John Mattos, hired 31 years ago by Fum McGraw to coach Colorado State’s swimming and diving program, announced his retirement today, effective June 30.
CSU’s longest-tenured coach will be taking the Rams relatively new water polo team to the Western Water Polo Association conference championships in Heyward, Calif. this weekend. The winner joins the eight-team NCAA field.
Mattos said his career’s defining moment came in 1994 when Amy Van Dyken won the NCAA 50-meter freestyle championship. The Rams finished 12th that year in Indianapolis and Mattos was named Division I coach of the year.
Van Dyken, who transferred to CSU from Arizona for her junior year, went on to win six career Olympic gold medals.
Mattos helped start the water polo program when it was added in 2005, but his time, and staff budget were spread too thin.
“I planned to retire after the 2012 Olympiad but I didn’t want to be telling kids when I recruited them that ‘I’m not going to be your coach,'” he said.
At age 62, he has no intention of growing bored in retirement. Among the first priorities? Heading west to get in some surfing “will I can still stand on a board.”
He will assist CSU athletic director Paul Kowalczyk with the search for a successor. His assistant, Mike Moody will take over the water polo responsibilities when he finishes his degree in the next six months.
“John is and will always be a Ram through and through,” Kowalczyk said in a statement. “He’s been an outstanding representative of CSU and we will dearly miss his passion, professionalism and talent.”
Natalie Meisler: 303 954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
