In a somewhat unusual move, Notre Dame announced yesterday that they have added Josh Arndt to the coaching staff. Arndt was serving as Virginia’s head diving coach as recently as this past Friday (October 18), when the Cavaliers hosted Florida for a dual meet. Notre Dame head coach Chris Lindauer then announced the hiring of Arndt as the Fighting Irish’s new head diving coach on Monday (October 21).
Arndt had been at Virginia since August 2022, helping the Cavaliers to NCAA titles in 2023 and 2024. During his time in Charlottesville, Arndt did a lot of work to revitalize the Virginia diving program. The highlight of his stint there came this past season, when Elizabeth Kaye took 8th in 3-meter diving at NCAAs, helping the Cavaliers defend their NCAA title. Kaye was the first Virginia diver to earn All-America honors.
Speaking on the addition of Arndt to the Notre Dame staff, Lindauer said in part “he [Lindauer] brings a wealth of experience in diving at the highest level. His commitment to the student-athlete experience was evident throughout the hiring process, and we are excited for him to bring a new perspective to our staff and team!”
Prior to his time at Virginia, Arndt spent 3 seasons as the diving coach at UConn. He was named the Big East Diving Coach of the Year in 2 of his 3 seasons with the Huskies. Arndt began his coaching career at UMass, where he spent 2 seasons, earned Atlantic 10 Diving Coach of the Year honors both years, and sent divers to NCAAs both years.
While a reason for Arndt’s departure from Virginia and move to Notre hasn’t yet been given, it does note in Notre Dame’s press release that Arndt grew up in the South Bend area. Arndt grew up in La Porte, Indiana, a small town less than 30 miles west of South Bend. In his statement, Arndt said “growing up in the area, I have always held the university in high regard,” which could possibly indicate he wanted to move closer to home.
Arndt should be able to jump right into his position at Notre Dame as soon as he’s in town. While Notre Dame’s men’s swim team is serving a suspension due to gambling malpractice, their 2 men’s divers, Daniel Knapp and Benedict Nguyen, are still active. The Fighting Irish also have 4 women’s divers on the roster.
Mark Bradshaw had been serving as the Notre Dame head diving coach for the past 3 seasons, however, he accepted a position at nearby Purdue over the summer.
As for Virginia, the Cavaliers don’t currently have a diving coach listed on their roster. Their next meet is on November 1, against North Carolina.
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