Courtesy: Harvard Athletics
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Chris Heaton has been named The Class of 1989 Head Coach for Diving, Bob Scalise, The John D. Nichols ’53 Family Director of Athletics announced today (Aug. 22).
“Chris is an outstanding coach and educator. He brings a great track record of helping students achieve success at the highest level. We look forward to welcoming Chris to our team of outstanding coaches for swimming and diving at Harvard,” said Scalise.
Heaton comes to Cambridge after a successful three-year stint as the program director and head coach at Moss Farms Diving, a nationally recognized Junior Olympic program with a state-of-the-art junior diving facility in Moultrie, Georgia. Under his leadership, Heaton saw a dramatic spike in the program cracking into the top 10 Junior Olympic programs in the country. During this stint, he empowered both coaches and divers to reach their greatest potential by designing and implementing a four-year plan for eligible High Performance and Talent Identified athletes. While at Moss Farms, he was selected as a coach for Team USA at the 2016 Junior World Championships in Kazan, Russia where two of his divers competed. He was named a USA Diving Junior National Squad coach for 2016, 2017, and 2018 and coached USA Diving National medalists at the Junior and Senior levels.
“It is my absolute pleasure to accept the Harvard Diving Coach position,” said Heaton. “I’d like to thank Stephanie Morawski and Kevin Tyrrell for the opportunity to be a part of the Crimson swimming and diving program. My wife, three daughters, and I are excited to relocate to Cambridge. I look forward to bringing my knowledge, experience, and passion to the team and partnering with the coaching staff to continue to foster an environment that creates successful scholars, athletes, and leaders. I believe Harvard has the people, resources, and support to build something truly special.”
Prior to becoming the program director at Moss Farms Diving, Heaton spent time coaching the Ohio State Diving Club, the Indiana Individual School of Diving, and the Ripfest Diving Camp. While at Ohio State Diving Club, he coached a USA Diving Junior National Champion on 1m. Additionally, he served as a volunteer assistant coach for the USA National and IU Varsity Diving Teams after training at the National Training Center from 2010-2012 as a member of the National Team.
A native of Ohio, Heaton is a USA Diving Senior National Bronze Medalist and National Team Champion in 2011 and 2013, respectively.
Heaton received a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and health studies from Miami (Ohio) University in 2009. He was an international finalist at the Canada Cup in 2011 for Team USA and a 2012 Olympic Trials finalist.
What They Are Saying
Kevin Tyrrell, The Ulen-Brooks Endowed Head Coach for Harvard Men’s Swimming and Diving and Stephanie Wriede Morawski, The Costin Family Head Coach for Harvard Women’s Swimming and Diving
“We are pleased to welcome Chris Heaton and his family to the Harvard Swimming and Diving program. Chris is deeply respected by the diving community for his outstanding technical knowledge, strong athlete development and overall passion for the sport, which will help our diving program flourish. In addition, Chris is a coach who cares deeply about his athletes as people and wants to be an outstanding member of our coaching staff, athletic department and Harvard community.”
