Nebraska Coach Inspires Popular Gold Medalist Lochte

Video: Huskers’ Morales Inspires Lochte

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If you’re like the rest of America and mesmerized every time that USA teammates Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochteinspire each other, you, too, might have been shaking your head Wednesday night. As a timely tribute, NBC showed a short video featuring Lochte’s high praise for his favorite personal role model – Pablo Morales, in his 15th season as the Nebraska women's head swimming and diving coach.

A 1987 graduate of Stanford, Morales is one of the greatest male swimmers in U.S. history, winning an NCAA-record 11 individual titles before going on to win three gold and two silver medals in the 1984 and 1992 Olympics.

Returning to the pool after a three-year layoff to capture a 1992 gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly, Morales was named the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Sportsman of the Year. Because of that Olympic moment 24 years ago, Morales earned Lochte’s respect, and you can hear it in Lochte's voice on this video. Morales told me he was surprised and humbled by the accolades.

Remembering Pablo's Sportsmanship, Lochte Said: ‘I Want to Be Just Like Him’

Wednesday’s national unveiling of that video showed Morales’ magical comeback moment. “One of my favorite swimmers to this day is Pablo Morales,” Lochte said. “He won the 100 butterfly in the 1992 Olympic Games, and I still remember his sportsmanship and congratulating all of the other swimmers. That right there was just amazing and I thought I want to be just like him.”

Nebraska Senior Associate Athletic Director Keith Zimmer saw the video live and sent Morales his congratulations. The administrator who oversees Nebraska’s swimming and diving program, Zimmer was moved by NBC showcasing sportsmanship and championing role models.

“Watching that video tribute on national television made me feel proud that Pablo’s our head swimming and diving coach,” Zimmer said. “It was exciting to hear how another very popular Olympic gold medalist referred to Pablo.”

Praising Sam Foltz's Wisdom: You Never Know When People Are Watching You

Zimmer believes Lochte underscores the emphasis Nebraska places on student-athlete leadership. “It’s actually something that the late Sam Foltz was quoted as saying: ‘You never really know when people are watching you,’” Zimmer said.

“Ryan Lochte looked up to Pablo Morales, who inspired him to be on that trajectory to be an Olympic champion,” Zimmer said. “It’s an incredible responsibility to be an Olympic Gold Medalist just like it’s an incredible opportunity to be a Nebraska student-athlete. People are always looking up to those individuals, and you always have to carry yourself with class, with pride and with integrity.

“One of the reasons why Ryan looked up to Pablo so much was his sportsmanship,” Zimmer said. “To me, that’s Nebraska and really one of the things that caught my attention. Ryan not only indicated that he looked up to Pablo as a great Olympic champion, but also handled himself the right way. That’s something we should all take pride in.

“We’re proud to have a coach like Pablo,” Zimmer said. “We want our women athletes to be great in the pool and outside the pool. Our swimming and diving program speaks for itself. Last year, they won the team GPA Award for Academics and the year before that they won the team Life Skills Award. They’ve been at the highest level outside the pool, and they’re working hard every morning and every afternoon to get better inside the pool. With a guy like Pablo at the helm, they’re making strides. He’s first-class, a sharp guy and a Stanford grad that we embrace having at Nebraska.”

Compliance Head Vaughn: Pablo Still Humble, Kind, Patient and Intelligent

Nebraska Senior Associate A.D./Compliance Jamie Vaughn agrees with Zimmer. “NBC’s video was short, but it very quickly sums up what Pablo still is 20-plus years later – humble, kind, very patient and very intelligent,” Vaughn said. “He often times comes into our office. He doesn’t challenge us in a negative way, but you can see he’s thinking deeper than a lot of people are when it comes to basic rules.”

In the past, Morales has offered to help Vaughn’s compliance department with NCAA interpretations, mostly because “he has that legal mindset and that analytical skillset from the law degree he earned at Cornell,” Vaughn said. “That video was a testament not only of how great a swimmer Pablo was, but how great a person he is. Twenty-some years later, we’re all walking around the department feeling the same way that Ryan Lochte felt about Pablo in the early ‘90s. That’s pretty cool.”

Those who attend Nebraska’s season-ending swimming and diving awards ceremony leave impressed. “It’s the longest one you’ll ever see, but it’s so obvious that they’re not just a team; they’re a family,” Vaughn said. “They care about each other, and every senior gets to say whatever she wants. It’s so emotional and so exciting. You can see how close they all are, whether their accomplishments are in the pool, in the classroom or reaching out into the community. They’re student-athletes for sure. You walk into our facilities in the morning, and their hair’s already wet because they’ve been in the pool working out. They were training while so many of us were still snoring in our beds.”

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