MARQUETTE, Mich. â€Â“ Jon Wilson, the headwomenâ€Â™s swimming coach at Northern Michigan University, has announced that AndyWard has been named the diving coach.  Ward is no stranger to the NMU aquaticscene as he was a diver on the 1979-80 NMU menâ€Â™s swimming and diving team.  Heis a 1989 graduate of NMU with a bachelorâ€Â™s degree in secondary education. Ward graduated cum laude from NMU.  â€ÂœI am very excited about Andy re-joiningthe program as the diving coach,â€Â Wilson said.  â€ÂœHe has a lot of work ahead ofhim, but I am confident Andy will get the job done.â€Â

He was the diving coach at NMU during the 1999-00 season,where he led Katie Richter to a first place finish on the one-meter board atthe GLIAC conference meet.  From 2001-03, Ward was the diving coach at Marquette High School.  â€ÂœI am really excited about getting the opportunity to coach here atNMU,â€Â Ward said.  â€ÂœThe diving facilities and equipment at NMU are one of thebest, if not the best, in the entire conference and I am eagerly awaiting thestart of the season.â€Â

He is a 1978 graduate of Gwinn High School where he was afour-time letterwinner in both golf and swimming.  During his junior year inhigh school, Ward was the U.P. Champion in the 200-yard medley relay, 100 butterflyand the 200 I.M. 

Ward and his wife, Marie, have a son (Brandon) and adaughter (Elyse).  Brandon is currently in his second year at NMU.