MAURICIO DIAZ Volleyball Graduated: 1992 Inducted: 2024

Simply put, Mauricio Diaz is the Don Shula of high school volleyball coaches. He played outside hitter for the Eagles in 1992, the first year of high school boys volleyball in South Florida. He returned to Southwest as coach and led the boys team to the very first FHSAA championship in 2003. He won another state title in 2008 (the only Southwest coach in any sport to win more than one) and added two second place finishes in 2009 and 2010. He became girls coach in 2004 and reached the state tournament twice with the girls. Mauricio returned to Southwest for the 2022-23 school year and the Eagles won their 3rd state title. He was named Florida Volleyball Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2023 and was awarded the Walter Krietsch/Leo Suarez Courage award from the Miami Herald in 2016 for his recovery from Stage 2 brain cancer. Many of the area's top volleyball coaches are former players of his.