Hobie Billingsley

Hobie Billingsley was an American diving coach and referee who recited the Officials’ Oath at the Opening Ceremony of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He coached at Indiana University from 1959-89, winning six NCAA and 23 Big Ten team championships in that span. He coached individuals that combined for 115 national titles, 22 Big Ten Championships, and six Olympic medals. Billingsley coached the 1968, 1972, 1976, and 1980 US Olympic teams, and served as a diving judge in 1992 and 1996.

Billingsley was a diver himself at The Ohio State University in 1945 and from 1948-50. After his freshman year he joined the US Armed Forces and served in Japan during World War II. Billingsley is a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame (1983) and the Indiana University Athletics Hall of Fame (1994), and in 1994 was presented the Sammy Lee Award, the most prestigious award in diving.