Tom Milich, aquatics director of the Clovis Swim Club, and former swimming and diving head coach at Fresno State, has been selected to coach the Cal Poly swimming and diving program.

Milich has spent 15 years with the Clovis Swim Club and the Aquatics Director of Clovis Unified School District, and spent two years as the women’s head coach at Fresno State were he earned Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2004.

"This is a new chapter for Cal Poly swimming and diving," said Cone. "For Cal Poly to be able to hire a coach with his tremendous background including international experience is exciting. I think he will provide the experienced leadership we need to build a competitive program. The addition of Tom Milich as head coach to this program, combined with increasing budgets and scholarships should allow for a bright future for Cal Poly swimming and diving."

Cone added, "I would like to thank Phil Yoshida for the exceptional job he did with the teams while serving as interim head coach at Cal Poly."

"I am very excited about becoming a member of the Cal Poly Athletic Family and look forward to continuing the great tradition that has been established by the past staffs of the swimming program" said Milich.

With the Clovis Swim Club, Milich has coached five swimmers that have gone on to represent the United States in international competition while seven have competed at the NCAA Division I championships. As the district’s aquatics manager, Milich has overseen the Clovis Water Polo Club, Clovis Dive Club, Swim Clovis, Clovis Masters and the scheduling and staffing of all seven of the district's swimming facilities.

Milich is a 11-time recipient of the American Swim Coaches Association Distinguished Coach of the year award.

L Prior to joining the Clovis Swim Club, Milich served as the head water polo coach at Fresno State (1989-92). During his tenure, he served on the NCAA regional advisory committee and as an NCAA representative for United States Water Polo.

Milich was an assistant coach for the U.S. silver medal-winning U.S Olympic squad in 1988 and also served on the staff of the '91 gold medal World Championships team and the silver medal at the Pan Am Games.

Prior to his collegiate and international experiences, Milich coached at the high school level, where he helped develop 61 All-Americans, including Olympians Janet Evans and John Mykkanen. He garnered California Swimming Coach of the Year in 1987 while coaching at El Dorado High School in Placentia, CA.

Milich graduated from Long Beach State with a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1978 and earned his teaching credential in life sciences in 1980 from LBSU.