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 | Position:
Head Diving Coach
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| Alma Mater:
Metropolitan State, '06
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Jim Zagaria joined the Marshall swimming and diving staff as the new diving coach in October of 2009. He now enters his second season with the Thundering Herd after coaching the MU divers to program-firsts in 2010.
Last season marked the first time in program history that Marshall had sent multiple divers to the NCAA Zones. Under Zagaria's direction, Rachel Hannum, Haley Holmquist and Lauren Rone qualified for MU. Rone is just the second MU freshman to qualify for the event and she finished tops in the one-meter, with a 34th-place finish (187.05). Holmquist put up a 19th-place finish in the three-meter (226.35) just missing the finals-qualifying score by 0.5 points.
Holmquist was also named a C-USA Diver of the Week on Nov. 17, 2009.
Zagaria, a 2006 graduate of Metropolitan State University, was on the Iowa State diving team from 1997-2001.
His coaching experience at the high school level began in 2001 at Ames High School, where he coached a state champion and an All-American. From 2003-05 he coached the Woodbury HS girls team, which produced one state champion and two All-Americans. Zagaria also coached two All-State selections during his tenure at Anoka HS from 2004-06. He was named Section Diving Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2006.
Zagaria's experience with the Twin City Divers (2003-09), where he was the associate head coach, saw 47 Junior National qualifiers, 28 Senior National qualifiers, a 2009 AT&T National Diving Championship, a 2009 Men's Synchronizing Platform Championship and two divers attend the World Team Trials. He also served as the meet manager at the 2007 USA Diving Spring Nationals.
At the college level, Zagaria has coached at the College of St. Catherine (2003-06), the University of St. Thomas (2003-05) and the University of Minnesota (2006-07). From 2003-06 he produced a finalist in both the one-meter and three-meter dives at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship. At UM he coached Big Ten finalists in the one-meter, three-meter and platform events; along with Divers of the Week and NCAA Zone qualifiers.
