FORT COLLINS, Colo.— A Celebration of Life is planned for Friday, Sept. 4, for former Colorado State swimming and diving coach Morry Arbini. The service will begin at 11 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Loveland, Colo. Arbini coached in both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs at Colorado State over a three-decade period beginning in the early 1970s. He passed away Aug. 17 after a long bout with Alzheimer’s disease.
Arbini served two stints as a coach at CSU. He served first as head coach of the Rams’ men’s swimming and diving team from 1972-74, guiding current Texas A&M diving coach Jay Lerew to a national championship in the 1-meter board in 1974.
More than a decade later Arbini rejoined the Colorado State athletics family. In 1986 he began a 19-year stint at the helm of the women’s diving program, serving alongside head coach John Mattos. Two of Arbini’s divers still hold program records: Ann Grob in the 1-meter (11 attempts) in 1989 and Lindsey Baggs in the 3-meter (11 attempts) in 1996.
“Morry was just an incredible person,” said Mattos, who was a teammate of Arbini at Fullerton (Calif.) Junior College in the late 1960s. “So kind, so giving and caring and blessed with that special coaching spirit that touched the lives, so memorably, of everyone he came in contact with.”
Arbini also received a master’s degree from CSU in physical education. He taught physical education locally at Rocky Mountain High School for more than 20 years, and worked as the school’s assistant football coach and head gymnastics coach in addition to leading both the girls’ and boys’ swimming and diving squads.
A Facebook page has been created to remember Arbini and share information about the Celebration of Life on Sept. 4. His widow, Sue, has requested that all attendees wear a CSU diving shirt or other apparel while in attendance.
“It is really hard to wrap your mind around the impact Morry had on the sport of diving,” said Luke Richmond, who was coached by Arbini, and for whom he served two seasons as volunteer assistant coach at CSU. “On the surface, perhaps it looks like many other club and college diving coaches, but when you look closer, you would discover that his impact is truly spectacular and far-reaching. Morry has coached some of the most prolific names in the sport of diving, including, Dr. Jeff Huber, Jay Lerew, and Kimiko Soldati in addition to the countless numbers of other athletes who went on to coach at the collegiate, club, high school and introductory program levels of diving. His sense of humor, warm nature and ability to inspire and motivate continues to be spread throughout the world of diving.”
Swimming news courtesy of Colorado State Swimming & Diving.
What a great guy and great coach. He always made us feel welcome when we brought the Nebraska swimmers and divers to CSU