MOSCOW, Idaho – Jim Southerland is joining the University of Idaho staff as the coach of the Vandal diving team.
Southerland comes to Idaho after 26 years as the head coach and owner of Pacific Northwest Diving and 24 years as the Auburn (Wash.) District High School Diving coach.
“Coach Southerland is a tremendous hire for the Vandals,” said Mark Sowa, head swimming and diving coach at Idaho. “Jim has been not only one of the best club coaches in the Pacific Northwest for the last 25 years but in the country as well. He has consistently developed talent to a national level and his hire illustrates the commitment that we have to diving portion of our team.”
Southerland, a 1977 graduate of Central Missouri State, has coached at the Junior World Championships, was a mentor coach for USA Diving, coached 15 junior and AAU national champions, was on the board of directors for the Washington Association of U.S. Diving for 20 years, and is the AAU Northwest Diving Representative, in addition to serving on numerous USA Diving committees.
“I’m really looking forward to working with the Idaho divers,” Southerland said. “We have a young and developing swim team, with some great diving talent in our returning divers as well as our freshmen. I am hopeful with the experience I bring to the program I can be a part of developing a winning tradition for the Vandal swimming and diving team.”
Sowa expects a smooth transition for the Vandal divers.
“With Jim joining our staff, I know we will continue the great work that our previous coaches have done and enable our divers to take the next big step in their development,” he said. “Our team just got better!”
Swimming news courtesy of University of Idaho Swimming and Diving.