One of the nation's premier diving instructors, Dr. Rick Schavone is now in his 35th season as Stanford's head diving coach. Taking a program that was an after thought when he first started in the 1970's, he has molded Stanford into one of the top all-around diving programs in the nation. A three-time NCAA Diving Coach of the Year (1992, 1993 and 2007), Schavone is also a seven-time recipient of the Pac-10 Diving Coach of the Year award (1995-men, 1995-women, 1997-women, 1999-women, 2000-women, 2007-women and 2008-women).
He will serving on Team USA's Olympic coaching staff at the 2012 Olympics after two of his divers earn their first Olympic nods. Kristian Ipsen won the 3-Meter synchro and Cassidy Krug won the individual 3-Meter. All three are making their first Olympic appearances.
Schavone has coached men and women divers to 16 national championships (7 men's NCAA, 8 women's NCAA, 1 women's AIAW), 48 conference team championships, 38 individual Pac-10 titles and 89 All-America honors. He has coached at least one All-American diver in 28 of the past 30 years.
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. He has also coached at least one Pac-10 champion in 17 years on the women's side and seven times on the men's side.
Schavone has coached NCAA champions in 2012 (Kristian Ipsen-three-meter), 2007 (Cassidy Krug-one and three meter), 2001 (Erin Sones-platform), 1995 (Eileen Richetti-platform), 1993 (Richetti-platform and three-meter), 1992 (Richetti-platform and three-meter) and NCAA runners-up in 2012 (Kristian Ipsen-one-meter), 2008 (Meg Hostage-platform), 1996 (Megan Gardner-platform), 1994 (Gardner-platform) and 1992 (Kristen Jensen-platform).
One of Schavone's biggest seasons to date came in 2006-07, as he was named both the Pac-10 and NCAA Diving Coach of the Year. He guided Krug to an undefeated championship season in 2007, as she swept the 1-meter and 3-meter boards at the Pac-10 Championships, NCAA Zone E Championships and NCAA Championships. Krug was also named NCAA and Pac-10 Diver of the Year. Schavone also coached Krug to first 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 nine seasons, Stanford divers won nine Pac-10 championships - four in the 1-meter event (Dwight Dumais in 2009, Krug in 2004 and `07, and Ohr in 2008), three in the 3-meter competition (Sones in 2000, Krug in 2007 and Hostage in 2008) and two on the platform (Carmen Stellar in 2009 and 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 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, his women's divers also earned All-America honors in all three events to make him 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 and Michigan placed second at 478.5.
In addition to his work at Stanford, Schavone has served as the head coach for several United States diving teams. Top events 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. He has also headed the U.S. National Team at the 1993 World University Games, four World Age Group Championships (1984, `87, `88, `89) and the 1985 European Youth Championships in Aachen, Germany. Schavone is one of the few coaches nationwide who has coached at the last six U.S. Olympic trials - in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008. In the summer of 1995, he traveled with the U.S. National Team to China, and served as a coach at the World Cup in Atlanta. In 2007, he helped host the U.S. summer senior nationals at Stanford's Maas Family Diving Center.
Schavone has also held many positions with USA Diving. He 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 also developed Stanford Diving into one of the top age-group diving programs in the nation, coaching eight age-group national champions. He was selected as USA Diving's 1984 Coach of the Year, 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 Diving as a graduate assistant to veteran coach Clyde Devine in 1975. 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), he returned at the beginning of the 1979-80 campaign.
A 1971 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Schavone is single and resides on the Stanford campus.
| YEAR | Pac-10 Team Titles | NCAA Team Titles | Individual Conf. Champions | All-Americans & NCAA Champions |
| 1977-78 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 1979-80 | -- | AIAW-W | -- | -- |
| 1980-81 | 1st-M | -- | -- | -- |
| 1981-82 | 1st-M | -- | -- | Jean Meyer (4th, 3m) |
| 1982-83 | 1st-M | NCAA-W | Thor Johnson (3m) | Jean Mayer (4th, 3m) |
| 1983-84 | 1st-M | -- | Thor Johnson (1m) Tom Rothenbucher (3m) | Kim Jones (4th, 1m) Tom Rothenbucher (14th, 3m) |
| 1984-85 | 1st-M | NCAA-M | -- | Jean Meyer (13th, 1m) Thor Johnson (7th, 1m) |
| 1985-86 | 1st-M | NCAA-M | -- | Sharon Daly (10th, 1m) Thor Johnson (6th, 1m) Thor Johnson (10th, 3m) Tom Rothenbucher (14th, 3m) Tom Rothenbucher (7th, 1m) |
| 1986-87 | 1st-M 1st-W | NCAA-M | -- | Katie Connors (12th, 1m) Katie Connors (9th, 3m) |
| 1987-88 | 1st-M 1st-W | -- | Katie Connors (PL) Katie Connors (1m) Katie Connors (3m) Matt Frawley (1m) Matt Frawley (3m) Matt Frawley (PL) | Leslie Klein Heksel (12th, 1m) Matt Frawley (14th, 3m) Matt Frawley (15th, 1m) |
| 1988-89 | 1st-M 1st-W | NCAA-W | Stella Kahn (PL) Katie Connors (3m) Mike Burton (PL) | Katie Connors (8th, 1m) Katie Connors (4th, 3m) Kate Connors (6th, PL) Mike Burton (13th, PL) |
| 1989-90 | 1st-M 1st-W | -- | Katie Connors (3m) Katie Connors (1m) | Katie Connors (4th, PL) Katie Connors (8th, 3m) Kristen Jensen (11th, PL) |
| 1990-91 | 1st-M 1st-W | -- | Eileen Richetti (3m) Eileen Richetti (1m) | Eileen Richetti (6th, 1m) Eileen Richetti (4th, 3m) Eileen Richetti (11th PL) |
| 1991-92 | 1st-M 1st-W | NCAA-W NCAA-M | Eileen Richetti (3m) | Eileen Richetti (1st, 3m) Eileen Richetti (1st, PL) Eileen Richetti (3rd, 1m) Kristen Jensen (2nd, PL) Melisa Kuller (16th, 1m) Melisa Kuller (12th, 3m) Melisa Kuller (9th, PL) |
| 1992-93 | 1st-M 1st-W | NCAA-W NCAA-M | Eileen Richetti (PL) | Eileen Richetti (1st, 3m) Eileen Richetti (1st, PL) Eileen Richetti (5th, 1m) |
| 1993-94 | 1st-M 1st-W | NCAA-W NCAA-M | -- | Britt Mattern (5th, 1m) Britt Mattern (3rd, 3m) Megan Gardner (6th, 1m) Megan Gardner (2nd, PL) Stefanie Forest (5th, 3m) Stefanie Forest (3rd, PL) |
| 1994-95 | 1st-M 1st-W | NCAA-W | Eileen Richetti (PL) Eileen Richetti (3m) Jamie Edwards (1m) Jamie Edwards (3m) David Johns (PL) | Eileen Richetti (1st, PL) Eileen Richetti (3rd, 3m) Eileen Richetti (5th, 1m) Jamie Edwards (12th, 1m) Jamie Edwards (9th, 3m) Jamie Edwards (16th, PL) |
| 1995-96 | 1st-M 1st-W | NCAA-W | Megan Gardner (PL) | Megan Gardner (2nd, PL) David Johns (12th, PL) |
| 1996-97 | 1st-M 1st-W | -- | Megan Gardner (PL) Megan Gardner (1m) | Megan Gardner (5th, PL) Carissa Zeneroni (11th, 3m) Carissa Zeneroni (12th, 1m) |
| 1997-98 | 1st-M 1st-W | NCAA-W NCAA-M | -- | Carissa Zeneroni (8th, 1m) Carissa Zeneroni (6th, 3m) Kim Powers (6th, PL) |
| 1998-99 | 1st-M 1st-W | -- | Kim Powers (3m) | Carissa Zeneroni (9th, 1m) Carissa Zeneroni (16th, 3m) Kim Powers (6th, 3m) Kim Powers (6th, PL) Erin Sones (16th, 1m) Erin Sones (9th, PL) |
| 1999-2000 | 1st-M | -- | Erin Sones (PL) | Erin Sones (14th, 1m) Erin Sones (3rd, 3m) Erin Sones (10th, PL) Kim Powers (7th, PL) |
| 2000-01 | 1st-M | -- | Erin Sones (3m) | Erin Sones (1st, PL) Erin Sones (11th, 1m) McKenzie Murphy (5th, 1m) McKenzie Murphy (7th, PL) |
| 2001-02 | 1st-M 1st-W | -- | -- | Ashlee Rosenthal (14th, 3m) Erica Sorgi (11th, PL) Kim Powers (12th, PL) |
| 2002-03 | 1st-M | -- | -- | Ashlee Rosenthal (8th, 1m) Ashlee Rosenthal (7th, 3m) McKenzie Murphy (7th, 3m) |
| 2003-04 | 1st-M 1st-W | -- | Cassidy Krug (1m) | Ashlee Rosenthal (7th, 1m) Cassidy Krug (15th, 1m) Sara Bowling (7th, PL) |
| 2004-05 | 1st-M 1st-W | -- | -- | Cassidy Krug (14th, 1m) Cassidy Krug (13th, 3m) Ashlee Rosenthal (8th, 3m) Sara Bowling (7th, PL) |
| 2005-06 | 1st-M | -- | -- | Cassidy Krug (9th, 1m) Cassidy Krug (7th, 3m) Dwight Dumais (14th, PL) |
| 2006-07 | 1st-M | -- | Cassidy Krug (3m) Cassidy Krug (1m) Dwight Dumais (1m) | Cassidy Krug (1st, 1m) Cassidy Krug (1st, 3m) Shana Karp (14th, PL) Dwight Dumais (14th, 1m) |
| 2007-08 | 1st-M | -- | Meg Hostage (3m) Sarah Ohr (1m) | Meg Hostage (2nd, PL) Meg Hostage (13th, 1m) Shana Karp (5th, PL) Sarah Ohr (16th, PL) |
| 2008-09 | 1st-M | -- | Carmen Stellar (PL) Dwight Dumais (1m) | Carmen Stellar (14th, PL) Dwight Dumais (8th, 1m) Dwight Dumais (15th, 3m) Brent Eichenseer (13th, PL) |
| 2009-10 | 1st-M 1st-W | -- | -- | -- |
| 2010-11 | 1st-M 1st-W | -- | Meg Hostage (PL) | Meg Hostage (7th, PL) Meg Hostage (13th, 3m) Meg Hostage (3rd, 1m) Stephanie Phipps (16th, 3m) Brent Eichenseer (13th, PL) |
| 2011-12 | 1st-M | -- | -- | Kristian Ipsen (1st, 3m) Kristian Ipsen (2nd, 3m) |
| 49 Titles (31-M, 18-W) | 16 Titles (9-W, 7-M) | 26 Pac-10 Women 13 Pac-10 Men | 84 All-American Certificates (W) 21 All-American Certificates (M) |