It wasn’t the allure of jambalaya or crawfish pie that swayed Eric Sehn to Baton Rouge; the 2012 Olympic diver simply wanted some sun.
Fed up with the cold weather in his native Canada, Sehn reached out to former rival coach and friend Doug Shaffer about returning to the steamy South he became so accustomed to while attending Texas A&M.
A few emails later, Sehn became the first diving graduate assistant in Shaffer’s tenure, bringing his wealth of Olympic expertise both on the boards and between the lanes.
“He’s embraced the whole picture, not just diving,” Shaffer said. “To have somebody at an Olympic caliber that fresh in the program that can readily disseminate that experience to those swimmers and divers that are aspiring to it, it’s huge.”
After narrowly missing the 2008 Olympic team and serving as an alternate, Sehn said he used those crushing results as the impetus to nab a spot on the 10-meter platform in London.
Overcoming the initial shock of realizing his dreams were accomplished, Sehn said the ensuing few months before the Games were a whirlwind.
“Things went by so fast,” Sehn said. “You’ve still got to train, you still have to go… but I was just trying to soak in all the moments.”
Falling ill before his event and eventually finishing 29th, Sehn savored the entire experience, most notably the grandiose opening ceremonies.
“All the people cheering, the place going nuts, the show itself, it’s just a truly amazing experience,” Sehn said. “It definitely lives up to the hype, that’s for sure.”
Now relishing his new role outside the pool, Sehn lauded Shaffer for introducing him to the administrative side of diving while giving him free rein to coach and teach his divers.
“I’m learning a lot from him. He’s got years of knowledge and experience for diving,” Sehn said. “That’s one of the reasons I wanted to come here over other schools.”
Familiar with Shaffer from recruiting visits and dual meets during Sehn’s collegiate career, Sehn said he enjoys getting to know Shaffer on a deeper level, more than just that of an opposing coach.
“That’s so valuable, with having a friend do it rather than somebody that doesn’t let me do much,” Sehn said.
Thankful for an extra set of hands and eyes during practices that sometimes involve 540 dives between the nine divers, Shaffer said Sehn allows the athletes to get twice as much critical, individualized attention in preparation for the Southeastern Conference slate.
“We’re an elite, SEC program that strives to be competitive at an elite top-10 NCAA program,” Shaffer said. “He comes from the pinnacle…level of experience and that brings a wealth of standards, respect and experience within the program.”
Pursuing a graduate degree in urban geography, Sehn said his ultimate goal is to become a university professor, but added if the right opportunity presented itself, he would consider a jump into the coaching ranks.
Also wanting to get a doctorate, Sehn said he’s open to staying at LSU for two more years as a graduate assistant, or wherever the road takes him.
