That's one of the reasons I went after him. Everett, who was named Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year last season, said it's very difficult to become a national contender without a diving team. He noted that UNLV, which fell to Brigham Young by 37 points in the conference finals last season, would have claimed the league crown with any contribution in the diving events. Instead, UNLV earned nothing on the board and failed to win the championship despite outscoring the Cougars in the swimming events. Although he's uncertain about this season, Everett said he believes the addition of the diving crew eventually will help the Rebels claim a conference crown.
Next year's a stronger possibility.
We need a bigger team, which is something I'm working on right now. Everett acknowledged that persuading promising divers to come to a university without a big reputation could be difficult. But I'll have to sell them on the idea that they'll have an opportunity to be part of a team that's going to be something someday. As for this season, Everett said he plans to further the development of junior Lucas Richmond and freshman Devon Turner on the men's side, and freshmen Erin Sully and Anna Zehnder on the women's side. All four divers are showing promise.