndsen copped the honor with a 109.20 for the 1930 title. 

Schavone has coached men and women divers to 18 national championships (9 - NCAA men's, 8 - NCAA women's, 1- AIAW women's), 50 conference team championships, 40 individual Pac-12 titles and 92 All-America honors. Schavone has coached at least one All-American diver in 29 of the past 31 seasons.

Since 1982, Schavone has coached at least one top-16 (All-American) in all but one season on the women's side. He has also added All-Americans in 12 years on the men's side. Schavone has coached at least one Pac-12 champion in 18 years on the women's side and eight times on the men's side.

Schavone has coached NCAA champions in 2013 (Ipsen - 1-meter, 3-meter) 2012 (Ipsen - 3-meter), 2007 (Cassidy Krug - 1- and 3-meter), 2001 (Erin Sones - platform), 1995 (Eileen Richetti - platform), 1993 (Richetti - platform and 3-meter), 1992 (Richetti - platform and 3-meter) and NCAA runners-up in 2013 (Ipsen - platform), 2012 (Ipsen - 1-meter), 2008 (Meg Hostage - platform), 1996 (Megan Gardner - platform), 1994 (Gardner - platform) and 1992 (Kristen Jensen - platform).

Schavone was named both the Pac-10 and NCAA Diving Coach of the Year in 2007. Schavone guided Krug to an undefeated championship season in 2007, as she swept the 1-meter and 3-meter events at the Pac-10 Championships, NCAA Zone Championships and NCAA Championships. Krug was also named NCAA and Pac-10 Diver of the Year. Schavone coached Krug to the top honors in the 3-meter at the 2007 U.S. Summer Senior Nationals after a fourth-place effort in 2006 and a seventh-place showing on the 3-meter at the 2006 FINA Diving World Cup in China.

In addition to Krug's two national titles in 2007, Sones also earned an NCAA platform crown in 2001.


In the past 10 seasons, Stanford divers won 12 Pac-12 championships - five in the 1-meter event (Ipsen in 2013, Dwight Dumais in 2009, Krug in 2004 and 2007, Ohr in 2008), five in the 3-meter competition (Ipsen in 2013, Stephanie Phipps in 2013, Sones in 2000, Krug in 2007, Hostage in 2008) and two on the platform (Carmen Stellar in 2009, Sones in 2001).

Sones (Diver of the Year) and McKenze Murphy (Diving Newcomer of the Year) combined to give Schavone's divers a sweep of the 2000 Pac-10 diving awards, while Ashlee Rosenthal (2001-05) and Krug (2004-07) became just the third and fourth divers, respectively, in Stanford history to earn All-American honors all four years.

Schavone's crew had an excellent showing in 1997-98 when Stanford had women's divers place in the top eight in all three events at the NCAA Championships to help the Cardinal win its most recent national title.

In 1996-97, Stanford's divers also earned All-America honors in all three events on the women's side to help make Schavone the Pac-10 Women's Diving Coach of the Year.

Schavone was named both the men's and women's Pac-10 Diving Coach of the Year in 1994-95 as Stanford divers David Johns and Richetelli earned the conference's Male and Female Diver of the Year honors. Richetelli finished her career with five national titles,and 11 All-America honors, just one shy of the 12 possible in a collegiate career.

The women's diving corps proved to be the deciding factor during the Cardinal's run to its fourth straight national title in 1994-95 as Stanford divers accounted for 64 team points while runner-up Michigan did not enter a diver. Stanford ended up winning the meet with 497.5 points. Michigan placed second with 478.5.

In addition to his work at Stanford, Schavone has served as the head coach for several United States diving teams. Top events in which he has coached include the 2006 FINA World Cup in China, competitions in Rome and Vienna with the U.S. National Team in 1999, the 1997 World University Games in Sicily and the 1990 Goodwill Games.

Schavone has also headed the U.S. National Team at the 1993 World University Games, four World Age Group Championships (1984, 1987-89) and the 1985 European Youth Championships in Aachen, Germany.

Schavone is one of the few coaches nationwide to coach at the last seven U.S. Olympic trials (1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012).

In the summer of 1995, Schavone traveled with the U.S. National Team to China and served as a coach at the World Cup in Atlanta. Schavone helped host the 2007 U.S. Summer Senior Nationals at Stanford's Maas Family Diving Center.

Schavone has also held many positions with USA Diving and received the prestigious Whosam Award in 2003, given annually to a coach that adheres to the highest standards of physical and mental well-being. The award is given annually in honor of Sammy Lee, a 1948 and 1952 Olympic gold medalist, and long-time diving coach.

Schavone has developed Stanford Diving into one of the top age-group diving programs in the nation, coaching eight age-group national champions. Schavone was selected as USA Diving's Coach of the Year in 1984, an award that honored his work with divers between the ages of 12-17.

One of the few Ph.D. holders in his profession, Schavone was introduced to Stanford in 1975 as a graduate assistant to veteran coach Clyde Devine. Schavone was named head diving coach on The Farm in 1977 and completed his Ph.D. at Stanford in 1978. After leaving Stanford to become the head diving coach at Princeton for one season (1978-79), Schavone returned at the beginning of the 1979-80 campaign.

A 1971 graduate of New Hampshire, Schavone resides on the Stanford campus.