WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue's diving legacy was once again recognized in the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America's centennial celebration as head diving coach Adam Soldati was selected among the organization's 100 greatest coaches of the last 100 years.
Soldati was hired as the leader of the Purdue divers since the spring of 2005. During his 16 seasons, the Boilermakers have won 13 NCAA titles, 21 Big Ten championships and represented Team USA on 10-meter at each of the last four Olympic Games dating back to 2008. He's a five-time CSCAA Diving Coach of the Year and 10-time Big Ten Diving Coach of the Year. The 13 NCAA diving titles are the most by any university since 2006.
The CSCAA's centennial celebration also featured a list of the 100 Greatest Swimmers and Divers, a compilation of the 100 most-accomplished college swimmers and divers across all divisions. Purdue's Olympic medalists and NCAA championships David Boudia and Steele Johnson both garnered spots on the list. Boudia and Johnson combined for 10 of the Big Ten championships and 11 of the NCAA titles won by the Boilermakers under Soldati. Casey Matthews and Brandon Loschiavo have also been Big Ten and NCAA champions during the Soldati era.
The CSCAA is also honoring 100 Alumni of Impact and a Centennial MVP Team – recognizing each university's top swimmer and top diver from each gender – over the course of this season.
Soldati joined Michigan's Mike Bottom and Indiana's Ray Looze as the only active coaches from the Big Ten to be on the CSCAA's 100 Greatest Coaches list. Bottom and Looze are both swim coaches. Meanwhile, Soldati's 10 Big Ten Coach of the Year awards are the most among active coaches and second to only Jeff Huber's 13 for his work with the Hoosiers.
Boudia's gold-medal winning Olympic champion performance on the tower in London in 2012 has been the crowning achievement of Soldati's coaching career. Four years later it was another special moment for Purdue when Boudia and Johnson teamed up to win silver together in synchronized 10-meter at the Olympic Games. Loschiavo kept Purdue's Olympic streak alive when he was a runaway winner on 10-meter at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June, continuing a big year that also saw him win on the tower at Big Tens and NCAAs. Incoming Boilermaker Tyler Downs also earned the right to represent Team USA on 3-meter in Tokyo and headlines the latest crop of talented young divers that are poised to carry on the tradition of excellence Soldati has built at Purdue. Soldati has been on deck as a member of the Team USA coaching staff at the last three Olympics.
The Boilermakers have claimed 112 All-America accolades – 65 full-fledged, 47 honorable mention – at the NCAA Championships since 2006. The 2012 season marked the only year in which Purdue did not have at least one diving All-American under Soldati. During that impressive run, on three occasions – 2011, 2015 and 2021 – Purdue has had three divers qualify for the platform championship final at NCAAs. The men accomplished the feat in 2011 and 2015 and the women did it in 2021. Meanwhile, Loschiavo and Ben Bramley finished 1-2 on the tower at the 2021 NCAA Championships, marking the first time a school had accomplished that feat in any diving event since 2005.
Along with their multiple medals at Big Tens and top-eight finishes at NCAAs, Jamie Bissett and Bramley have also been recognized as Academic All-Americans under Soldati. Joe Cifelli, Loschiavo and Matthews have also distinguished themselves as four-year NCAA Championships qualifiers. Big Ten champion and Big Ten Diver of the Year winner Emily (Bretscher) Pfeiffer has an opportunity to join that elite group this spring.
Soldati was hired as the leader of the Purdue divers since the spring of 2005. During his 16 seasons, the Boilermakers have won 13 NCAA titles, 21 Big Ten championships and represented Team USA on 10-meter at each of the last four Olympic Games dating back to 2008. He's a five-time CSCAA Diving Coach of the Year and 10-time Big Ten Diving Coach of the Year. The 13 NCAA diving titles are the most by any university since 2006.
The CSCAA's centennial celebration also featured a list of the 100 Greatest Swimmers and Divers, a compilation of the 100 most-accomplished college swimmers and divers across all divisions. Purdue's Olympic medalists and NCAA championships David Boudia and Steele Johnson both garnered spots on the list. Boudia and Johnson combined for 10 of the Big Ten championships and 11 of the NCAA titles won by the Boilermakers under Soldati. Casey Matthews and Brandon Loschiavo have also been Big Ten and NCAA champions during the Soldati era.
The CSCAA is also honoring 100 Alumni of Impact and a Centennial MVP Team – recognizing each university's top swimmer and top diver from each gender – over the course of this season.
Soldati joined Michigan's Mike Bottom and Indiana's Ray Looze as the only active coaches from the Big Ten to be on the CSCAA's 100 Greatest Coaches list. Bottom and Looze are both swim coaches. Meanwhile, Soldati's 10 Big Ten Coach of the Year awards are the most among active coaches and second to only Jeff Huber's 13 for his work with the Hoosiers.
Boudia's gold-medal winning Olympic champion performance on the tower in London in 2012 has been the crowning achievement of Soldati's coaching career. Four years later it was another special moment for Purdue when Boudia and Johnson teamed up to win silver together in synchronized 10-meter at the Olympic Games. Loschiavo kept Purdue's Olympic streak alive when he was a runaway winner on 10-meter at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June, continuing a big year that also saw him win on the tower at Big Tens and NCAAs. Incoming Boilermaker Tyler Downs also earned the right to represent Team USA on 3-meter in Tokyo and headlines the latest crop of talented young divers that are poised to carry on the tradition of excellence Soldati has built at Purdue. Soldati has been on deck as a member of the Team USA coaching staff at the last three Olympics.
The Boilermakers have claimed 112 All-America accolades – 65 full-fledged, 47 honorable mention – at the NCAA Championships since 2006. The 2012 season marked the only year in which Purdue did not have at least one diving All-American under Soldati. During that impressive run, on three occasions – 2011, 2015 and 2021 – Purdue has had three divers qualify for the platform championship final at NCAAs. The men accomplished the feat in 2011 and 2015 and the women did it in 2021. Meanwhile, Loschiavo and Ben Bramley finished 1-2 on the tower at the 2021 NCAA Championships, marking the first time a school had accomplished that feat in any diving event since 2005.
Along with their multiple medals at Big Tens and top-eight finishes at NCAAs, Jamie Bissett and Bramley have also been recognized as Academic All-Americans under Soldati. Joe Cifelli, Loschiavo and Matthews have also distinguished themselves as four-year NCAA Championships qualifiers. Big Ten champion and Big Ten Diver of the Year winner Emily (Bretscher) Pfeiffer has an opportunity to join that elite group this spring.