Star coach cared more for athletes than accolades
In his storied diving career, Ron O’Brien ’59, ’61 MA, ’67 PhD helped athletes win more than 300 medals, including four for Greg Louganis.
Ron O’Brien ’59, ’61 MA, ’67 PhD is considered the world’s greatest diving coach. His knowledge of the sport was encyclopedic and his techniques were innovative, but athletes he coached say what made him special was the lifelong impact he made on them. “He could motivate you to accomplish more than you ever thought you could,” says Steve Skilken ’72. “He treated everyone with respect and kindness, and he made everyone feel like they were the most important diver on the team.”
O’Brien, 86, died on Nov. 19. The list of his accomplishments as a Buckeye athlete and Ohio State and Olympic coach are lengthy. At Ohio State, the Pittsburgh native earned six varsity letters in gymnastics and diving. He was the NCAA champion in the 1-meter board in 1959 and finished third in the 1960 U.S. Olympic trials, narrowly missing a chance to compete in Rome. “That lit a fire in me to become the best diving coach I could be,” he said in 2019.
O’Brien coached the Buckeyes from 1964 to 1978. His divers won five NCAA 1-meter titles and three 3-meter titles. O’Brien was the United States diving coach from 1968 to 1996. His athletes won more than 300 medals at international meets and 12 Olympic medals, including four golds by Greg Louganis.
Roger Blocher ’75, ’78 JD, a retired IT executive, blossomed under O’Brien’s tutelage; Blocher was an All-American in the 1-meter his senior year. “Outside of my parents, he was the most significant teacher in my life and not just for diving, but in terms of confidence and the commitment to be there for the important people in your life,” he says. “We kept in touch, and every time I saw him, I made absolutely sure he knew the influence he had on my life went well beyond diving.”
Skilken was a three-time All-American in the 1-meter and 3-meter. When he arrived at Ohio State, he had never dived off the 32-foot tower and was scared. “He never threatened me or shamed me into it,” says the president of a Columbus real estate development company. “He built self-confidence in me, and that’s the greatest gift you can give anyone, self-confidence and the ability to overcome your fears. I’ve used what he taught me my entire life.”
Skilken honored his coach with a contribution to Ohio State that led to the naming of the Ron O’Brien Diving Well at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. O’Brien was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984. He is also a member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and International Swimming Hall of Fame.
