Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State Athletics Hall of Fame
Mattos, John
John Mattos
- Induction:
- 2005
- Class:
- 1971
Head Coach – Women’s Swimming and Diving (1980 to 2011)
Assistant Coach – Women’s Water Polo (2011 to 2013)
Men’s Swimming – (1968 to 1971)
Men’s Water Polo – (1968 to 1971)
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John Mattos cemented a legendary career at Colorado State University both as an athlete and as one of the school’s greatest coaches of all time over a 42-year career. A native of California, Mattos arrived at CSU as a junior college transfer and solidified himself on the men’s swimming team during the heyday of coach Art Solow’s greatest teams. Mattos won four All -American awards between 1968 and 1970 along with being a member of the 1969 and 1970 water polo teams which finished seventh in the nation. He graduated in 1971 and began a career in coaching.
In 1980, Mattos returned to his alma mater to guide women’s swimming and take it to new heights. Over the next 31 years, Mattos coached 24 individual conference champions, nine team conference champions in three different leagues (AIAW, HCAC, WAC) and was named the NCAA Division I Coach of the Year after guiding his team to a 12th -place finish in the national competition. His most well-known pupil was six-time Olympic gold medalist Amy Van Dyken, but he also coached 10 other All-Americans, including CSU Hall of Fame inductees Amy Brookover, Jeanette Beitz, Valerie Lang and Kristin Elliot. Mattos retired in June of 2011 with a record of 221-101, but returned to assist the women’s water polo team until it was discontinued in 2013. He remains an advisor to the CSU swimming program in his retirement.
Other accomplishments:
Assistant Coach – Women’s Water Polo (2011 to 2013)
Men’s Swimming – (1968 to 1971)
Men’s Water Polo – (1968 to 1971)
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John Mattos cemented a legendary career at Colorado State University both as an athlete and as one of the school’s greatest coaches of all time over a 42-year career. A native of California, Mattos arrived at CSU as a junior college transfer and solidified himself on the men’s swimming team during the heyday of coach Art Solow’s greatest teams. Mattos won four All -American awards between 1968 and 1970 along with being a member of the 1969 and 1970 water polo teams which finished seventh in the nation. He graduated in 1971 and began a career in coaching.
In 1980, Mattos returned to his alma mater to guide women’s swimming and take it to new heights. Over the next 31 years, Mattos coached 24 individual conference champions, nine team conference champions in three different leagues (AIAW, HCAC, WAC) and was named the NCAA Division I Coach of the Year after guiding his team to a 12th -place finish in the national competition. His most well-known pupil was six-time Olympic gold medalist Amy Van Dyken, but he also coached 10 other All-Americans, including CSU Hall of Fame inductees Amy Brookover, Jeanette Beitz, Valerie Lang and Kristin Elliot. Mattos retired in June of 2011 with a record of 221-101, but returned to assist the women’s water polo team until it was discontinued in 2013. He remains an advisor to the CSU swimming program in his retirement.
Other accomplishments:
- American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2019)
- Six-time conference coach of the year
- Guided 77 Individual conference titles
- 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award winner
to 9 Conference championships |
champions over 31 years at CSU |
American Swimming Coaches Hall of Fame in 2019 |
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