Hongping Li

Biography

Hongping Li, an NCAA champion and two-time Olympian who has been one of the most successful NCAA coaches for over two decades, enters his 27th season as USC's head diving coach. He was named to the position on July 1, 1999, and is currently USC’s longest running head coach. In September of 2019, Li was inducted into the World Acrobatic Society Hall of Fame which honors disciplines in gymnastics, diving, professional acrobatics, extreme sports, trampoline and tumbling. Li is a two-time NCAA Coach of the Year (2002, 2006), a 12-time Pac-12 Women’s (2001-02-03-05-06-09-10-11-12-13-14-21) and six-time Pac-12 Men’s (2009, 2016-17-18-20-23) Diving Coach of the Year. The winner of the 1998 and 1999 United States Olympic Committee’s “Diving Developmental Coach of the Year” award, he came to USC after serving as the head coach of the Mission Viejo (Calif.) Nadadores Diving Team since 1993. Li has had sustained and broad success since joining the USC staff. He has directed 20 men’s and women’s divers to a combined 61 CSCAA First Team All-America honors, eight NCAA titles and 44 conference titles. His USC divers have earned a combined 14 conference diver of the year honors and 10 conference newcomer of the year awards. The 2024-25 diving squad took Li to new heights as a record number of Trojans earned spots at the NCAA Championships (four men, one woman). First-year Trojan Moritz Wesemann won USC’s first Big Ten diving title (3-meter) and earned First Team All-Conference honors. Both W