Fox leaves Moss Farms to become diving coach at Auburn
Jun. 16—MOULTRIE — Calling it a bittersweet decision, John Fox is leaving Moss Farms Diving to become the head diving coach at Auburn.
Fox went to Moss Farms in 2015 and became the program's head coach and CFO in 2017. He has led the program to a number of notable accomplishments, including helping Carson Tyler earn a spot in the 2021 Olympic Team Trials and winning the NCAA platform championship last spring.
Fox has already begun his duties at Auburn, where he is replacing Jeff Shaffer, who announced his retirement in April after 24 seasons on the Plains.
Assistant coach Tom Gimm is leading Moss Farms in the USA Diving Zone B Championships being held June 15-18 in Orlando.
"It is hard for me to put into words what Moss Farms Diving means to me," Fox said. "Auburn never would have considered me if I hadn't been in Moultrie.
"Moultrie is big part of who I am and who my family is."
Fox said when he first came to Moultrie, he had hoped his tenure would lead to a college coaching opportunity.
"But after developing the program the way I did, I thought that this was where I would stay," he said. "But things come at you in ways you don't anticipate.
"I've learned that you're not in control of a lot of things. It's God will that we go and we're excited. But it is very bittersweet. Moss Farms and Moultrie will always be special to me."
In 2022, Fox led Moss Farms to four USA Diving Junior National gold medals and two Diving Tigers were named to the Junior High Performance squad.
In 2021, he had two Junior Olympic champions and led the Moss Farms boys to the Junior Nationals team championship.
Also that year, Tyler and Moss Farms teammate ElliReese Niday combined to win six international medals.
Fox was named the 2021 USA Diving Developmental Coach of the Year, was the Moose Moss Diving Coach of the Year in 2017 and coached at the Junior Pan Am Games in 2021 and the Junior Pan Am Championships in 2019 and 2021.
He has helped more than 20 divers to compete at the college level, has led divers to seven GHSA state championships and has guided Moss Farms to two straight YMCA Nationals team championships.
Fox also has been the vice chairman of the USA Diving Coach Advisory Council since 2020.
The Denver, Colo., native dived at the University of Kentucky. After graduation, Fox earned a master's degree in sports business management and a master's in business administration from the University of Central Florida's DeVos Sports Business Management program.
When Fox, wife Tiffany and children Charlee Rae and Liam get to Auburn, they will see at least one familiar face.
Former Moss Farms diver Hunter Kebler will be a senior this season on the Auburn swimming and diving team.
