Courtesy: Pepperdine Athletics
MALIBU, California – At today’s women’s swimming and diving alumni meet, Pepperdine University announced that the long-standing Malibu Invitational will be renamed the Rodionoff Invitational in honor of Nick and Carrie Rodionoff, who directed the program for 18 seasons.
Nick Rodionoff took over as head coach prior to the 2000-01 season and held that role until the end of the 2017-18 school year. His involvement with the University began even earlier, as he arrived in 1974 to coach the men’s diving team, and established the women’s diving program in 1987.
Carrie Rodionoff served as a volunteer assistant and administrative assistant during Nick’s time as head coach.
The 2021 Rodionoff Invitational will be held next weekend (Friday-Saturday, Oct. 8-9) at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool.
“I am very excited to honor Nick and Carrie for all the work and care they have put into the program,” Pepperdine Coach Ellie Monobe said. “They have been such icons for the swimming and diving community in Malibu and have made a lasting impression at Pepperdine. I am humbled by the legacy they have built and look forward to sharing their rich traditions and history with generations of Waves moving forward.”
Director of Athletics Dr. Steve Potts said: “Nick and Carrie Rodionoff have tirelessly and generously given so much to the Pepperdine women’s swim and dive program. It is just one of several careers that Nick has committed to over his almost 50 years of coaching, with Carrie always by his side. They are both so well-loved by the student-athletes that they coached over the years and we are proud to recognize Nick and Carrie by renaming our annual Malibu Invitational the Rodionoff Invitational.”
Rodionoff was a two-time PCSC Coach of the Year, receiving the award in 2002 and 2009.
During Rodionoff’s tenure as head coach, the Waves recorded top-five finishes at the PCSC Championships 14 times, including a program-best-tying second-place finish in 2008. The Waves produced five PCSC Swimmers of the Year and six PCSC Divers of the Year in that time. Six different women won a total of 12 conference titles in individual events. During his time as the program’s diving coach, two divers won a total of five PCSC titles, and there were three additional PCSC Divers of the Year.
Rodionoff also had a record-setting career as the head coach at Birmingham High School, located in Van Nuys, Calif. He served as the head coach for the boys’ and girls’ swimming and diving teams for 33 seasons before stepping down in 1997. The school’s pool was later named in his honor. His teams won 31 league championships and 14 Los Angeles City Section titles. He was also the diving coach at UCLA from 1964-74.
He was the recipient of the Fred A. Cady Memorial Coaches Award in 1999, which is presented biannually to coaches who have dedicated 25 or more years to diving, while developing outstanding talent in the U.S. National Diving program and international competition, including the Olympic Games. He has been inducted into the International Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame and the National High School Coaches Hall of Fame.