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Bill Diaz
Bill Diaz (August 1, 1925–September 18, 2014) was a high school and college swim coach, best known for coaching the University of Miami men's team from July 1970 to 1984, and leading them to National Championships in 1974, 1977, and 1982. Diaz started the first women's swim team at Miami in 1973, and soon led them to AIAW National Championships in 1975 and 1976. A year after passage of Title IX barring gender-based discrimination at federally funded colleges, Diaz was highly instrumental in making Miami the first American University to provide swimming scholarships to women.
He was born August 1, 1925, in New York City, New York, and grew up around Spanish Harlem. Diaz flew twenty combat missions over Japan as a WWII gunner in a B-29 while serving in the Air Force.
A graduate of New York University majoring in education, Bill married his wife Martha in September 1948, and had three sons. He did not swim competitively during his early years.
After moving to Miami in 1950, in 1953 he began working as a Physical Education teacher at Miami Jackson Senior High School, and soon began coaching the swim team around 1953-54. Diaz had never coached swimming but could swim and had worked as a Water Safety Instructor. Miami Jackson Athletic Director Roy French persuaded Diaz to take the first coaching position of his life partly by promising him a summer job as a pool manager at the local Allapatah YMCA, and assuring him he would have little pressure in the position as the school's swim coach.
Diaz studied a multitude of books on competitive swimming, attended clinics, and got help from Tom Lamar, who would later become University of Miami's first swim coach. By 1957, the Miami Jackson swim team had won the Florida state championship, and followed with four consecutive additional state championships, and Diaz would eventually coach a total of 38 High School All-Americans.
In 1963, Diaz began coaching Miami Springs Senior High, where he led the team to four more state championships, remaining with the team through around 1970.
In 1971, he started what would become a very strong age-group team, the Miami Hurricane Swim Club, which would practice at the University of Miami pool.
Diaz held the position as Head Coach of the University of Miami Men's and Women's swimming and diving teams for fourteen years, beginning officially from July 1970 through 1984. His swim teams captured four top-10 NCAA ratings in NCAA Championships and eleven times placed in the top-20 at the NCAA Championships. His accomplished men's teams won national championships in 1974, 1977 and 1982. Diaz coached fifty-five collegiate All-Americans during his tenure with Miami.
Bill Diaz
Bill Diaz (August 1, 1925–September 18, 2014) was a high school and college swim coach, best known for coaching the University of Miami men's team from July 1970 to 1984, and leading them to National Championships in 1974, 1977, and 1982. Diaz started the first women's swim team at Miami in 1973, and soon led them to AIAW National Championships in 1975 and 1976. A year after passage of Title IX barring gender-based discrimination at federally funded colleges, Diaz was highly instrumental in making Miami the first American University to provide swimming scholarships to women.
He was born August 1, 1925, in New York City, New York, and grew up around Spanish Harlem. Diaz flew twenty combat missions over Japan as a WWII gunner in a B-29 while serving in the Air Force.
A graduate of New York University majoring in education, Bill married his wife Martha in September 1948, and had three sons. He did not swim competitively during his early years.
After moving to Miami in 1950, in 1953 he began working as a Physical Education teacher at Miami Jackson Senior High School, and soon began coaching the swim team around 1953-54. Diaz had never coached swimming but could swim and had worked as a Water Safety Instructor. Miami Jackson Athletic Director Roy French persuaded Diaz to take the first coaching position of his life partly by promising him a summer job as a pool manager at the local Allapatah YMCA, and assuring him he would have little pressure in the position as the school's swim coach.
Diaz studied a multitude of books on competitive swimming, attended clinics, and got help from Tom Lamar, who would later become University of Miami's first swim coach. By 1957, the Miami Jackson swim team had won the Florida state championship, and followed with four consecutive additional state championships, and Diaz would eventually coach a total of 38 High School All-Americans.
In 1963, Diaz began coaching Miami Springs Senior High, where he led the team to four more state championships, remaining with the team through around 1970.
In 1971, he started what would become a very strong age-group team, the Miami Hurricane Swim Club, which would practice at the University of Miami pool.
Diaz held the position as Head Coach of the University of Miami Men's and Women's swimming and diving teams for fourteen years, beginning officially from July 1970 through 1984. His swim teams captured four top-10 NCAA ratings in NCAA Championships and eleven times placed in the top-20 at the NCAA Championships. His accomplished men's teams won national championships in 1974, 1977 and 1982. Diaz coached fifty-five collegiate All-Americans during his tenure with Miami.