NCDC PROGRAM'S DIRECTOR

Yaidel Gamboa was named North Carolina's head diving coach in July 2019. An accomplished collegiate, international and club coach and 2017 Conference USA women's and CCSA men's diving coach of the year, Gamboa comes to Chapel Hill after working with head coach Mark Gangloff and associate head coach Jack Brown at the University of Missouri.

"I am extremely thankful to Mark Gangloff and UNC for giving me the opportunity to join the swimming and diving coaching staff," Gamboa says. "UNC has one of the best academic programs in the country and it's also known for its success and culture of excellence on the athletic side. I know Mark is a great person with great values and a unique competitive character that will bring this program to its best. This opportunity means the world to me and I am planning on using it to the best of my capabilities. I cannot wait to see what we can do together! Exciting times, Go Heels!"

During Gamboa’s first year at Carolina he coached sophomore Emily Grund and freshman Fabian Stepinski to qualify for the NCAA Championships in both springboard events.

The Tar Heel divers had five members on the ACC Academic Honor Roll, Grund and Stepinski earned All-America honors, Alex Hart was named to the All-ACC Academic team and had Andrew Owsiany recognized as a “Tar Heel Leader of Distinction”, the highest honor given by the Richard A. Baddour Carolina Leadership Academy. Additionally, Grund was name as part of the USA Diving Tier 3 Squad.

Gamboa coached a trio of NCAA Championships qualifiers at Missouri during the 2018-19 season. On the men's side, senior Kyle Goodwin earned honorable mention All-America honors with top-16 finishes in both springboard events at the NCAA Championships, while freshman Isaac Khamis competed in the platform diving event as the Tigers finished 11th in the team standings. Senior Payton Conrad qualified in the women's platform event. He also coached three Tigers to an All-SEC honors, including a podium finish by senior Kyle Goodwin. 

Gamboa also coached a diver to a 2018 USA Winter National title on the Women’s 3-meter springboard event and became a part of the USA coaching staff at the US Grand Prix at Mission Viejo, California, where he coached a diver to a bronze medal on the 3-meter Mix-Synchro event.

Gamboa coached one World Cup and two Junior World qualifiers as the assistant diving coach for City of Midland Aquatics in 2018 following a stint as the head diving coach at Florida Atlantic. He earned C-USA and Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) Diving Coach of the Year honors after guiding FAU's Victoria Moretti to a pair of C-USA tittles and a pair of NCAA Championships berths, and Ryan McIntire to two CCSA titles and Male Diver of the Year Award plaudits.

While in South Florida, Gamboa also served as an assistant coach for the Fort Lauderdale Diving Team. One of his divers claimed the 2016 USA Diving Winter National Championships synchronized men's platform title. Gamboa also guided eight divers to national titles at the 2016 YMCA National Diving Championships.

Gamboa also spent time with the Zulia diving team in Venezuela and the YMCA of Central Florida. In Venezuela, he coached one diver who qualified for the Junior World Championships and three that made the Venezuelan National Team.

An accomplished diver in his own right, Gamboa was a member of the Cuban National Team from 1993-2001 and won 10 national titles, all at the junior level. Gamboa then moved to coaching, where he coached in Cuba from 2003-07, guiding his divers to four national team titles.

Gamboa earned a bachelor's degree in physical education and athletic training from the University of Havana (Cuba) in 2005.