CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois University diving coach Joy Zhao has been selected to join the Team USA staff at the upcoming World University Games in Chengdu, China, from July 28-August 8.
Zhao has served 20 years on the swimming & diving staff at SIU and is a six-time Missouri Valley Conference Diving Coach of the Year. Under her leadership, SIU divers have been named conference Diver of the Year 13 times and have earned 19 conference titles.
“I am thrilled for Joy to be part of the USA Diving staff for the World University Games,” said SIU head coach Geoff Hansen. “Her knowledge and expertise in the sport of diving will no doubt benefit the athletes, and I’m certain she will make a big impact on Team USA. It is also wonderful for our program at SIU to have her representing the Salukis in international competition.”
Zhao is notable for coaching Kaixuan “Sherry” Zhang to seven MVC titles and a bronze finish in the three-meter dive at the 2014 NCAA Championships. Zhang earned MVC Diver of the Week honors 21 times and MVC Diver of the Year three times under Zhao.
“I am so honored for this opportunity to be a part of the coaching staff for our USA Team at the World University Games,” Zhao said. “Coaching the Red, White, and Blue at the World University Games is going to be so fun and rewarding. I am excited to learn from some of the best coaches in the world and bring back new ideas to make our student-athletes better.”
In 2020, Zhao coached divers Beibei Ji and Baobao Ji to a one-two finish at the MVC Championships in the one- and three-meter dives, while Ally Brown was named the MVC Freshman Diver of the Year in 2021.
On the men’s side, Zhao recently coached Kai Hoffmann-Dussome to a victory in the one-meter and Mid-American Conference Diver of the Year honors at the 2020 MAC Championships. He became the second Saluki on the men’s team to earn a conference title under Zhao. Hoffman-Dussome won the MAC’s Freshman Diver of the Year Award in 2017. Kegan Skelton came away with the 2015 MAC conference title in the one-meter. He was also named MAC Diver of the Year.