For the second time this offseason, the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats have hired a new diving coach.
Dwight Dumais comes from the University of Texas, where he coached at the well-known Longhorn Athletic Club. He is the youngest brother in a legacy of diving Dumaises: Brothers Troy and Justin were both Olympians.ÌýÌý
"Dwight has shown he is one of the best up-and-coming coaches in the sport," UA coach Augie Busch said in a news release on the swimming and diving program's Twitter page Monday might. "His pedigree in the sport of diving is unmatched and I am honored to work beside him in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ red and blue. His experience and exposure at the highest levels of national, international and junior national competitions is extensive. I am confident he will come make huge impacts immediately in all facets of the program and lift ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ diving to unprecedented heights."
The 32-year-old Dumais has served as a coach for USA Diving in various international competitions, including the 2017 World Championships in Budapest. The Ventura, California native was a five-time All-American diver at Stanford, where he won the 2007 and 2009 one-meter Pac-10 Championship. He qualified for the Olympic Trials in both 2012 and 2016.Ìý
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Dumais replaces John Appleman, who was hired in early June from the Ohio State club program. The UA parted ways with Appleman in July, shortly after USA Diving suspended him without citing a reason. A statement from the UA said that Appleman was offered a job in April, but that — despite the athletic department's announcement of Appleman's hire — his "employment was not finalized." He returned to Ohio State, and the UA posted an opening for his replacement.ÌýÌý
Appleman was mentioned in a federal class action lawsuit filed against The Ohio State University Diving Club and former coach Will Bohonyi, saying that Bohonyi sexually abused 50 divers at Ohio State and USA Diving, including a minor.
The lawsuit says that Bohonyi forced the girl to perform oral sex on him on the Ohio State campus when she was 16 and the two had sex in Bohonyi’s Bethesda, Maryland hotel room during the Ohio State Diving Club’s national meet.
One of the victim’s teammates reported the abuse to Appleman, then an OSU assistant, in 2014, but neither Appleman nor the school took action, according to the lawsuit. Appleman is not named as a defendant in the suit.Ìý Bohonyi has since been fired by Ohio State and banned by USA Diving.Ìý
Wildcats diving coach Omar Ojeda, a one-time Pac-12 women's diving coach of the year, Olympic coach and arguably the greatest male diver in UA history, was not retained following the 2018 season. The reasons for his departure remain unclear.Ìý
