Clarion Athletics

David Hrovat, a 26-time NCAA D-II Coach of the Year, begins his 31st year as Clarion's Men's and Women's Diving coach in 2020-21.

Hrovat has been named NCAA Division II Women's Diving Coach of the Year 15 times (2019, 2018, 2014, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2005, 2004, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1995, 1993) and NCAA Division II Men's Diving Coach of the Year another 11 times (2015, 2014, 2011, 2010, 2003, 2002, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1992 and 1991). Hrovat's divers have won 48 NCAA titles and 294 All-American honors in 30 years.

His most prolific diver was Jamie Wolf, who won seven out of a possible eight NCAA Division II National Championships from 2004-2007. She also earned NCAA Top VIII Award and was a finalist for NCAA Woman of the Year.

In 2015 women's diver Kristin Day won the 1m Dive national title to become a three-time NCAA champ, won the NCAA Elite 89 Award, was Capital One NCAA D-II Academic All-America of the Year and was named the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year.  To date she is the only representative from a Pennsylvania university to win the award, and one of only a handful of Division II athletes to win the award.

Most recently, Christina Sather won back-to-back College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Women's Diver of the Year awards, taking the award in 2018-19 to close out a stellar career.  Sather finished with eight career All-American nods and two national championships, winning the 1m Dive in 2018 and the 3m Dive in 2019.  Emma Kehn earned All-American honors in those years as well.

On the men's side, Collin Vest was twice named the NCAA Men's Diver of the Year, earning the honor in both 2015 and 2016.  Vest won his fourth career national championship in 2017 with a first-place finish in the 1m Dive while also taking fourth in the 3m Dive.

In 2014 at Nationals Clarion swept all four diving national championship honors. In his 27 years at nationals, only three times has Clarion failed to bring home a national champion (1994, 2012, 2013).

Hrovat came to Clarion from Virginia Tech, where he was the head diving coach for two seasons (1988-90) as a G.A. In two years at Virginia Tech he qualified a female diver for the NCAA Div.I Nationals.

A native of Mentor, Ohio and Mentor High, Hrovat moved to Bridgeville, Pa. and attended Chartiers Valley High from his sophomore year on. In 1984, his senior season, Hrovat won WPIAL and PIAA Titles, plus was a high school All-America diver.

Hrovat attended Clemson, where he notched academic and athletic accomplishments. On the boards he was a four-year letterman, named Atlantic Coast Conference Diver of the Year in 1988 and was the ACC Champ on 1 and 3-meter boards. Also earning All-America status in 1987, he graduated from Clemson in 1988 with a B.S. Degree in Industrial Education and a 3.4 QPA in his major. He accepted the G.A. at Virginia Tech and worked towards a Masters in Industrial Technology before coming to Clarion in 1990.

Dave and wife Kim reside in Knox. Dave has a daughter Callen and a son Brandon, and grandchildren Harper and Hadley.