University of Tennessee Athletics
Photo by: Donald Page/Tennessee Athletics
Gymnastics Coach Joins Diving Staff
January 22, 2019 | Swimming & Diving
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Hall of fame gymnastics coach Phil Savage has joined the Tennessee diving program as a volunteer assistant coach, diving coach Dave Parrington announced.
"I'm incredibly excited to have nationally renowned gymnastics coach Phil Savage join our staff as a University of Tennessee diving volunteer coach," Parrington said. "Phil has achieved amazing success in the gymnastics world and brings enormous knowledge from a sport which is closely related to diving.
"Phil and I have been good friends since the mid-90s and have shared techniques and philosophies since then. He brings an energetic passion and positivity on deck daily which will help the divers enormously but also his eye for detail along with a slightly different view point will educate and enlighten them and myself in some areas which have already and will continue to benefit us."
Savage founded the Knoxville Gymnastics Training Center, now Premier Athletics, in 1982 and went on to lead the club to 34 consecutive state men's titles. He coached 15 junior national champions and six national team members.
He spent 13 years as a USA Gymnastics junior national team coach, the first and still only Tennessee-based coach to earn such a distinction.
Savage is a member of the Tennessee Gymnastics Hall of Fame (first member), Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame, Region 8 Gymnastics Hall of Fame and the Peachtree Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
In 2014, he was honored with the Frank Cumisky Award, USA Gymnastics highest coaching award.
Many divers come from gymnast backgrounds with a great deal of crossover skills between the two sports.
"It is truly exciting to be involved with the University of Tennessee swimming and diving program and to be able to give back, in some way, to such a historic athletic institution," Savage said. "Also, being able to coach alongside Dave Parrington, one of the most distinguished and most highly respected diving coaching in the United States, I'm both honored and humbled. I would like to think that because of my extensive gymnastics background, I can contribute to the men's and women's diving team from both a biomechanical angle and from a unique strength and conditioning perspective."
Savage is married to Lisa Savage, who was inducted into the Knoxville sports hall of fame last year. they have three children: Ben, Morgan and Austin. He graduated from Southern Illinois in 1980 with degrees in fine arts photography and French.
"I'm incredibly excited to have nationally renowned gymnastics coach Phil Savage join our staff as a University of Tennessee diving volunteer coach," Parrington said. "Phil has achieved amazing success in the gymnastics world and brings enormous knowledge from a sport which is closely related to diving.
"Phil and I have been good friends since the mid-90s and have shared techniques and philosophies since then. He brings an energetic passion and positivity on deck daily which will help the divers enormously but also his eye for detail along with a slightly different view point will educate and enlighten them and myself in some areas which have already and will continue to benefit us."
Savage founded the Knoxville Gymnastics Training Center, now Premier Athletics, in 1982 and went on to lead the club to 34 consecutive state men's titles. He coached 15 junior national champions and six national team members.
He spent 13 years as a USA Gymnastics junior national team coach, the first and still only Tennessee-based coach to earn such a distinction.
Savage is a member of the Tennessee Gymnastics Hall of Fame (first member), Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame, Region 8 Gymnastics Hall of Fame and the Peachtree Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
In 2014, he was honored with the Frank Cumisky Award, USA Gymnastics highest coaching award.
Many divers come from gymnast backgrounds with a great deal of crossover skills between the two sports.
"It is truly exciting to be involved with the University of Tennessee swimming and diving program and to be able to give back, in some way, to such a historic athletic institution," Savage said. "Also, being able to coach alongside Dave Parrington, one of the most distinguished and most highly respected diving coaching in the United States, I'm both honored and humbled. I would like to think that because of my extensive gymnastics background, I can contribute to the men's and women's diving team from both a biomechanical angle and from a unique strength and conditioning perspective."
Savage is married to Lisa Savage, who was inducted into the Knoxville sports hall of fame last year. they have three children: Ben, Morgan and Austin. He graduated from Southern Illinois in 1980 with degrees in fine arts photography and French.
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