 Andy Ward
Head Coach, Diving
E-mail: andyward@chartermi.net
Telephone: 906-228-4787
At NMU Since 2005-06
Andy Ward begins his fifth year as the head coach of the Northern Michigan University diving program. In his previous four seasons as the diving coach, he has enjoyed the success of having two of his divers qualify and compete at the NCAA Division II National Swimming and Diving Championships. Most recently, Kelli Vander Baan qualified during both the 2008-09 and 2007-08 seasons with her best finish last season. Kelli finished in ninth place during the 3-meter springboard competition at last year’s championship, while Michelle Ruiz had qualified during the 2005-06 season finishing in 10th place on the 1-meter board.
Ward is no stranger to NMU or to the city of Marquette. He was a diver on the 1979-80 men’s diving team and is a 1989 graduate from NMU with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. Ward had served as an interim coach for Northern’s diving team during the 1999-00 season. He directed Katie Richter to a first place finish on the one meter board at that year’s GLIAC meet. Andy is a 1978 graduate of Gwinn High School. His wife, Marie, and he have been married for 27 years and live in Marquette. They have a son, Brandon, an NMU student, and a daughter, Elyse, a senior at Marquette Senior High School.
"I was born and raised here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan," said Ward. "I love the U.P. and I love coaching divers. I enjoy the constant challenges the job brings and the interaction it allows me to have with student-athletes from all over the country. Northern Michigan University provides students with top-notch facilities and with great educational opportunities and the city of Marquette provides a perfect home for NMU. With Lake Superior as a back drop and the great outdoors as its setting, I can’t imagine a better or safer place for parents to send their future student-athletes. My goal is to continue to keep this diving program headed in the right direction. I feel blessed that I have been given this opportunity and will work hard to continue to learn more about my trade while helping these student-athletes develop into the individuals that both their parents and, hopefully, they themselves can and will be proud of. As part of my program, I work closely with my divers to set goals and to put together a plan to help them achieve those goals. At NMU, education will always come first. What we do as a team is very important, but it still is just one step in the overall development of our athletes."
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