CSU Bakersfield Diving Coach Everingham Retires

A veritable fixture on the CSUB pool deck for nearly 20 years, Roadrunner men’s and women’s diving coach Larry Everingham announced his retirement from the program Tuesday.

Everingham has been the cornerstone of Bakersfield’s diving success over the years, producing 11 NCAA Division II National Champions, while also earning NCAA Division II Diving Coach of the Year honors on five occasions.

“Larry is irreplaceable,” said CSUB women’s swimming Head Coach Pat Skehan. “He’s had maybe three or four kids each year and he got at least one of them to nationals every single year. And he didn’t just get them there, they scored and they won national championships.”

His first national champion and NCAA Division II Diver of the Year was his daughter Lawren on the one-meter board in 1992. Everingham earned his first Coach of the Year award that same year. His other national champions include Kim Stanfield in the one-meter event in 1993 and in both the one and three-meter events in 1994, Tina Hoagland in the three-meter event in both 1996 and 1997 and Laura LaFranchise in the one-meter event in both 2003 and 2006. All three also earned NCAA Division II Diver of the Year honors along with their second national title, while Everingham was named Coach of the Year those same years.

Everingham has had four male national champions as well, including Trevor Hoagland in the one-meter event in 1997, Robb Pendergrass in the three-meter event in 2001, Ross Farance in the one-meter event in 2005 and Sean Ogren in both the one-meter and three-meter events in 2006. Pendergrass earned NCAA Division II Diver of the Year honors in 2001 and Ogren earned the same honor in 2006, while Everingham picked up Men’s Diving Coach of the Year honors both years.

“From my perspective, I stayed longer than I had originally planned, but they stay was worthwhile,” said Everingham, who cited spending more time with his children and grandchildren as the primary reason for ending his tenure. “I have enjoyed the kids’ success and their success gave me the opportunity to achieve some goals with them.”

Everingham was not only a staple at CSUB, but also in the Kern County education and diving community. He coached all Kern County prep divers for more than 30 years, while also serving as a special education instructor and department head at both Ridgeview and South High School before retiring in 2003.

“Larry is, was and will always be CSUB diving,” said former Roadrunner Cliff Johansen, who dove for Everingham from 1994-97 and has since taken over coaching the county’s prep divers. “Athletes came to this program because they wanted to be coached by him. Technically, he was a great coach and he was also a great guy. In the pool and off the deck you could talk to him about anything.”

“Diving in Bakersfield at all levels wouldn’t be what it is without Larry,” Skehan summed up.