Indiana University head diving coach Dr. Jeff Huber announced today that John Wingfield has joined the IU staff as assistant coach.
“We are fortunate to have John Wingfield join the IU coaching staff,” Huber said. “John is recognized in the diving community as one of the best diving coaches not only in the United States but in the world and he has developed from the ground up countless elite level divers. He brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and expertise and instantly makes our program better. He is an innovator and his energy, creative thinking, and passion for the sport willhelp continue to make Indiana University diving the best program in the country. We are lucky to have John on staff.”
“I am very excited to join the Indiana University family, and to be an integral part of IU swimming and diving,” Wingfield said. “A program imbued with 53 years of tradition and success at the Big Ten, NCAA and international levels. My goal is to help institute a program that responsibly upholds such tradition and participates in the growth and development of great student-athletes.”
Since August 2009, Wingfield has served as director of the National Training Center and head coach for USA Diving. In that position he has identified, developed and trained 12 elite USA divers and created and shared with USA Diving membership quadrennial and annual training plans for divers from the Junior Elite through Olympic levels.
Wingfield has been with USA Diving since January 1998, where as National Training Center head coach he opened the first USA Diving National Training Center and developed protocols for the evaluation and placement ofelite athletes. He also coached up to 10 elite junior/senior level athletes and established the dry land training center.
From September 1999 through December 2004, Wingfield took on the title of Director of Indianapolis Regional Training Center. From January 2005 through July 2009 he was Director of the National Training Center and associate head coach.
While with USA Diving, Wingfield served as head coach for the 2008 USA Olympic diving team, as well as the 2008 World Cup team and 2007 World Championships team. He is the four-time United States Olympic Committee Coach of the Year for diving and was awarded the 2009 USOC Developmental Coach of the Year for all Olympic and Pan Am sports.
Wingfield talent identified, selected and coached three State of Indiana youth athletes to the finals of the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing(David Boudia, Thomas Finchum and Mary Beth Dunnichay).
Under his direction USA Diving has produced three World Championship silver medalists, two Pam Am Games champions, 22 Junior Olympic national champions, 11 Junior Pan Am Games champions and 18 U.S. National Champions, among other awards.
Prior to joining USA Diving, Wingfield spent 10 seasons as Director of Aquatics and head diving coach at Ball State. During that time he coaches 21 Mid-American Conference title winners, four NCAA All-Americans and was named MAC Coach of the Year on seven occasions.
Wingfield earned B.S. degrees in Management Information Systems (1985) and Health and Physical Education (1988) from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and an M.S. in Sport Science in 1988.
