Olympian Anton Down-Jenkins Joins North Carolina as Full-Time Diving Assistant
North Carolina diving alum Anton Down-Jenkins is joining the Tar Heels coaching staff after two seasons as a volunteer assistant.
Down-Jenkins was an eight-time All-American for the Tar Heels. Representing New Zealand, he finished eighth at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 in 3-meter springboard.
He retired in 2023 and joined the staff of UNC diving coach Yadiel Gamboa. He’s now a full part of that staff.
“We thrilled to have Anton join the program on a full-time basis,” swimming and diving head coach Mark Gangloff said in a university statement. “He’s done an excellent job over the past two seasons in his volunteer role and we expect that to continue moving forward. Anton brings great personality to the pool deck, and when you combine that with his experiences as a competitor, a Tar Heel, and now a coach, we think he’s the perfect fit for our diving program.”
Down-Jenkins has spent the last four years coaching at North Carolina Diving Club. He had six divers reach the USA Diving Junior National Championships in 2025, the most in a single year in club history. IT included four top-12 finishes.
The native of Wellington was the first male diver from New Zealand to qualify for the Olympics in 40 years. He dove at three World Championships, two Diving World Cup events and a leg of the Diving World Series.
Down-Jenkins was the most successful diver in program history. He won three ACC titles, was the ACC Men’s Diver of the Year in 2021 and 2022 and was named ACC Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2021-22.
“I’ve worked really hard after my competitive career to make an impact as a coach,” Down-Jenkins said. “I’m so grateful that I’ll be able to continue that journey alongside Coach Gamboa, and that I get to contribute to the legacy of the diving program that he has created. I love Chapel Hill and the program that Coach Gangloff has developed here, and I look forward to making a positive impact. This is a special place with special people and I’m excited for what’s to come.”
Down-Jenkins earned his bachelor’s degree in media and journalism in 2023. He added a master’s degree in exercise and sports science in 2025.
“I’ve known Anton for a long time and I’m excited to have him working alongside me with our diving program,” Gamboa said. “He’s very gifted at communicating with young athletes and works extremely hard to get the best out of them. He’s taken the same path as our current student-athletes, so he’s an excellent resource for them, both in and out of the pool. I believe Anton’s skill set will continue to be an asset for our program and I’m very happy that he’s joining us full time.”
