Doug Shaffer Retires After 20 Seasons as LSU Diving Coach
On Wednesday, Doug Shaffer was named the SEC’s Women’s Diving Coach of the Year.
On Thursday, Shaffer called time on his long and prosperous coaching career at LSU.
Shaffer declared his retirement after 20 seasons as the Tigers’ head diving coach. He went out with a bang, coaching six NCAA qualifiers in his final season, including double medalist Juan Celaya-Hernandez and SEC Freshman Diver of the Year Chiara Pellacani.
“I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as LSU’s diving coach,” Shaffer said in a university statement. “I have been blessed to work with remarkable and talented student-athletes, and I’m humbled by the results and growth that has unfolded from the fruits of their labor and belief in themselves.
“My time at LSU has been an incredibly rewarding and enriching experience. I can’t begin to put into words the appreciation I have for the support of the administration, staff, fellow coaches, and the student-athletes who make up the LSU family. These relationships will last a lifetime. But with 51 years in the sport and 27 as a collegiate coach, it’s time to pass the torch. Moving forward I have a healthy to-do list which first and foremost will focus on my family while continuing to support LSU Athletics in any way I can. Geaux Tigers!”
Shaffer’s mentees include Celaya-Hernandez, a Mexican Olympian, and Anne Tuxen, who competed in Tokyo for Norway. Pellacani is also a European champion for Italy. Celaya-Hernandez is a seven-time SEC champion, holds two SEC records and won a pair of bronze medals at NCAAs this year.
Shaffer was named the SEC Men’s Diving Coach of the Year in 2017 and the women’s Diving Coach of the Year in 2008.
Shaffer was a two-time NCAA champion on the boards at UCLA, named the 1986 NCAA Diver of the Year. He won 11 national championships, a silver medal on 3-meter at the 1987 Pan American Games and gold in the 1987 USA-USSR dual meet. He was a finalist at NCAA trials in both 1984 and 1988.
“In two decades of service to the LSU community, Doug has elevated not just our diving team, but our entire athletics program,” Director of Athletics Scott Woodward said. “Through his work as a coach, he has helped so many Tigers develop to their full potential as athletes. Through his work as a leader and a mentor, he has transformed the lives of countless student-athletes, offering each of them a platform for success long after the completion of their collegiate careers. We are grateful for the impact he has made and the example he has set throughout his time here, and we wish him all the best in this next chapter of his life.”