Rich Karban Position: Diving Coach Experience: Fifth Year

It is evident that Rich Karban, CSU head diving coach, is not only seen as one of the top coaches in the history of Cleveland State, but also the Horizon League. Karban has grasped the Horizon League Diving Coach of the Year honors for five consecutive seasons.

Since returning to CSU in 2003, the Vikings have swept the league Diver of the Meet honors in each of his five seasons. Dan Baiko took the top honor in both the one- and three-meter events in 2008; Chris Dalman won both the one- and three-meter titles in 2007 and the one-meter in 2006; Thatcher Carr won the three-meter in 2006, as well as both the one- and three-meter titles in 2005 and Chris Jones claimed the one-meter title and finished second in the three-meter in 2004. Karban also coached Dalman to an 18th place finish in the one-meter diving event and 20th place finish in the three-meter diving event at the 2007 NCAA Championships.

After an accomplished diving career at Cleveland State in the early 1980's, Karban was inducted into the CSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000. He was just the second diver and the fourth member of the swimming and diving team to be voted into the hall of fame.

Karban became the first CSU diver and only the second swimming and diving team member to win an Eastern Intercollegiate Championship, claiming the three-meter title in 1984. He helped the Vikings to the team title at the Penn-Ohio Championships during each of the four seasons, with his career culminating in 1984 after being named the team's most outstanding athlete and qualifying for zones.

Karban started his coaching career as CSU's assistant diving coach from 1984-86. He became the Vikings' head diving coach during the 1986-87 season before leaving to work with Olympic diving coach Ron O'Brien.

Karban went on to coach diving at Eastern Michigan from 1989-94, earning the Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year honor in 1992. He also coached his U.S. Diving Junior Olympic Club to a fifth-place finish at the national championships in 1990 while also coaching seven finalists and a national champion.

Karban and his wife, Betsy, were married in 1988.