University of Rochester Athletics

Greg Brandes wrapped up his 21st season as the full time Head Diving Coach at the University of Rochester in 2024-25. During the past 20-plus seasons, Rochester divers have been impressive in the nation’s top Division III diving conference, the UAA, with four have been selected to represent Rochester at the NCAA Championship and combining to earn a total of nine All-America honors.
 
During Brandes' tenure, 11 Yellowjacket divers have broken multiple school records at the University, including 2006 UR Female Athlete of the Year Patricia McHale, 2011 Liberty League Divers of the Year Sara Spielman and Megan Braun, 2012 Rochester Female Scholar Athlete of the Year Rachel deLahunta, 2014 NCAA Honorable Mention All-American and 2016 UAA 3-Meter Champion Danielle Neu, 2020 NCAA All-American Sophie Lever, 2020 NCAA All-American and UR Male Athlete of the Year, Stephen Savchik and 2022 NCAA Qualifier and 2-time Honorable Mention All-American, David Robinson.
 
Greg's athletes have placed in the top eight at the UAA Championships 92 times, with another 96 finalists coming at the Liberty League championship meet. Diver Danielle Neu captured the UAA title in the 3-meter competition in 2016, becoming UR's first female diver to win a UAA title in the conference's history. In 2023-24, David Robinson secured 3rd place and All-UAA honors on the 3-meter board, becoming Rochester's fourth male All-UAA diver under Brandes.

Rochester has also sent athletes to the NCAA Regional Diving Championships 29 times during the past ten seasons. During the 2024-25 season, the University of Rochester qualified a program-best five divers to the NCAA Regional Championships, with Kaela Springer, Lizzie Budde, Marlena Vieira, Julia Sides and Lilia MacKenzie representing UR.

Away from the pool, Brandes' divers have excelled academically, earning several Academic All-Conference, CSCAA Scholar All-America and College Sports Communicators Academic All-District awards. Senior Sophie Lever was named a 3rd Team CSC Academic All-American in 2023, the first in Brandes' time on the River Campus. Three divers, Lizzie Budde, Julia Sides and Marlena Vieira secured CSCAA Honorable Mention Scholar All-America honors in 2024-25.
 
He was appointed to a four-year term on the NCAA Swimming and Diving Committee which oversees all aspects of Swimming and Diving in Division III in 2013. The Committee also oversees the running of the NCAA Swimming and Diving National Championships.
 
Brandes became the first ever Diving Coach named to the Board of Directors of the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association in 2017.
 
In addition to his full time duties at Rochester, Greg coaches a local AAU and USA Diving team. His current group of athletes includes 20 AAU National Champions, two Senior National Qualifiers, 18 high school All-Americans, 12 New York State Champions and one Olympic Trials Finalist.
 
Prior to his appointment at Rochester, Greg led the diving program at West Virginia University, where, over a three-year span, he coached three NCAA Zone Diving National Qualifiers as well as an Olympic Trials Qualifier.
 
As a student-athlete at West Virginia, Greg was named to the Big East All-Academic team six times, and was WVU's Diver of the Year in 1999. During that same year Greg was honored to represent WVU at the NCAA Leadership Conference. He graduated with a BS in Physical Education in 2000 and earned his MS in Athletic Coaching in 2003.
 
Brandes is a six-time USA Diving Masters National Champion and a two-time USA Diving All-American.

(updated 6/2025)