Courtesy: Ohio State Athletics
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two-time NCAA diving champion Lyle Yost has been named the assistant diving coach for the Ohio State men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs. Yost is the first full-time assistant diving coach in program history.
“I am very excited to bring in Lyle Yost as our first ever full-time assistant diving coach in program history,” head diving coach Justin Sochor said. “This is long overdue, and I know that Lyle will be a great fit for our program. He has spent five years under my instruction and has a rich history with Ohio State. I can’t think of a better candidate. It’s another great day to be a Buckeye!”
Yost had a phenomenal five-year career as a student-athlete at Ohio State and is one of the most decorated divers in program history. Yost claimed back-to-back national titles on the 1-meter board (2023, 2024), becoming the first member of the men’s swimming and diving program to win consecutive NCAA titles since the 1970’s. Yost was the first Buckeye since Patrick Jeffrey in 1988 to win the NCAA 1-meter title.
“I had a chance to be a part of this historic program as a student-athlete through both undergrad and grad school, and that experience shaped me into the person I am today,” said Yost. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to pay it forward and to make my mark as a member of the coaching staff here at The Ohio State University. I’m looking forward to working with the next generation of Buckeye divers and I know the gnarliest is yet to come. Time to get to work!”
Yost was the 2023 CSCAA Diver of the Year. He was the only diver that year to earn First Team All-American honors in all three dives (1-meter, 3-meter, platform). He also became the first male student-athlete at Ohio State to earn the Arthur Ashe Jr. Male Sports Scholar of the Year award, earning that honor in 2023. During his freshman season, Yost was the Big Ten platform champion and was named the Big Ten Co-Diver of the Championship. Throughout his career, Yost also won four 1-meter medals at the conference championships (two silver and two bronze) and two 3-meter medals (one silver and one bronze).
Yost earned First Team All-American honors on the 1-meter five times, on the platform four times and on the 3-meter three times. He was recognized as a CSCAA First Team Scholar All-American four times and was a four-time member of the Academic All-Big Ten Team. Following the 2024 season, he was presented with the Big Ten Medal of Honor and was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Second Team.
“Lyle is all that is good in being a Buckeye,” said Director of Swimming and Diving Bill Dorenkott. “He was the consummate student-athlete and will, no doubt, take his elite skillset into the coaching ranks. Our current and future divers will benefit from Lyle’s passion, patience and ability to bring out the best in others.”
Outside of NCAA competition, Yost has also excelled. He was the 1-meter champion at Winter Nationals in 2024 and the 1-meter champion at the 2022 U.S. Open. He has competed in World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan and Doha, Qatar and qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials on the 3-meter board.
Yost graduated from Ohio State with his undergraduate degree in Spanish, with a focus in Latin American studies, and earned his graduate degree in world language education, with a specialization in Spanish.
Does this mean that OSU has no female coaches on staff? Not a good look for Coach Dorenkott, the new ASCA president!
Do you know if any qualified female coaches applied?
There’s not really an excuse when you have seven full time coaches to say you couldn’t find 1 qualified female coach. If you’re not getting applicants you proactively reach out and find someone. I’m certain Dorenkott and his staff don’t only recruit the swimmers that reach out to their program first.
This position was posted and taken down on a couple of days because they knew exactly who they wanted, didn’t matter how qualified other candidates might have been. It also looks like they dropped a coaching spot because the previous bottom 2 full time spots were at the federally mandated OT exempt minimum salary and that number went up, so they probably weren’t given clearance to increase both salaries.
Ignorant.
If you have coaches that apply and want to be part of your program, you start with them. If coaches don’t apply because they don’t want to be part of your program or they’re not confident enough in their abilities to even apply, why would you try to change their mind?
There is so much mobility in college coaching…give it a year. This is one year of a staff that doesn’t fulfill the DEI requirement. So what. Get the swimmers fast and the divers better. Who cares where it comes from.
That being said, there’s definitely value to female athletes having access to female coaches and support staff, but not enough value to warrant criticism. Check their… Read more »
Katie Trace quit?
No longer listed on the staff