Alik Sarkisian

HEAD DIVING COACH | FAA DIVING

"COACH ALIK"

Alik Sarkisian was named Head Diving coach for Florida Atlantic University ahead of the 2022-23 season, bringing with him a wealth of experience and a proven record of success. Prior to joining FAU, he spent three years as the head diving coach at UNLV.

The 2025-26 season was the second consecutive season Sarkisian coached an athlete to ASUN Male Most Outstanding Diver, with Rocco Simonelli earning the honors in 2026. The senior walked away with three medals from the championship meet, becoming a conference champion on the 3-meter dive. The men’s team made history, winning its first conference championship in program history. The Owls captured the ASUN Swimming & Diving conference championship in the final event of the meet after heading into the final day of competition in third place, 67 points behind the leader. FAU concluded the meet with 15 medals, nine gold. Trevor Kuhn was the second athlete to become a conference champion on the diving board, winning the platform dive. On the women's side, newcomer Augusta Ness qualified for the 1-meter "B" Final at the American Conference Championships, finishing 16th with a score of 243.00. Senior Grace Powell qualified for the 3-meter and 10-meter "B" Final at the championship meet, finishing 12th and 13th. In total, five Owl divers competed at the 2026 NCAA Zone B Diving Championships.

For the 2024-25 season, Sarkisian was tabbed as ASUN Men's Diving Coach of the Year after the Owls swept the podium in both the 1m and 3m diving competitions as Isac Faxius walked away with the honor of ASUN Male Most Outstanding Diver. Prior to the championships, the Owls had earned ASUN Diver of the Week weekly honors five different times under Sarkisian's coaching during the regular season. Overall, the Owls left the 2025 championship meet with six medals won across the diving events. On the women's side, Sophia Clack won the inaugural AAC Freshman Diver of the Week award and won it again later in the season. At the 2025 American Athletic Conference Championships, team diving competition saw the Owls walk away with a fifth-place finish.

Under Sarkisian's coaching in 2023-24, Alicia Mora became the first Owl in program history to qualify for the NCAA Championships in consecutive seasons, this time on both the 1-meter and 3-meter boards. She also earned a bronze medal on the 1-meter at the AAC Championships. On the men's side Brandon Shepherd continued his success in addition to freshman Trevor Kuhn, with the duo each totaling two ASUN Diver of the Week awards and splitting bronze medals, Kuhn on the 1-meter and Shepherd on the 3-meter.
 
In Sarkisian's first year with the Owls, he coached Alicia Mora to the 2023 NCAA Diving Championships in the 1-meter, the first Owl to do so since 2017. Competing in their first American Athletic Conference Championships, Mora earned the bronze medal on both the 1-meter and 3-meter dive. On the men's side, he coached Brandon Shepherd as the CCSA Diver of the Year, winning the gold medal on the 1-meter and 3-meter dive in the conference championships. Sarkisian also was named the CCSA Diving Coach of the Year for 2022-2023 season.

Before his time at UNLV, Sarkisian served 13 seasons (2006–2019) as the head diving coach at Northwestern University in Chicago. Under his leadership, Northwestern divers achieved remarkable success, earning gold, silver, and bronze medals in the Big Ten 1-meter, 3-meter, and platform events.

He also coached the NCAA Division I 10-meter platform champion in both 2017 and 2018.

In recognition of his accomplishments, Sarkisian was named Big Ten Coach of the Year and CSCAA Coach of the Year in 2018.

Jake Larkin

AGE GROUP COACH | Diving

ADMIN:

• Diving Memberships
• Diving Requests & Biling Issues
• Diving Meet Info

FAADiving@gmail.com

"COACH JAKE"

Jake Larkin comes from Edgewood, Kentucky and is majoring in Finance.

Career Accolades: 

• 2025 ASUN Championships silver medalist in the 3-meter dive
• 2025 ASUN Championships bronze medalist in the 1-meter dive

Sophomore (2025-26)

• Did not participate during the 2025-26 season.

Freshman (2024-25)

• Opened FAU career with scores of 245.15 (1-meter) and 272.70 (3-meter) at the TYR Fall Classic
• Strong performance at the midseason Patriot Invitational finishing second in the 1-meter (303.80) and fifth in the 3-meter (291.95)
• Earned two medals at ASUN championships earning silver in the 3-meter (6 dives) (297.40) and bronze in the 1-meter (6 dives)(269.05)
• Competed at the 2025 NCAA Diving Zone B Championships

High School

• Dove for Covington Catholic High School under Head Coach Katie McGonigal
• Was named Cincinnati Enquire Diver of the Year
• Covington Catholic Most Valuable Diver for four consecutive years from 2021-2024
• Named NISCA All-American
• Set school record and KHSAA Regional record

Personal

• Born on February 27, 2006, raised in Edgewood, Kentucky
• Son of Kristi and Kevin Larkin
• Majoring in Finance
• Hobbies include golfing, fishing, and biking
• Goal is to win a conference championship