Rich Firman, who has coached Cal Poly's men's and women's swimming and diving programs for the last 19 years, has announced his retirement. Firman was hired Sept. 23, 1987, by then director of athletics Dr. Ken Walker. At the time, Firman was men's and women's head swimming and diving coach at Concord High School.

He said he was leaving is to pursue other interests and spend additional time with his family.

"The past 19 years I have had the enjoyment of coaching fine student-athletes, and more importantly, quality individuals," said Firman. "I will greatly miss the interaction with the friends that I made over the 19 years within the Cal Poly community."

Phil Yoshida will assume duties of interim head swimming and diving coach through Spring Quarter. A national search will be conducted during the quarter for a new head coach, said Cal Poly director of athletics Alison Cone.

At Cal Poly, Firman's teams broke 24 school records over the last five seasons, including Nate William's mark of 51.25 seconds in the 100 backstroke this past season. The program also produced its first Big West Conference champion since 2004 as Daniel Lara won the men's one-meter diving event.

"Rich is an exceptional technical swim coach, and I know that hundreds of current and former swimmers at Cal Poly appreciate the significant improvements they have made as swimmers and as individuals in his program," said Cone.

Other Big West champions under Firman's guidance were Eric Wyles (100 breaststroke, 1997), Steve Stehrenberger (100 and 200 breaststroke, 2000; 200 IM, 1999), Ben Palmer (100 breaststroke, 2003; 200 breaststroke, 2004), Ian Pyka (200 breaststroke, 1997 and 1998; 200 IM, 1998), Garrett McLaughlin (1-meter diving, 1999), Creighton Meeds (3-meter diving, 1999) and Ariana Rademaker (1-meter diving, 2001).

The Mustang men's team twice placed third in the Big West Championships while the women placed fourth for five consecutive years from 1996-2000. Cal Poly joined the Big West Conference in swimming prior to the 1994-95 season.

Firman twice earned Big West Coach of the Year honors and one of his swimmers, Palmer, was named Big West Male Swimmer of the Year in 2004.

From May 1986 to November 1986, Firman was head of a research team with United States Swimming, Inc., working at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Prior to that, Firman was an assistant swim coach at Cal State Bakersfield for two seasons. He designed and implemented a weight training program, a distance swimming program and the Cal State Masters program while with the Roadrunners.

Firman was head men's and women's swimming and diving coach for four seasons at Northgate High School and also was head age group coach for the Walnut Creek Aquabears. At Northgate, he guided the boys team to as high as a No. 5 national ranking and the girls team to No. 12.

Firman earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from Cal State Bakersfield in June 1986 and received his California teaching credential in physical education from National University (Oakland) in June 1987.

He has been a member of the Pacific Swim Coaches Association, American Water Polo Coaches Association, American Swimming Coaches Association and the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association of America.