Upcoming Event: Women's Swimming & Diving versus Alumni Meet on October 11, 2025 at 10:00 AM
10:00 AM
Women's Swimming & Diving
vs Alumni Meet
Women's Swimming & Diving
Marschner, Richard
Richard Marschner
- Title:
- Head Diving Coach
- Email:
- rmarschner@huntsman.utah.edu
- Phone:
- 801-245-0014
Marschner's Quick Hits:
Richard Marschner, the 2021 Pac-12 Men’s Diving Coach of the Year and 2024 Pac-12 Women's Diving Coach of the Year, is entering his 15th season as the head diving coach of the Utah swimming and diving program in 2024-25.
Marschner earned his most recent coach of the year award by helping guide his pupils to perhaps the finest season of diving in program history, one that included multiple historic firsts for the Utes. At the 2024 Women's NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, Marschner saw Holly Waxman become the first Utah diver ever to achieve All-American status in all three events, a performance that included a 12th-place finish in the women's 3m, the highest-ever by a Ute in that event. Waxman was also one of only two women at Nationals to take home All-All-American honors in all three competitions.
Utah's list of successes at the NCAA Championships also included Emilia Nilsson Garip taking ninth in the women's 1m, the best showing by a Ute in that event and good enough to make her an All-American as well. Also among of the list of competitors at Nationals were Kathryn Grant and Elias Petersen. who earned the chance to dive in multiple events during a spectacular performance by the Utes at NCAA Zone E Championships. Out of 11 entries at zones, Utah's divers qualified for the NCAA Championships 10 times.
Nilsson Garip's successes didn't end at NCAAs, she was chosen to represent Sweden in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Her performance in the preliminary competition earned her a spot in the semis for the 3m event, thanks to a point total of 295.20 and a 10th-place finish. In the semis competition, Nilsson Garip would earn a total of 279.60, putting her in 11th-place and sending her to the finals, where she would have a chance to compete for an Olympic medal. In the finals competition, Nilsson Garip would reach as high as fifth on the leader board before setting into ninth with a total of 279.40.
Marschner also witnessed history at the 2024 Pac-12 Diving Championships, where Nilsson Garip became the first Ute ever to win two Pac-12 Championships, taking first in the 1m and 3m and being named Diver of the Meet for her accomplishments. Nilsson Garip would later be named the Pac-12 Women's Diving Freshman of the Year. Elias Petersen also collected a medal at the conference meet, placing second in the men's 3m.
Marschner's divers continued to excel during the 2022-23 campaign, as Elias Petersen, Luke McDivitt, Kathryn Grant and Holly Waxman all qualified for the NCAA Championships and Waxman achieved All-American status for the second straight year. At the 2023 Pac-12 Diving Championships, Petersen and Waxman both collected two medals and Luke McDivitt found his way on to the podium as well. This list off accomplishments for Marschner pupils included a new program record in the 1m, set by Petersen, 11 new top 10 marks added to the program record book and Pac-12 Diver of the Week awards for Petersen, McDivitt and Waxman.
In 2021-22, Marchner coached Holly Waxman to the second-highest finish in school history in the 1m at the NCAA Championship and she also made it nationals in the 3m. Her season was good enough to earn her the honor of Pac-12 Freshman Diver of the Year. On the men's side, Tony Chen, Jenner Pennock and Ben Smyth all earned spots at the NCAA Championship as well.
Marschner and the Ute divers put together one of the best seasons in program history in 2021. He led four divers to earn NCAA Championship berths, marking the most in a single season for Utah. Additionally, two women divers earned NCAA bids in the same season for the first time in history.
Marschner led Luke McDivitt in his breakout season where he went on to become the first Pac-12 Diving Champion in school history, along with the first swimmer or diver to earn an athlete of the year honor when he was named the 2021 Pac-12 Diver of the Year. McDivitt posted a school record score on platform to win the Pac-12 title and continued his success into the postseason. Marschner guided him to an NCAA Zone E runner-up finish on platform and later the program’s first platform first team All-American honor.
The men’s and women’s diving teams had exceptional showings at the 2021 Pac-12 Championships with the men scoring the most points of any diving team, while the women finished in second place. After both teams had posted the most points at the event in school history, Utah combined to score the most points as a school to sit at the top of the conference. Along with McDivitt’s podium finish, he pushed Tony Chen to runner-up finishes on the 1m and 3m, along with seeing Lizzy DeCecco place third on the 3m. In all, Utah had 13 championship finalists at the Pac-12 Championships.
In 2020, Marschner led McDivitt and Chen to NCAA Championship berths. McDivitt qualified for NCAA's following a fourth-place finish with the second-highest score in Utah history (361.65) on the platform event at NCAA Zones. Chen placed fifth in the 3-meter event to qualify for NCAA's, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
In 2018, Nathan Makarewicz became the fourth male diver and seventh student-athlete in program history to earn a podium finish at the Pac-12 Championships after placing third in the one-meter event.
In 2017, Josiah Purss became the first Utah diver to qualify for the NCAA Championships during all four years of competition. Amanda Casillas also became the first woman in Utah history to qualify for multiple NCAA Championships, participating in the one-meter and platform. She also earned a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Zones.
Jacob Crayne and Casillas, represented the Utes at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Crayne, along with Purss, swept the three-meter events at NCAA Zones marking the first time in school history that Utah had taken the top two spots in that competition. Purss then placed 11th in the one-meter at the NCAA Championships after placing third at the Pac-12 Championships.
Casillas would also represent the Utes at the NCAA Championships in both the three-meter and platform. Back on the men's side, Connor Cain was named the Pac-12's Freshman Diver of the Year.
It was another banner year for Marschner and the Utah divers in 2015 as both Crayne and Jasmine Matkovic qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Crayne had a highly productive season, collecting a pair of top-five finishes at both the Pac-12 Championships (3rd, one-meter; 4th, three-meter) and at the NCAA Zone E Diving Championships (3rd, three-meter; 5th, one-meter) before parlaying those performances into an All-American effort at the NCAA Championships in the one-meter. He was also the Pac-12 Conference Diver of the Month in November and set a new school record in the three-meter with a score of 438.95 at the Pac-12 Championships.
Meanwhile, Matkovic donned a top-10 finish at the Pac-12 Championships as she placed seventh overall in the platform. She then went on to record a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Zone E Diving Championships and qualified for her first-ever NCAA Champioships event.
In 2014, Marschner helped guide Purss to his second All-American honor after he finished ninth overall in the one-meter springboard at the NCAA Championships. He was also inspirational in guiding Kersten Merry to a ninth place finish at the NCAA Championships and setting a new school record in the platform event. Under Marschner's tutelage, Utah became just one of 10 schools in the nation to have both a male and female All-American diver in the last year. Under Marschner, Crayne set a new school record in the one-meter springboard event at the NCAA Zone Diving Championships and was then named an alternate for the NCAA Championships.
He led his squad to five top-eight finishes at the Pac-12 Championships, which were highlighted by Merry's third-place finish on the tower and Purss' third-place finish in the 1-meter springboard events. He also guided Amanda Casillas to a seventh-place finish on tower at the Pac-12 Championships, which ranks second best by a freshman.
In 2013, Marschner led Purss to All-American honors, the first Ute to be recognized since 2006. The Utah men were second in scoring at the Pac-12 Championships in 2012 and 2013.
The Utah divers experienced one of the best seasons in Utah history during the 2012-13 campaign. In addition to finishing 16th on the one-meter at the NCAA Championships to earn Honorable Mention All-America honors, Purss broke the school record in the platform dive at the Zone Diving Championships. He finished fourth in both events at the Zone meet. Merry was one of only two divers at the Zone meet to place in the top-10 in all three disciplines and was the first alternate for the NCAA Championships. Five of the six Utah divers at the Zone meet qualified for finals on at least one event.
At the 2013 Pac-12 Championships, divers had five top-eight finishes, highlighted by a fourth-place finish on the one-meter from Merry. Caleb Herrick and Merry both earned Pac-12 Diver of the Month awards in December, the first to earn the award since the Utes joined the Pac-12.
During the 2011-12 season, Utah's first in the Pac-12, Marschner led the divers to four top-10 finishes and three top-five finishes at the Pac-12 Diving Championships. Nelson Foo finished third on the platform, which was the first Pac-12 podium finish for any athlete in Utah's history. At the NCAA Zone E Diving Championships, the Utes snagged three top-10 spots.
In 2010-11, Marschner coached Queenie Yu to the Mountain West Conference platform championship. Ellis Walters and Foo each won Mountain West Conference Diver of the Week honors and were selected to the All-MWC team. All five members of the Utah diving team grabbed top-eight finishes at the MWC Championships with four divers placing in the top-20 at the Zone Diving Championships.
While attending Louisville, Marschner was a four-time runner-up at the Conference USA Championships and qualified for the 2003 and 2004 NCAA Zone Diving Championships. He also served as a team captain. He graduated from Louisville in 2005 with a B.A. in political science and a B.S. in justice administration.
Following graduation, Marschner worked in multiple high diving shows around the world from 2005-07 in Dalian, China; Metz, France and Lake George, NY. His performances included 70 foot high-dives, fire-dives and other stunts at various theme parks.
Prior to being hired at Utah, Marschner served as the head diving coach at the University of New Orleans from 2008-10. At the time of his hiring, he was tabbed to be the first diving coach at New Orleans since 1992 and was charged with restarting a dormant program that had also been devastated by Hurricane Katrina. While at UNO, he coached two divers to the NCAA Zone D meet. His divers finished in the top-eight 11 times in two years at the Sun Belt Conference Championships, including two silver medals in his final year.
From 2004-07, Marschner coached with the Louisville Area Diving club team (currently Cardinal Dive Club) as the head coach of the high school group and the assistant coach for the Junior Olympic group. While in college, Marschner spent time as the head diving coach at the Owl Creek Country Club.
Richard lives in Salt Lake City with his wife, May, and has three children: a daughter, Adelaide, and two sons, Cullen and Malcolm. They enjoy running marathons, skiing, camping, hiking, fishing, and cliff diving.
NCAA Championship Qualifiers Coached by Marschner
Elias Petersen - 2023, 2024
Kathryn Grant - 2023, 2024
Holly Waxman - 2022, 2023*, 2024*
Emilia Nilsson Garip - 2024*
Ben Smyth - 2022
Jenner Pennock - 2022
Lizzy DeCecco - 2021
Emma Ruchala - 2021
Tony Chen - 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Luke McDivitt – 2020, 2021*, 2023
Amanda Casillas - 2016, 2017
Josiah Purss - 2013*, 2014*, 2016*, 2017
Jacob Crayne - 2015*, 2016
Jasmine Matkovic - 2015
Kersten Merry - 2014*
Past NCAA Championship Qualifiers
Kelsey Patterson - 2006
Sterling Richards - 2006*
Nick Smith - 1998
Dustin Jones 1998
David Kooyman- 1992
JD McGregor
* indicates All-American
- Entering his 15th season as head diving coach with the Utes
- 2x Conference Coach of the Year (2021, 2024)
- 15 Individual NCAA Qualifiers
- 7 NCAA All-Americans
- 4 Conference Championships
- 1 Olympic Finalist
Richard Marschner, the 2021 Pac-12 Men’s Diving Coach of the Year and 2024 Pac-12 Women's Diving Coach of the Year, is entering his 15th season as the head diving coach of the Utah swimming and diving program in 2024-25.
Marschner earned his most recent coach of the year award by helping guide his pupils to perhaps the finest season of diving in program history, one that included multiple historic firsts for the Utes. At the 2024 Women's NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, Marschner saw Holly Waxman become the first Utah diver ever to achieve All-American status in all three events, a performance that included a 12th-place finish in the women's 3m, the highest-ever by a Ute in that event. Waxman was also one of only two women at Nationals to take home All-All-American honors in all three competitions.
Utah's list of successes at the NCAA Championships also included Emilia Nilsson Garip taking ninth in the women's 1m, the best showing by a Ute in that event and good enough to make her an All-American as well. Also among of the list of competitors at Nationals were Kathryn Grant and Elias Petersen. who earned the chance to dive in multiple events during a spectacular performance by the Utes at NCAA Zone E Championships. Out of 11 entries at zones, Utah's divers qualified for the NCAA Championships 10 times.
Nilsson Garip's successes didn't end at NCAAs, she was chosen to represent Sweden in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Her performance in the preliminary competition earned her a spot in the semis for the 3m event, thanks to a point total of 295.20 and a 10th-place finish. In the semis competition, Nilsson Garip would earn a total of 279.60, putting her in 11th-place and sending her to the finals, where she would have a chance to compete for an Olympic medal. In the finals competition, Nilsson Garip would reach as high as fifth on the leader board before setting into ninth with a total of 279.40.
Marschner also witnessed history at the 2024 Pac-12 Diving Championships, where Nilsson Garip became the first Ute ever to win two Pac-12 Championships, taking first in the 1m and 3m and being named Diver of the Meet for her accomplishments. Nilsson Garip would later be named the Pac-12 Women's Diving Freshman of the Year. Elias Petersen also collected a medal at the conference meet, placing second in the men's 3m.
Marschner's divers continued to excel during the 2022-23 campaign, as Elias Petersen, Luke McDivitt, Kathryn Grant and Holly Waxman all qualified for the NCAA Championships and Waxman achieved All-American status for the second straight year. At the 2023 Pac-12 Diving Championships, Petersen and Waxman both collected two medals and Luke McDivitt found his way on to the podium as well. This list off accomplishments for Marschner pupils included a new program record in the 1m, set by Petersen, 11 new top 10 marks added to the program record book and Pac-12 Diver of the Week awards for Petersen, McDivitt and Waxman.
In 2021-22, Marchner coached Holly Waxman to the second-highest finish in school history in the 1m at the NCAA Championship and she also made it nationals in the 3m. Her season was good enough to earn her the honor of Pac-12 Freshman Diver of the Year. On the men's side, Tony Chen, Jenner Pennock and Ben Smyth all earned spots at the NCAA Championship as well.
Marschner and the Ute divers put together one of the best seasons in program history in 2021. He led four divers to earn NCAA Championship berths, marking the most in a single season for Utah. Additionally, two women divers earned NCAA bids in the same season for the first time in history.
Marschner led Luke McDivitt in his breakout season where he went on to become the first Pac-12 Diving Champion in school history, along with the first swimmer or diver to earn an athlete of the year honor when he was named the 2021 Pac-12 Diver of the Year. McDivitt posted a school record score on platform to win the Pac-12 title and continued his success into the postseason. Marschner guided him to an NCAA Zone E runner-up finish on platform and later the program’s first platform first team All-American honor.
The men’s and women’s diving teams had exceptional showings at the 2021 Pac-12 Championships with the men scoring the most points of any diving team, while the women finished in second place. After both teams had posted the most points at the event in school history, Utah combined to score the most points as a school to sit at the top of the conference. Along with McDivitt’s podium finish, he pushed Tony Chen to runner-up finishes on the 1m and 3m, along with seeing Lizzy DeCecco place third on the 3m. In all, Utah had 13 championship finalists at the Pac-12 Championships.
In 2020, Marschner led McDivitt and Chen to NCAA Championship berths. McDivitt qualified for NCAA's following a fourth-place finish with the second-highest score in Utah history (361.65) on the platform event at NCAA Zones. Chen placed fifth in the 3-meter event to qualify for NCAA's, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
In 2018, Nathan Makarewicz became the fourth male diver and seventh student-athlete in program history to earn a podium finish at the Pac-12 Championships after placing third in the one-meter event.
In 2017, Josiah Purss became the first Utah diver to qualify for the NCAA Championships during all four years of competition. Amanda Casillas also became the first woman in Utah history to qualify for multiple NCAA Championships, participating in the one-meter and platform. She also earned a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Zones.
Jacob Crayne and Casillas, represented the Utes at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Crayne, along with Purss, swept the three-meter events at NCAA Zones marking the first time in school history that Utah had taken the top two spots in that competition. Purss then placed 11th in the one-meter at the NCAA Championships after placing third at the Pac-12 Championships.
Casillas would also represent the Utes at the NCAA Championships in both the three-meter and platform. Back on the men's side, Connor Cain was named the Pac-12's Freshman Diver of the Year.
It was another banner year for Marschner and the Utah divers in 2015 as both Crayne and Jasmine Matkovic qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Crayne had a highly productive season, collecting a pair of top-five finishes at both the Pac-12 Championships (3rd, one-meter; 4th, three-meter) and at the NCAA Zone E Diving Championships (3rd, three-meter; 5th, one-meter) before parlaying those performances into an All-American effort at the NCAA Championships in the one-meter. He was also the Pac-12 Conference Diver of the Month in November and set a new school record in the three-meter with a score of 438.95 at the Pac-12 Championships.
Meanwhile, Matkovic donned a top-10 finish at the Pac-12 Championships as she placed seventh overall in the platform. She then went on to record a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Zone E Diving Championships and qualified for her first-ever NCAA Champioships event.
In 2014, Marschner helped guide Purss to his second All-American honor after he finished ninth overall in the one-meter springboard at the NCAA Championships. He was also inspirational in guiding Kersten Merry to a ninth place finish at the NCAA Championships and setting a new school record in the platform event. Under Marschner's tutelage, Utah became just one of 10 schools in the nation to have both a male and female All-American diver in the last year. Under Marschner, Crayne set a new school record in the one-meter springboard event at the NCAA Zone Diving Championships and was then named an alternate for the NCAA Championships.
He led his squad to five top-eight finishes at the Pac-12 Championships, which were highlighted by Merry's third-place finish on the tower and Purss' third-place finish in the 1-meter springboard events. He also guided Amanda Casillas to a seventh-place finish on tower at the Pac-12 Championships, which ranks second best by a freshman.
In 2013, Marschner led Purss to All-American honors, the first Ute to be recognized since 2006. The Utah men were second in scoring at the Pac-12 Championships in 2012 and 2013.
The Utah divers experienced one of the best seasons in Utah history during the 2012-13 campaign. In addition to finishing 16th on the one-meter at the NCAA Championships to earn Honorable Mention All-America honors, Purss broke the school record in the platform dive at the Zone Diving Championships. He finished fourth in both events at the Zone meet. Merry was one of only two divers at the Zone meet to place in the top-10 in all three disciplines and was the first alternate for the NCAA Championships. Five of the six Utah divers at the Zone meet qualified for finals on at least one event.
At the 2013 Pac-12 Championships, divers had five top-eight finishes, highlighted by a fourth-place finish on the one-meter from Merry. Caleb Herrick and Merry both earned Pac-12 Diver of the Month awards in December, the first to earn the award since the Utes joined the Pac-12.
During the 2011-12 season, Utah's first in the Pac-12, Marschner led the divers to four top-10 finishes and three top-five finishes at the Pac-12 Diving Championships. Nelson Foo finished third on the platform, which was the first Pac-12 podium finish for any athlete in Utah's history. At the NCAA Zone E Diving Championships, the Utes snagged three top-10 spots.
In 2010-11, Marschner coached Queenie Yu to the Mountain West Conference platform championship. Ellis Walters and Foo each won Mountain West Conference Diver of the Week honors and were selected to the All-MWC team. All five members of the Utah diving team grabbed top-eight finishes at the MWC Championships with four divers placing in the top-20 at the Zone Diving Championships.
While attending Louisville, Marschner was a four-time runner-up at the Conference USA Championships and qualified for the 2003 and 2004 NCAA Zone Diving Championships. He also served as a team captain. He graduated from Louisville in 2005 with a B.A. in political science and a B.S. in justice administration.
Following graduation, Marschner worked in multiple high diving shows around the world from 2005-07 in Dalian, China; Metz, France and Lake George, NY. His performances included 70 foot high-dives, fire-dives and other stunts at various theme parks.
Prior to being hired at Utah, Marschner served as the head diving coach at the University of New Orleans from 2008-10. At the time of his hiring, he was tabbed to be the first diving coach at New Orleans since 1992 and was charged with restarting a dormant program that had also been devastated by Hurricane Katrina. While at UNO, he coached two divers to the NCAA Zone D meet. His divers finished in the top-eight 11 times in two years at the Sun Belt Conference Championships, including two silver medals in his final year.
From 2004-07, Marschner coached with the Louisville Area Diving club team (currently Cardinal Dive Club) as the head coach of the high school group and the assistant coach for the Junior Olympic group. While in college, Marschner spent time as the head diving coach at the Owl Creek Country Club.
Richard lives in Salt Lake City with his wife, May, and has three children: a daughter, Adelaide, and two sons, Cullen and Malcolm. They enjoy running marathons, skiing, camping, hiking, fishing, and cliff diving.
NCAA Championship Qualifiers Coached by Marschner
Elias Petersen - 2023, 2024
Kathryn Grant - 2023, 2024
Holly Waxman - 2022, 2023*, 2024*
Emilia Nilsson Garip - 2024*
Ben Smyth - 2022
Jenner Pennock - 2022
Lizzy DeCecco - 2021
Emma Ruchala - 2021
Tony Chen - 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Luke McDivitt – 2020, 2021*, 2023
Amanda Casillas - 2016, 2017
Josiah Purss - 2013*, 2014*, 2016*, 2017
Jacob Crayne - 2015*, 2016
Jasmine Matkovic - 2015
Kersten Merry - 2014*
Past NCAA Championship Qualifiers
Kelsey Patterson - 2006
Sterling Richards - 2006*
Nick Smith - 1998
Dustin Jones 1998
David Kooyman- 1992
JD McGregor
* indicates All-American
Hear It From Harlan with Utah Diving's Holly Waxman
Monday, April 22
Jaek Horner becomes the FIRST Ute on record to earn Pac-12 Swimmer of the Week two weeks in a row!
Wednesday, February 21
Good Luck to Swimming and Diving at the Pac-12 Championships
Tuesday, February 21
Utah Swimming and Diving Beats BYU in Dual Meet
Tuesday, January 24
