Eric Best Selected As Michigan State's Diving Coach
5/29/2002 12:00:00 AM | Swimming and Diving
May 29, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Eric Best has been named Michigan State's men's and women's diving coach, swimming coach Jim Lutz announced today (May 29). Best replaces the legendary John Narcy, who retired following 36 years as the Spartans' diving coach this spring.
"I'm very excited to come to Michigan State," said Best. "It is a honor to follow in the footsteps of John Narcy, whom I have had the opportunity to work with for the last 20 years."
Since 1991, Best has served as the diving coach at West Bloomfield High School. During his tenure at WBHS, he coached 24 state meet qualifiers, including six state finalists and two All-Americans. He also spent one season (1980-81) as the diving coach at Oakland Community College, where he coached two NJCAA qualifiers including a fifth-place finisher.
He has been an integral part of the John Narcy Diving Camp since 1980. Among his responsibilities were supervising the program, coaching, spotting and delivering lectures on training techniques, diving mechanics and goal setting.
Best was a member of the Michigan State diving team from 1979 to 1982. He is a 1992 cum laude graduate of Wayne State University with a bachelor's of science in secondary education. Since 1999, he has been a math and science teacher at Walled Lake Consolidated Schools with previous teaching experience in the West Bloomfield and Royal Oak School Districts.
"I believe there is going to be a smooth transition with the hiring of Eric," said Lutz. "Eric has worked with John (Narcy) over the past 20 years. Eric wants to carry on the great tradition of diving at Michigan State that Narcy developed during his career. He is familiar with our student-athletes and has worked with several of them at camps during the summer. Eric is a die-hard Spartan and we are lucky to get him."
Best will officially start July 1.