Ronald Shay O'Brien (March 14, 1938 – November 19, 2024)[1] was a Hall of Fame American diving coach and author who dove for Ohio State University.

[3] O’Brien was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on March 14, 1938 to Paul O'Brien, a firefighter, and Helen Shay, a homemaker.

[7][4] Just out of High School, at the early August, 1956 Olympic diving trials at the Brennan Pools in Detroit, O'Brien placed 12th in the finals of the three-meter springboard event, and was not selected for the U.S. team.

After his college career, he worked as a performer in a professional water stunt show alongside fellow dive coach Dick Kimball.

Bob Webster of Michigan University won the platform diving trial in Detroit with 166.56 points.

A stiff competitor, Webster would win the gold medal in 10-meter platform diving at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

Unfortunately, in both events his score just missed the top two places required to qualify for the August Rome Olympic Games.

O'Brien was disappointed in coming so close to making the U.S. team, but believed it helped later motivate him to work harder as a dive coach.

[3][17] After his time as an athlete ended, O'Brien started a career in coaching, while simultaneously pursuing graduate studies.

[4] He served as the Head Diving Coach at his alma mater, the Ohio State University where he remained from 1963-1978.

While in Columbus, he coached Olympic diver Jenny Chandler with his youth program, the Ron O'Brien Diving School.

[2] In 1985, O’Brien headed to South Florida to coach at the new Mission Bay facility in Boca Raton, where he remained until 1990.

Among his more accomplished divers at Mission Bay, he coached Wendy Wyland, a 1984 Bronze Olympic medalist in the 10-meter Platform.

[2] Over the years, he has coached divers of all skill levels resulting in over 350 medals in elite dive meets all over the world.

[4] As an actor, O'Brien appeared on the Tonight Show With Johnny Carson in 1962, Yarns From Pidgeon Inlet in 1979, and Back on Board: Greg Louganis in 2014.

[22] After retiring from coaching in 1996, O'Brien continued as the national technical director for USA Diving where he served from 1991-2004.