Eric Best Position: Diving Coach Experience: Sixth Season

Eric Best enters his sixth season as the Michigan State men's and women's diving coach. Last season, Best mentored seven Spartan divers to the NCAA Regionals, matching his previous high, which was set in 2006. Additionally, the male Spartan divers scored their highest team total at the Big Ten Championships in 10 years.

"Coach Best shows great passion for his divers," Coach Gianiodis said. "He lives for getting his divers better and making them improve beyond their potential. And he doesn't just care about diving, he cares about the entire program."

Best was named the 2006 Big Ten Diving Coach of the Year after his divers took the first three placings on the one- and three-meter boards against four different opponents in the 2005-06 regular season. He also coached seven divers who qualified for the NCAA Regional Meet.

In his first four years at MSU, Best coached several divers to Big Ten Diver of the Week honors on seven occasions. He has also coached 11 NCAA Zone Championships qualifiers and a first-team Academic All-American.

During the summer of 2004, he coached former Spartan diver Chad Hepner to a ninth-place finish at the U.S. National Championships. In 2005, he coached current Spartan Danielle Williams to a seventh-place finish in the three-meter and a ninth-place finish in the one-meter at the Canada Games.

Prior to becoming the diving coach at Michigan State, Best served as the diving coach at West Bloomfield (Mich.) High School from 1991-2002. During his tenure at West Bloomfield, he coached 26 state meet qualifiers, including six state finalists and two All-Americans.

Best also spent one season (1980-81) as the diving coach at Oakland Community College, where he coached two NJCAA qualifiers, including a fifth-place finisher.

Best has been an integral part of the MSU Diving Camp since 1980. Among his responsibilities are supervising the program, coaching, spotting and delivering lectures on training techniques, diving mechanics and goal setting. In addition, Best coaches the Spartan Diving Club at Michigan State.

Best was a member of the Michigan State diving team from 1979-82. He is a 1992 cum laude graduate of Wayne State University, where he earned his bachelor's degree in secondary education.