CLEMSON, S.C. – Kevin Lawrence has joined the Clemson diving staff as an assistant coach, Head Coach Leslie Hasselbach Adams announced on Wednesday. Lawrence comes to Clemson with 20 years of experience as a collegiate diving coach, including 10 years (2002-12) at the University of North Carolina.
“I am ecstatic to add Kevin Lawrence to the Clemson Family as our assistant diving coach. He is an excellent coach and outstanding recruiter and knows what it takes to rise to the top, not only in the ACC but also on a national level,” said Hasselbach Adams. “Kevin encompasses a ‘lifestyle of excellence’ in all that he does and will serve as a great role model and leader for our student-athletes, both in and out of the pool.”
“I am truly blessed and honored to have this opportunity to work within the Clemson Athletic Department; which is historically intertwined with the values of integrity, honor, loyalty and most importantly – family,” said Lawrence. “Leslie Hasselbach Adams is an amazing coach, and more importantly an incredible human being, and I am honored that she would even consider me for this position. I look forward to building upon the current successes she has quickly established already in the Clemson diving program – the only program of its kind in the country. I’m excited to once again have the opportunity to enrich the lives of our young student-athletes as they move onward into adulthood.”
Lawrence served as the head men’s and women’s diving coach at North Carolina from 2002-12. During his tenure in Chapel Hill, he coached the Tar Heels’ first Olympic Trials participant, in 2012. He also coached the ACC Men’s Diving Champion and the ACC Men’s Diver of the Year in 2004. In 10 seasons with the Tar Heels, Lawrence saw 15 different divers advance to the finals of the ACC Championships a total of 43 times. In addition, he coached five divers that qualified for the NCAA National Championships, including two that earned All-America honors.
Prior to his time in Chapel Hill, Lawrence was the head men’s and women’s diving coach at the University of Kansas from 1997-2002. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn. Lawrence was the Huskies’ first full-time diving coach, and, during his tenure with the school from 1994-97, helped transform the program into one of the most prominent NCAA Division II diving programs in the country. At SCSU, he produced 13 NCAA qualifiers that earned a total of 27 All-America honors, including the DII Women’s One-Meter National Champion in 1997.
Most recently, Lawrence spent 2012-14 in the Peace Corps, volunteering as an ESL English Instructor in Erdenet, Mongolia. He worked with 80 classes, approximately 400 students, over the two-year span, producing a 98% improvement rate in English skills among fourth- through sixth-grade students. He was honored with an Education of Freedom Medal for his efforts.
Lawrence graduated from St. Cloud State in 1994 with a degree in elementary education. He has one son, DJ (23). Lawrence replaces Ryan Moehnke, who left the program in May.
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