Becky Marquet has retired after eight years as Otago's head coach.
Marquet (25) has recently graduated from the University of Otago with a teaching degree and is seeking work outside Dunedin.
''That's the reason I'm leaving diving - because there are no jobs in Dunedin,'' she said.
Marquet has been involved with diving as a competitor and coach since the age of 8 and would like to maintain an interest.
She has been instrumental in lifting Otago's diving stocks.
''It's been a big job for me all by myself. Kids come and go but a few stay on.''
Marquet continued the legacy of the great Dick Lamb, who turned Otago divers into the best in the country.
Lamb was a stickler for the fundamentals. He demanded his divers master the basics, and was instrumental in getting an international-class diving pool at Moana Pool during upgrading early this century.
Lamb produced international divers such as his son, Gary, who competed at the 1984 Olympic Games, Kate Stevely, who competed at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, Anna Thomas and Simon Latimer.
After Lamb's death, diving waned in the city. When Marquet became head coach eight years ago, there were only three divers in Dunedin. There are now 25.
Marquet was given a thorough insight into diving when she was coached by Lamb.
''I learned the basics, like board work and how you position your body as you prepare for the dive,'' she said.
''People can tell my divers from others because they have got Dick Lamb's board work and basics printed in their style.
''The sport gave me so much when I was a competitor. I always wanted to give something back. I didn't want to see it go backwards.''
Marquet turned her mind to coaching after seriously injuring her left knee.
''I was doing a back somersault. I dislocated my knee, tore the ligaments and had a full knee reconstruction.''
Marquet won 12 national championship gold medals during her short competitive career.
The highlight was captaining the New Zealand team at the 2005 Pacific Schools Games in Sydney. She was aged 16 and competed in the under-19 age-group.
''I finished 10th out of 25 which was good in that tough competition,'' she said.
Her coaching record shows promise and she has had divers go to the Pacific Schools Games, and the Australian age group championships.
Her most successful divers were Nelson Mears and Genevieve Devereux, who competed in the Australian age-group championships.
Marquet developed a growing reputation and won the Dick Lamb award when she was named the New Zealand junior coach of the year.
She was one of two New Zealand coaches selected to attend the second Fina coaching conference in Mexico last November.
