UK diving coach a fighter to the end

Mike Lyden was never one to make a big splash, but the ripple effect of his presence will long be felt.

That's the general reaction of the diving community upon learning that Mr. Lyden, 51, died Friday after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Mr. Lyden coached divers at the University of Kentucky since 1993. In addition, he coached various local clubs, as well as American teams in international competitions.

Gary Connelly was the swimming coach who picked Lyden for UK. Connelly said he knew from the time he picked up Mr. Lyden at Blue Grass Airport that he had his coach.

"I could see he was real comfortable in his own skin," Connelly said. "Mike knew how good he was. ... He didn't have to tell me."

Which is to say Mr. Lyden was highly qualified, yet humble. He was passionate about his sport to the end.

Connelly said that Mr. Lyden had a good day Wednesday, talking with well-wishers for eight hours. When he had trouble sleeping that night, Mr. Lyden called some of his divers to offer some tips.

He was diagnosed with lung cancer about 21/2 years ago, with a prognosis of not living out the year. He fought fiercely, Connelly said, living up to his nickname of "Iron Mike."

"His fighting spirit as he battled cancer over the last couple of years embodied who Mike was as a competitor," Connelly said. "He loved competition and challenges, and never backed down when it became tough. I have made a lot of mistakes as a coach, but the best decision I ever made was hiring the best diving coach in the country in Mike Lyden."

Micki King, an Olympic gold medalist in diving, was an assistant athletics director at UK when Mr. Lyden was hired.

When she would congratulate him about a successful result, King recalled Friday, "he said, 'Mick, you're only as good as the kids you recruit. They're the ones that make me look good.' ... In the end, it was his work ethic that they adopted."

King said that Mr. Lyden was a coach on the cutting edge of the sport. He had a deck-side trampoline with spotting harness long before trampolines became a staple.

Before coming to UK, Mr. Lyden coached at LSU and Eastern Michigan.

Under his watch, 12 Cats earned 49 All-America honors.

In 2006, Taryn Ignacio of Richmond became UK's first NCAA champion diver, setting school and NCAA records on the 10-meter platform.

Having trained under Mr. Lyden while in high school, she attended Florida State for a year, then transferred to UK.

"Being with Mike before I went away to college, it was good for me to get away and see what it was like to be coached by someone else," Ignacio said. "I realized I wasn't going to be the diver (I could be) without Mike. I needed Mike to push me and make me a better diver."

On days when Mr. Lyden was too ill to attend practice this season, Ignacio filled in as coach. Ignacio said she will remember Mr. Lyden for "how much of a fighter he is."

"Mike was such a good mentor. ... When I wanted to quit, Mike would push me even harder and motivate me. Mike is why I was the diver and am the person that I am today."

When Mr. Lyden arrived at UK, he inherited an up-and-coming sophomore, Tina Johnson. Under his guidance, Johnson became UK's first diving All-American (platform, 1994).

Clayton Moss became the first Wildcat single-season three-time All-American (1-, 3-, 10-meter) in 2002 and 2003.

Moss said he remembers "just how proud he was. And how proud I was to see all his hard work pay off. ... He was one motivated son-of-a-gun, and he taught all his kids to be that way as well.

"He's one of the most inspirational people you would ever want to meet. The guy woke up every morning at 4 o'clock with juice and vinegar. ... His drive towards his sport was relentless. It was an honor to be a part of what he was all about."

In 2005, UK women scored an unprecedented three-board sweep of the Southeastern Conference Championships.

While at UK, Mr. Lyden was named 1996 NCAA Women's Diving Coach of the Year. He was SEC Diving Coach of the Year nine times, including three consecutive seasons starting in 2005.

Mr. Lyden spent nine seasons at Eastern Michigan. He was the Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year nine times. At LSU, Mr. Lyden was SEC Women's Coach of the Year four years in a row and was the 1992 SEC Men's Coach of the Year. The Tigers won 15 of a possible 24 SEC titles with Mr. Lyden.

Mr. Lyden is survived by his wife, Emily, and children Jessica, Jack and Brittany.

Funeral arrangements are pending. The UK Athletic Department is planning a memorial event.