Shawn Austin enters his 17th season as the Head Diving Coach at Geneseo for the 2023-24 season.
The two-time NCAA Division III Men's Diving Coach of the Year (2016 & 2018), Austin guided Sam Randall '18 to a pair of national championships, winning the 3-meter dive in 2016 and the 1-meter dive in 2018. Randall was the first national champion in Geneseo swimming & diving history and just the third Geneseo student-athlete in any program to secure multiple national titles. Austin was named the 2020 mens and womens SUNYAC Diving Coach of the Year after his divers swept the diving events and all seven divers (five women and two men) made finals at their conference championships. Sam Reichman ‘20 and Corey Wirth ‘22 were also named SUNYAC Diver of the Meet at 2020 SUNYAC Championships.
In the 2021-22 season, Austin helped lead Trent Makowiec and Ben Wilcox to All-American status. Makowiec placed ninth in the three-meter dive at the NCAA Championships, and then finished as the runner up in the one-meter dive. Wilcox finished 14th in the one-meter dive to Honorable Mention All-America. Makowiec was named Outstanding Diver of the Meet at the SUNYAC Championships after finishing first in both events. He additionally won the one-meter dive event at NCAA Diving Regionals.
In the 2019-20 Coach Austin guided six divers to the NCAA Region 4 Championships. Sophomore Corey Wirth punched his ticket to the NCAA Championships after winning the men’s 3m diving event and placing 2nd in the 1m event. Senior All-American Sam Reichman '20 also had impressive performances qualifying for NCAA Championships after placing 2nd in the 1m event on day one and winning the 3M event on day two. Juniors Kiersten Coates ‘21, Alyssa Vadala ‘21 and first-year Jenna MacCloud ‘23 also qualified for NCAA Championship, tallying the most divers in Geneseo's history to qualify for the event in the same season.
With over 20 years of coaching experience Austin has guided his divers to 20 NCAA Division III All-America performances and eight Honorable Mention All-America performances. Geneseo divers have garnered four SUNYAC conference records and have had 26 school/pool record-breaking showings during his tenure with the Knights.
Austin’s coaching resume also includes 39 NCAA Region four performances and three NCAA Region 4 champions. Geneseo divers have made finals at their conference championships 92 times including 15 SUNYAC championship performances! 4 Geneseo divers have gone on to capture SUNYAC diver of the meet honors a total of eight times. Three Geneseo divers have also been awarded SUNYAC Diver of the Year honors on five occasions: Sam Randall (2015, 2016, and 2018), Sam Reichman (2019), and Corey Wirth (2019).
Geneseo presents awards to athletes at the end of each school year for their academic and athletic accomplishments. Sam Randall was presented with the Geneseo Athlete of the Year award in 2016 and 2018. Two of Austin’s divers were also presented with the Ira S. Wilson award for career athletic achievement at Geneseo. Wills DeMoulin received the award 2010 and then Sam Randall in 2018.
Geneseo Coaching Highlights
1 National Champion (2 Performances)
7 divers earned NCAA All-America honors a total of 22 times
5 divers earned NCAA Honorable Mention All-America honors a total of 9 times
12 NCAA Qualifiers (21 Total Performances)
18 NCAA Region 4 Qualifiers *The event began in 2012
5 SUNYAC Champions (17 Performances)
22 SUNYAC Finalists (92 Performances)
9 SUNYAC Diver of the meet award winners
4 SUNYAC Diver of the Year award Winners (5 Occasions)
4 ECAC Champions
2 Time ECAC Diving Coach of the Meet
2009 & 2010
2 Time NCAA Men’s Diving Coach of the Year
2016 & 2018
10 Time SUNYAC Diving Coach of the year *The award began in 2015
Men (5) - 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022
Women (5) - 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022
Austin has also been the head coach of the Blue Wave Diving Club since 2008 after spending nine years in the same position with Finger Lakes Diving. Under his tutelage, his clubs have produced:
34 Section V Champions
50 NYS Championship Qualifiers
27 NYS Championship Finalists
60 AAU National Championship Finalists (4 Champions)
5 USA Diving Age Group Nationals Qualifiers
A graduate of Alfred State College and Monroe Community College, he was a four-time NJCAA Region III Champion and two-time NJCAA National bronze medal winner from 1997-99. During the 1999 Region III Championships, Austin shattered the 1-meter and 3-meter records, while also anchoring the second-place 200 freestyle relay. Named the “Men’s Swimming Most Outstanding Performer,” it was the first time the award had been presented to a diver. He held the 11-dive record on both boards at M.C.C. for 22 years from 1998 - 2020. Also a three-time Empire State Games Men’s Open qualifier, he finished as high as second place during his career.
A native of Naples, N.Y., Austin has worked full time at Geneseo as a technology support professional with the Computer Information Technology department since 2005. Shawn resides in Dansville, N.Y.
