Phil Moriarty

Phil Moriarty (April 12, 1914 – August 18, 2012) was a swimming and diving coach from the United States. He coached at Yale University for 37 years, from 1939-1976, and served as a diving coach for the U.S. team at the 1960 Rome Summer Olympics.

Moriarty was born in New Haven, Connecticut on April 12, 1914, graduating from High School in 1932. Though he did not graduate college, he soon obtained a job teaching swimming to Yale College students around his age. He was a difficult act to follow, but Moriarty became a fitting replacement.

Moriarty won 11 Eastern Intercollegiate Swim League Championships and 9 Eastern Seaboard Titles. In his career at Yale, he amassed an overall record as Head Coach of 195-25. He faced challenges recruiting, since as a Division III school, Yale could not offer swimming scholarships to prospective students which gave an advantage to many competing teams.

Swimming community service He served as chairman of the NCAA Rules Committee for both Diving (1953-57) and Swimming (1959-62). After retiring as a coach, he wrote instructional books and made films for swimmers and divers. In 1960, he published his book Springboard Diving, and in 1970 followed with the Father and Son Swimming Book. and was inducted in the American Swimming Coaches Association's hall of fame in 2009. He was named the NCAA's Swimming Coach of the Year in 1971.

He lived to the impressive age of 98, and died in Mystic, Connecticut on August 18, 2012.