DAVIS, Calif. – It's been a journey in the world of collegiate diving for Laurel Abernethy, nothing short of a full-circle experience that seems to be coming around with Abernethy's return to Davis following her time away from the Aggie pool.
It's been a story of dedication, growth, and the power of coming back to a place that feels like home.
Abernethy's coaching journey took off in 2012 when she joined UC Davis as a volunteer assistant coach. In this role, she had the opportunity to work alongside Phil Tonne, who has served as the diving coach for the Aggies for 20 years.
"It feels great to welcome Laurel back to UC Davis! Having two coaches for our diving program gives our student-athletes twice the feedback and with her background as a head coach, Laurel has a unique understanding of what it takes to be successful in all aspects of collegiate athletics," said Head Coach Matt Macedo.
Tonne expressed his enthusiasm for Abernethy's return to the program, saying, "Laurel is a great addition to the program. She brings a long history of coaching at many levels. As I get nearer to retirement, having Laurel on board will ensure the longevity of the program."
For Abernethy, her early days at UC Davis instilled a sense of belonging and camaraderie that she has carried with her throughout her career.
After her time at UC Davis, Abernethy took on the role of head diving coach at Cal Poly in 2023.
While she cherished the experience of being in charge, she also learned valuable lessons about the challenges that non-revenue sports often face. And she learned the ultimate lesson when the unfortunate decision to cut Cal Poly's swimming and diving programs was made by the athletic department.
It was a painful moment for Abernethy—but one she learned from, rather than ran from.
"It was just awful," Abernethy said. "But it prepared me to fit into the greater picture of intercollegiate athletics and to be willing to compromise to help the whole athletic department function better."
Abernethy's new role as a full-time assistant back at UC Davis has her in a position to take the lessons she learned before and translate them into a meaningful impact on the program's growth and long-term success.
"I just like being involved in college swimming and diving," Abernethy said. "I have kids that swam as well as dove, so I understand the whole relationship between the two. And I just want to win, you know, and anything I can do to help that is great."
Beyond results, Abernethy hopes to leave a lasting impact on her student-athletes—and her return to UC Davis feels like a homecoming.
"It's just so comfortable at Davis," Abernethy said. "It took me a minute to decide if this was what I wanted to do or not, but as soon as we decided, everything just kind of fell into place."
Abernethy's journey has taken her to different places, but the sense of comfort and belonging she feels at UC Davis is unparalleled. The support from the athletes, coaching staff, and the entire department has made her transition back to campus a joyful and rewarding experience.
