Todd Sherritt

The Todd Sherritt File

• ACCOLADES

  • 10-Time World Team Coach
  • 2017 SEC Diving Coach of the Year
  • 1999 SEC Diving Coach of the Year
  • 1997 USOC Developmental Diving Coach of the Year
  • Four Olympians
  • One NCAA Champion
  • 52 All-Americans
  • 15 U.S. Diving National Champions
  • 15 SEC Champions
  • 2016 South Africa Head Diving Coach at Rio Olympics
• Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio 
• Alma Mater: University of Cincinnati, 1982, B.S. 
• Physical Education: College Diving: University of Illinois, 1978; University of Cincinnati, 1979-82 

Coaching Career

• University of South Carolina Diving Coach, 1993-present
• Founder and Coach of South Carolina Divers, 1982-present
• Diving Coach, Princeton High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, 1978-82
• Girl’s Diving Coach, Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, 1977-78

For over two decades, Todd Sherritt has continued to bring success to South Carolina diving. The head diving coach at South Carolina since 1993, Sherritt continues to set new standards for Gamecock diving and has established the program as one of the best and most consistent in the country.

One of the most influential diving coaches in the country, Sherritt has coached 52 NCAA All-Americans, 15 U.S. Diving National Champions, four Olympians, 15 SEC Champions and one NCAA Champion. He was named SEC Diving Coach of the Year in both 1999 and 2017, and, in 1997, he was named USOC Developmental Diving Coach of the Year. Sherritt is also a 10-time World Team Coach for Team USA, including during the 2007 season.

Under the tutelage of Sherritt, sophomore Anton Down-Jenkins repeated as an All-American in the 2019-20 season. Down-Jenkins made history, sweeping both the one-meter and three-meter boards at NCAA Zone B Championships, the first Gamecock in history to win both events. The sophomore repeated as an All-American in the three-meter and earned his first nod on the one-meter.

Two more Carolina divers added NCAA All-American to their respective resumes during the 2018-19 season.  Fifth-year senior Marissa Roth qualified for finals at the SEC Championships for the first time in her career and followed up with a gold medal performance to become the second platform conference champion in program history.  She would later go on to earn All-America honors in the event at the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas.

Sherritt and the Gamecocks’ diving program made progress towards the future as well in 2018 as true freshman Anton Down-Jenkins arrivied on campus in South Carolina and immediately made his mark.  Down-Jenkins swept the springboard events in every dual-meet competition and went on to earn All-America honors in the 3-meter at the NCAA Championships.

In 2018, Sherritt coached Julia Vincent, one of the best divers in program history to one of her finest seasons at Carolina during her senior campaign. Vincent narrowly missed becoming a national champion on the 1-meter springboard with a second-place finish at the NCAA Championships in addition to a third-place finish on the 3-meter board. In addition to Vincent’s success, Sherritt saw a trio of freshman in Karlee Price, Yu Qian Goh, and Grant Summers each improve significantly throughout the season.

For the second time in his career, Sherritt earned SEC Coach of the Year accolades for his fine work in 2017. Fresh off a summer spent competing at the Rio Olympics, Julia Vincent won the SEC championship in the 3-meter, while Allyson Nied became Carolina’s first conference champion in the platform. Nied went on to earn All-America honors at the NCAA Championships, while together she and Vincent broke every women’s diving record in Carolina history. Vincent was undefeated on the 3-meter springboard during the regular season, while Jordan Gotro broke the Carolina record in the platform.

On the international stage, Sherritt took a spot as a coach for South Africa at the 2017 FINA World Championships. He helped coach Gamecock diver Julia Vincent to a historical finish on the 3-meter by becoming the firs int South African diver to make it to the finals. Vincent finished 12th on the event.

The 2016 season was another sterling effort for Sherritt’s divers as four student-athletes qualified for the NCAA Championships, and all four left as All-Americans. Vincent finished fourth in the nation in the 1-meter, while Nied (platform), Gotro (platform) and Lauren Lamendola (1-meter) were also All-Americans.

The strong NCAA Championships performance came on the heels of a tremendous team effort at the 2016 SEC Championships. The Gamecock women combined to earn more diving points than any other team at the meet, with Nied earning a podium spot by finishing third in the platform. Vincent, Lamendola and Marissa Roth also qualified for A finals, while Gotro made the A final in all three boards.

The success of Sherritt’s divers extended to the international season in 2016. Vincent won the 3-meter competition at South African Olympic Trials in April and represented her native country at the Rio Summer Olympics, which gives Sherritt four Olympians under his watch. Gotro also had success on the international circuit, qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials in 3-meter.

In 2015, Sherritt coached Cole Miller as Miller became Carolina’s first diver to earn All-American honors in a single NCAA Championships. Under Sherritt’s tutelage, Miller finished 15th in the 1-meter, 12th in the 3-meter, and 14th in the platform to close his collegiate career.

Sherritt has continued to produce greats in the Garnet and Black, including Courtney Forcucci, who became the 11th SEC champion for the diving program in 2012. Forcucci set a SEC and school record to win the 3-meter springboard title at the 2012 SEC Championships. She also claimed bronze on the 1-meter board. Forcucci then carried her momentum to the NCAA Championships, where she earned two All-America honors, finishing fifth on the 3-meter springboard and 15th on the 1-meter board.

Taryn Zack took the title on the 1-meter board at the 2011 SEC Championships, earning her second gold medal at the league meet. Zack also earned accolades out of the pool as she was named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for swimming & diving, and she was named a Capital One Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America, just the second in the history of Carolina swimming & diving.

As a junior, Zack finished seventh at the NCAA Championships in the three-meter event to earn her third All-America honor. She earned her first All-America honor in 2008 as a freshman as she took eighth place on the three-meter board. In addition, an 11th-place finish in the one-meter event that season earned her a nod for Honorable Mention All-American. In her sophomore season, Zack continued her incredible success by winning her first conference title, taking the gold medal in the 1-meter competition at the SEC Championship.

Also in 2009, another pupil of Sherritt’s, Allison Brennan, captured gold at the USA Diving Grand Prix in the 3-meter event, beating out a pair of 2008 Olympic medalists to take top honors. Recently under Sherritt’s guidance, Brennan finished sixth in the world at the World Championships held in Australia in 2007. She also won the 3-meter title at the 2006 U.S. National Championships and placed seventh at the 2006 World Cup in Chengshu, China that same year. Brennan joins Sherritt this year as an assistant coach after a third-place finish at the 2008 Olympic Trials. Brennan was the 2004 NCAA Champion on the one-meter board, the first individual national champion for the South Carolina swimming and diving program. She also was the 2006 SEC Champion on the one-meter and three-meter boards, and set the school record on the three-meter.

The 2003-04 season was a stellar year for Gamecock diving as USC took four divers to the NCAA Championships, and in addition to Brennan, Andy Bradley recorded his second consecutive national runner-up performance on the one-meter board at the NCAA Championships. In 2003, Bradley was the runner-up at the U.S. Championships as well. Internationally, Tracey Richardson found success as she earned a spot at the 2004 Olympics on the Great Britain National Team and competed on the three-meter board. Brennan and Bradley qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials. Other standouts included All-Americans Lauren King (2003-05) and Holly Hodges (2001-05).

Sherritt’s international coaching stints include serving as the head coach for Team USA in the 2000 FINA World Grand Prix in Rodstock, Germany. In 1999, he was selected as the World Cup coach for the United States in Wellington, New Zealand, and he was a World University coach for the U.S. in Mallarco, Spain in July of the same year. Most recently, he served as the team leader for Team USA at the China Open in 2008.

In 1998-99, Sherritt helped lead one of South Carolina’s most decorated divers, Michelle Davison, to new heights. Davison won two SEC titles and was named SEC Diver of the Year, en route to finishing fourth and fifth on the 1- and 3-meter boards respectively at the NCAA Championships. That year, Sherritt was named SEC Women’s Diving Coach of the Year.

Sherritt’s first Olympic opportunity came in 1996 with Gamecock standout Vivian Alberty. The 1995 1-meter SEC Champion finished her career at USC as a four-time All-American and in 1996 competed for Puerto Rico at the Olympics in Atlanta.

In addition to athletics, Sherritt’s divers have excelled outside of the pool as well. Holly Hodges was a recipient of the SEC Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship in 2004-05. Cheryl Lemon was named USC’s Female Student Athlete of the Year in 2000, while Chad Sheldon and Lemon were named to the SEC Honor Roll in 1998. Brandon Hulko was named USC Male Student-Athlete of the Year in 2002, and Taryn Zack was South Carolina’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2011.

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Sherritt founded South Carolina Divers in 1982, a University of South Carolina based age group diving team. Sherritt received a B.S. degree in physical education from the University of Cincinnati in 1982.

Sherritt has two daughters, Amber and Hannah and a newborn son, John. His wife’s name is Kara.