INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, September 6. USA Diving has named Steve Foley as its High Performance Director, as announced by CEO Debbie Hesse on Friday. Foley has served as the National Performance Director for British Diving since 2002.
Foley will bring nearly 35 years of international experience as an athlete, coach and administrator to USA Diving. A three-time Olympian himself, Foley has coached 15 Olympic finalists – including two medalists – and 37 national champions.
"We are very pleased to have Steve Foley join our staff. He has a tremendous vision for USA Diving from the grassroots level up to our elite level program and will help unify our organization to allow us to move to the next level," Hesse said.
As a consultant for British Diving beginning in 1999, he created the organization's strategic plans, selection procedures and training workouts. He began a full-time role as National Performance Director in 2002, and his leadership helped guide Great Britain to its first Olympic diving medal in 44 years with a silver medal in men's synchronized platform at the 2004 Games in Athens.
"I am very excited about this new and challenging role within USA Diving and look forward to working closely with all coaches, staff and athletes," Foley said. "I see a bright future for USA Diving and I am very proud and honored to be given this opportunity."
His responsibilities with British Diving included managing the elite diving program and overseeing coach training programs as well as junior Olympic and junior talent programs. Through the successful junior program, 14-year-old sensation Thomas Daley, who placed seventh on platform at the Olympic Games in Beijing last month, was identified.
Foley got his start in diving in Australia, where he was a three-time Olympian (1976, 1980 and 1984) and was the first Australian male diver to final in both springboard and platform at the Games (1984). He served as head diving coach and Australian national coach at the Australian Institute of Sport from 1989-1995 and was head coach of Australia's 1992 Olympic Team after attending the 1988 Games as an assistant coach. In all, Foley has attended the past nine Olympic Games in a number of capacities.
From 1979-1982 Foley trained under Dr. Ron O'Brien, an eight-time Olympic coach who retired as USA Diving's High Performance Director in July. In 1983-84, he trained under Steve McFarland while training and working as an age group coach at the University of Miami.
Foley also has a number of years of broadcasting and media experience, working as a diving commentator at the World Championship, World Cup, Commonwealth Games, Goodwill Games and the Olympic Games for a variety of media outlets. His broadcast experience also includes golf and tennis, as he has done radio reporting for the Masters, British Open and Australian Open.
Foley will begin his duties with USA Diving in 2009.
Special thanks to USA Diving for contributing this report.