The Hobie Billingsley award represents the most esteemed honor to be bestowed upon a high school diver or coach. Hobie’s many contributions to the sport of diving have been recognized at the state, national, and international levels. He began his career as a physical education teacher and high school swimming and diving coach served as a diving coach at Ohio University and was Indiana University’s first diving coach. Hobie was recognized as Diving Coach of the Year seven consecutive seasons from 1964-70. Hobie coached 14 NCAA diving champions during his tenure at IU, 14 indoor diving champions, and 23 Olympic divers. He served as the Olympic diving coach in 1968 and 1972 while coaching Austria (1976) and Denmark (1980). Hobie went on to produce 115 National U.S. Diving Champions. Although Billingsley was a master teacher of national and international athletes, he remained true to the developmental aspect of the sport by conducting world-renowned diving camps for student-athletes and coaches of all ages.
Hobie Billingsley Award Recipients:
2007 – Chuck Chelich – Munster High School
2011 – William “Bill” Chappo – Valparaiso High School
2015 – Richard “Dick” Brunoehler – Southport High School/Perry Meridian High School
2019 – John Wingfield
2023 – Kurt Hass – Franklin Community High School