Dario di Fazio is entering his second season as head diving coach in 2025-26 after posting an excellent debut campaign in his first year at the helm of the iconic Hurricanes program.
In a dominant first season, di Fazio, the 2025 ACC Women’s Diving Coach of the Year, helped guide Chiara Pellacani to the 1-meter national title at the 2025 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships. Both Pellacani and teammate Mia Vallée were named NCAA All-Americans in both springboard events, with Vallée finishing as the runner-up to Pellacani in the 1-meter. The duo also combined for multiple medals at the 2025 ACC Championships.
In addition to success from the Miami women, di Fazio led Max Flory to a platform gold medal at the conference meet and NCAA All-America honors on the 1-meter springboard.
Di Fazio was named the head diving coach at Miami in 2024, succeeding Randy Ableman, who retired after leading UM’s diving program for 35 years.
Di Fazio brings a wealth of diving experience and history to Miami. Since 1996, he has served as Ableman’s assistant at UM in addition to serving as head coach of Miami Diving, one the country’s most prestigious club diving programs.
Since his arrival in Miami, 12 Hurricane divers have won 16 national titles. Di Fazio has also assisted in the development of eight Olympians. Additionally, he has coached many athletes at the club level who have gone on to receive full or partial scholarships to major universities.
Di Fazio was the USA Nationals coach from 1999 to 2002, 2010, and 2015 to 2022. At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, he co-coached Sam Dorman to a silver medal.
Di Fazio’s diving resume includes appearances as a member of the Venezuelan Olympic Diving Team in the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, and the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, both of which he finished in the top 25.
Di Fazio was also a 32-time Venezuelan National Champion, a seven-time South American Champion, and a member of Venezuela’s Pan-American team in 1995. In 1994, he came in 16th place at the World Championships in Rome. He moved to the United States in 1989 to train and practice under the supervision of current UM head coach Randy Ableman before going on to compete at the collegiate level at Oakland University.
Di Fazio was a three-time NCAA Division II champion at Oakland from 1993 to 1995. He was named the NCAA Division II Diver of the Year in 1994 and a vital part of two national team championships. At one time, the two-time Venezuelan Olympian held every school, pool, and GLIAC record in both the one-meter and three-meter boards. In 1995, he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Management Information Systems from Oakland (Mich.), and in 1992, he received his Associate’s Degree in Computer Science from Miami-Dade Community College.
In 2021, Di Fazio was named the top 100 Greatest Men’s Swimmers & Divers of the past century. The selections were made as a part of the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) 100th year.
Di Fazio is married to Gigi Goebel and they have two children, Mia and Adrian.
