There was no medal — just a golden experience.

Nunzio Esposto, a 1987 Butler graduate and an 11-time junior nationals diving finalist, participated in his first Olympic Games this summer — as a coach.

Esposto coached one of his collegiate divers — medical student Abby Johnston of Duke — this past weekend in Rio de Janeiro. He has been the diving coach at Duke University since 2013.

“Each coach who had an athlete make the Olympics got to come along and coach his own diver,” Esposto said. “I got to coach Abby throughout the competition and it was a thrill.

Johnston reached the finals of the women’s 3-meter springboard event Sunday and finished 12th. She had to get through the preliminary and semifinal rounds just to reach the finals.

Her score was a 302.85, and Johnston was the highest-placing American in the event.

“Getting to an Olympic final is a major achievement itself,” Esposto said. “That’s a memory that will last a lifetime.”

Johnston has medaled in the Games before. She brought home a silver medal from London in the women’s synchronized 3-meter springboard in 2012.

Esposto also coached Nick McCrory, a 2012 diving bronze medalist.

“I didn’t coach him at the Olympics. I had him leading up to that,” he said.

Esposto has drawn plenty of support from his family back in Butler during his Olympic experience.

After graduating from Butler, Esposto went on to dive for the University of North Carolina and became coach there in 1998. He was inducted into the Butler Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.