CBU Athletics

Determined not to let an injury end his time at California Baptist University, Jeff Couto – a four-time All-American for the Lancers – began his coaching career as the program’s interim diving coach as a senior in the 2007-08 season. The interim tag was removed, as he stepped into the position for good in 2008-09. In 2015-16 Jeff accepted the position as the Head Diving Coach at CBU. 

Couto's run of success continued during the 2021-22 season, a season that saw his divers combine for 27 event wins and 34 top-3 finishes throughout the season. CBU capped the season with a phenomenal run at the WAC Championships in Houston where Evan Honer and Paula De Moya Alvarez each won a pair of WAC titles and claimed their respective Diver of the Year Awards. On their way to thier titles, Honer broke his own program and WAC scoring record in the platform event, posting a score of 392.85, while Alvarez also set a new program mark on platform with her winning score of 273.65. The Lancer women showed so well that Couto was honored with the WAC Women's Diving Coach of the Year award.

Leading his divers through a challenging COVID-19 season in 2020-21 paid off in the end when the Lancer diving team earned eight spots in the finals, collecting four podium spots in the process. Kiree Lowe led the women's side, making it to the finals of the 3-meter and platform events, taking second in the platform with a score of 212.80.

Evan Honer would make the finals in all three diving events and win them all, becoming the first male diver to sweep the championship dives in the same season. He finished the meet by breaking the CBU record and the WAC Championship record on the platform, recording a score of 358.50. Honer's performance earned him 2020-21 Male Diver of the Year honors, while coach Couto received the Male Diving Coach of the Year award.

Couto has had great success with his athletes over his coaching career at CBU. He has had the privilege to coach multiple NAIA National Champions and be apart of their success in and out of the pool.

Eight of Couto's divers have earned All-American honors at the NCAA level, with that group totaling 28 awards. Zach Parry provided CBU's greatest finish on the board with a runner-up mark on the 3-meter board in 2017. 

Couto was named a Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference Diving Coach of the Year four times: with the men in 2008 and 2009 and with the women in 2009 and 2012. In the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference era (2014-18), Couto's Lancers swept nine of 10 first-place finishes on the women's side. Breanne Schlenger, Lauren Skinner and Emily Dunkerson all contributed to the dominant run.  

Two of these national champions; Lindsey Cline and Trevor Graifman have gone on to pursue a career in the medical field and are thriving in their field of expertise. As the program has transitioned to NCAA Division II, Couto has taken athletes to the NCAA National Championships every year and has had multiple athletes receive All-American recognition. 

Couto's diving career came to an end after season-ending knee surgery before the 2007-08 season, after taking third place in both the 2007 and 2006 NAIA Championships on the three-meter and one-meter boards. During his 2005-2006/ 2006-2007 season, Couto helped CBU win multiple NAIA national titles. 

In 2005, he achieved All-American honorable mention by finishing fourth on the one-meter and three-meter springboards at the NAIA Championships. 

Couto graduated from CBU in May 2008 with a degree in Christian studies and a minor in Kinesiology. He finished his master’s in counseling psychology in 2011. 

He graduated from Clovis (Calif.) High in 2004 where he played varsity water polo for three years and made the varsity swim and dive time all four seasons. He had an All-American consideration finish to the 2003-04 season and swept the league diving championship from 2001 to 2004.

Jeff and his wife Kara currently live in Riverside, and are deeply devoted to their church, the Grove Community Church. In the spring of 2016, the Coutos adopted their oldest son, Isaiah. Landon was born in April of 2017, followed by Owen in Sep of 2019.