Episode 83 - Brian Diemer
On April 28th, 2022, Brian Diemer announced his retirement from coaching at Calvin College after 36 years. What does a D3 coach do before going off into the sunset? An interview on D3 Glory Days!
After 34 straight MIAA cross country titles, Coach Diemer has left his legacy not only Calvin College but across D3 as a whole. What started as a two year stint to help the current coach at the time write a book, turned into a prosperous 36 year career.
Photo Credit: Calvin Athletics
Before getting to Calvin, Diemer was coming off the best year of his own running career. Diemer won a Bronze medal at the 1984 Olympics in LA, had a Nike contract, and just ran a lifetime best of 8:16. His career has taken him across the world to compete at the highest stage and made two Olympic teams as the head coach at Calvin.
From this conversation, you would have never guessed Diemer’s team won four national titles and had four runner-up performances along with other podium finishes. We can list out all the accolades but the theme from Coach Diemer was how much he enjoyed working with his student-athletes, regardless of his finishes. He said the biggest thing he’ll miss most from coaching are the daily interactions he’ll have with his team.
Michigan Listeners! Sign up for Diemer’s Family of Races here.
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Quotes
On What He Enjoys about D3 Athletes
I started recognizing how good some of these division 3 kids were. They didn’t have the same kind of opportunities and they certainly didn’t get the athletic scholarships but they sure had the heart. And I loved working with that heart and passion.