Hobart Sherwood Billingsley (December 2, 1926 – July 16, 2022) was an American diver for Ohio State University and a Hall of Fame coach for Indiana University from 1959-1989, where he led the Hoosiers to six NCAA national swimming and diving team championships. During his time with Indiana, he coached the U.S. Olympic diving team in 1968, 1972, and 1976. He taught himself how to dive by analyzing wallcharts at his local YMCA. During his final year of high school in 1943, he finished in third place at the national championships.
Billingsley attended Ohio State University (OSU), where he won the NCAA one-and three-meter titles during his freshman year in 1945. He was subsequently recruited by James Counsilman, the head swimming coach at Indiana University who created the new position of diving coach for Billingsley.
Dive coaching
Billingsley served as the Indiana Hoosiers’s diving coach from 1959 to 1989, leading the Hoosiers to six NCAA and 23 Big Ten team championships. He was regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of diving. He was profiled in the award-winning and widely televised documentary Hobie’s Heroes — 25th Anniversary Edition, which depicts the struggles and successes of young divers training under this legendary coach. The title was derived from the nickname he gave to his divers.
Later life
Following retirement from university coaching, Billingsley continued to be active in the sport, training divers and coaches around the world, and was a respected speaker on diving history, technique, ethics, and general sports. His book Diving Illustrated, a seminal work offering detailed technical support for coaching diving, was released in 1990,
Personal life
Billingsley married Mary Drake in 1952, whom The couple had three children. He died on July 16, 2022, in Bloomington, at age 95.
Honors and awards
Billingsley was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1983 The Counsilman–Billingsley Aquatics Center at Indiana University is named in his honor,
See also
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame