Cal Poly Swimming and Diving Coaching Staff

Tom Milich
Head Coach (Sixth Season)
Long Beach State '78

Tom Milich begins his sixth season as head coach of the Cal Poly Swimming and Diving program.

In the 2009-10 campaign, Milich guided the Mustangs to third-place finishes in both the men's and women's divisions at the Big West Conference Championships, the highest conference finish ever for the program since moving to Division I in 1994.

In addition, one of his swimmers, Peter Kline, became Cal Poly's first qualifier for the NCAA Division I National Championships since the Mustangs elevated all of their sports to Division I in 1994.

Cal Poly competed in the Pacific-10 Conference for men and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation for women in the 2010-11 season.

The men's squad finished seventh and the highest finisher was Kline with a second-place finish in the 400 individual medley. For the second straight year, Kline qualified for the NCAA Division I National Championships in three events.

The women were third in their first season in the MPSF and Lacey Buck became Cal Poly's first MPSF champion with a victory in the 1,650 freestyle. Nine school records fell in the conference meet.

For the previous 16 years Milich served as the Aquatics Director for the Clovis Swim Club.  During that time, Milich coached five swimmers who have gone on to represent the United States in international competition while seven have competed at the NCAA Division I Championships. 

As the district’s aquatics manager Milich oversaw the Clovis Water Polo Club, Clovis Dive Club, Swim Clovis, Clovis Masters, and the scheduling and staffing of all seven of the district’s swimming facilities. 

From 1989-1992 Milich was the head water polo coach at Fresno State.  During that time he was an NCAA representative for United States Water Polo and served on the NCAA regional advisory committee.

In 1988, Milich was an assistant coach for the U.S. silver medal-winning  Olympic men’s water polo team and was a staff member for the ‘91 gold medal World Championship team and the silver medal-winning team at the Pan Am Games.

Prior to his collegiate and international coaching experiences, Milich coached at the high school level, where he developed 61 All-Americans, including Olympians Janet Evans, John Moffet and John Mykkanen.  During that time he was honored with the California Swimming Coach of the Year award.

Milich is a 12-time recipient of the American Swim Coaches Association Coach of Excellence award, including December 2010 when he coached Kline to a seventh-place finish in the 400 individual medley at the USA Swimming Short Course Nationals in Columbus, Ohio.

With an increasing budget and more scholarships, Milich has high hopes for the future.  “One of my highest priorities is to recruit for the future, which will enable us to compete more effectively in conference and at the NCAA Championships.”

His goal every season is "to help every  person on the team swim better this year then they ever have before.” 

Milich graduated from Long Beach State with a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1978 and went on to earn his teaching credential in 1980.  He played water polo for the 49ers.

He currently lives in Shell Beach with his wife and two daughters.

Phil Yoshida 

Assistant Coach (11th Season)

Phil Yoshida enters  his 11th season as assistant coach for the Mustangs. 

Yoshida was a standout swimmer for the Mustangs from 1999-2001 while earning his degree in biological sciences.  He specialized in the breaststroke and individual medley events. 

During the two years he swam for the Mustangs, Yoshida had top team finishes in the 200 breaststroke, 200 IM and 400 IM events.  He also placed in the top eight at the Big West Championships twice in the 200 breaststroke and 400 individual medley events. 

Yoshida earned Big West Player of the Week honors in the 2000-2001 season. 

Yoshida previously served as a coach for DeAnza Cupertino Aquatics from 1997-2000.  He also volunteers in the local community.

Since 2001, Yoshida has worked in the fruit science department at Cal Poly, managing the citrus/avocado/deciduous fruit orchards on campus.  He oversees 50 acres provided for research and development.