DOUG SHAFFER NAMED LSU HEAD DIVING COACH

BATON ROUGE -- Doug Shaffer has been named the new head diving coach at
LSU, head coach Jeff Cavana announced on Monday.

Shaffer, 39, replaces former coach Scott Reich, who left LSU in July to
lead the women's diving program at Arkansas. Shaffer is no stranger to the
collegiate ranks. He was formerly the head diving coach at the University
of Minnesota from 1989-96, winning Big 10 Diving Coach of the Year award
four times. He won the honor on the men's side in 1993 and 1996, and won it
for the women in 1994 and 1995. Shaffer was in charge of the diving program
at UCLA in 1988-89.

Shaffer coached 11 Big Ten Champions, 29 NCAA All-Americans, and two NCAA
Champions during his tenure at Minnesota. Shaffer also coached and directed
the Twin City Divers group and the Doug Shaffer National Diving Camp while
at Minnesota.

Shaffer was the chosen as the coach for the United States for several
international competitions from 1989 through 1999 and was chosen as an
Assistant Competition Manager for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga. He
spent the last two years in England as diving coach at the Sheffield,
England High Performance Center, where he coached five Olympians on the
Lottery Funded World Class Performance Program.

"We are very excited to have Doug become a part of our program here at
LSU," said LSU head coach Jeff Cavana. "Doug has a great track record of
success at our level and has a reputation for being a great recruiter and
coach in the past."

"Doug will certainly do a great job for our program and bring in some
big-name recruits immediately. He will recruit both nationally and
internationally, since he coached in England for nine months as a
developmental coach."

Shaffer is a 1986 graduate of UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts degree in
History. He was the NCAA Champion and Diver of the Year for the Bruins in
1986, a silver medalist at the Pan American Games in 1987, and was an
Olympic Trials finalist in 1984 and 1988.

"I am ecstatic about the opportunity to coach here at LSU," said Shaffer.
"To me this is one of the best jobs around because you are coaching in one
of the most competitive conferences in the country- the SEC."

"I had the opportunity to do some other things besides coaching in the past
few years but I really missed it and I am glad to be back because I love
it."

Shaffer is the brother of Auburn head diving coach Jeff Shaffer, who also
coached at LSU from 1994-95. LSU will ironically open its 2002-03 season on
Oct. 5 against Auburn in Baton Rouge at noon. The Tigers will also face
Reich when Arkansas comes to town on Nov. 9 along with Alabama at 10 a.m.

LSU will officially begin the season on Fri. Oct. 4 when they hold the
annual Purple and Gold Intrasquad at 3 p.m. in Baton Rouge.

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Contact: Patrick Meehan
Phone: (225) 578-8226
Email: Pmeeha1@lsu.edu

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