When you think CU Skiing, you think Richard Rokos. The Czechoslovakian born coach is in his 24th season as the head skiing coach at the University of Colorado.
“Being in one profession for so long it expands the boundaries of my responsibility,” said Rokos. “Year by year I’m picking up more and more assignments and sidetracks, which makes the whole thing very complex.”
Rokos first came to CU as an assistant in 1987 and was quickly moved up to head coach in 1990. But the story of his arrival is not that simple.
Sixty-four-year-old Rokos has always been connected with skiing. He skied internationally for the former Czechoslovakian team for 19 years.
“He’s very involved with the sport,” said alpine assistant coach Fletcher McDonald who previously skied under coach Rokos. McDonald is in his first year coaching at the University of Colorado.
McDonald said not much has changed from when he was an athlete. Rokos’ methods are “pretty much the same through and through. What he does works and it’s been proven with his success and our success as a team,” said McDonald. “He treats the athletes like family.”
Rokos tries to take a holistic approach to coaching.
“To be the best you have to fight for it on all levels,” said Rokos. “My philosophy is that I have to be a role model in lifestyle and having a passion for the sport.”
He rides his bike every day and even takes it on the trips that the ski team goes on. Rokos is also big on injury prevention and living a healthy lifestyle.
His coaching career began with the Czechoslovakian Junior National Team in 1977. In 1980, Rokos left the communist state and headed to Austria.
Rokos and his family spent a year in Austria where he coached various teams. He then defected from Czechoslovakia to the United States, and became a coach at the Grampian Mountain Ski School (Michigan), where he spent four years working with the U.S. Pro Ski Tour.
Shortly after, the Rokos family moved to Colorado and the rest is history. Literally.
Rokos might just need an extra room in his house for the trophies he’s accumulated. These accolades include seven NCAA Championships, 12 NCAA West Regional Championships with seven runner-up finishes and 182 All-Americans (114 of those are first team) with 34 Individual National Champions.
“I’m very proud of every opportunity and accomplishment that I have,” said Rokos.
He didn’t take his time getting awards, either. He won a team title in his first season as head coach.
Rokos’ achievements don’t stop at collegiate competition. He was the head alpine coach of the United States team at the World University Games seven times including 1995 in Spain, 1997 in Korea, 1999 in Poland, 2003 and 2007 in Italy, 2005 in Austria and 2011 in Turkey.
And in the 1997 Korean event, Rokos was the head coach of the entire U.S. Ski Team. His athletes have brought home four gold, four silver and several bronze medals.
“There’s definitely a lot of respect for him,” said McDonald. “For him to coach here and then to go coach in the world university games is huge for the school.”
Under Rokos, Colorado teams have won 61 of 141 meets they have skied in. It comes as no surprise that he is the longest tenured coach in CU skiing history.
Talking about his success, Rokos said humbly, “It’s a natural progression with being in the job for so long. Eventually you make it to that level.”
Deservedly, he has won the RMISA coach of the year seven times and the United States Collegiate Ski Coaches Association National Coach of the Year four times. He also earned the “Top of the Rocky Award” as our region’s top college coach (selected by writers and critics of the Rocky Mountain News) and was also selected as the Coach of the Year in the state of Colorado by the Sportswomen of Colorado Hall of Fame in 2006.
To top it all off, in 2013, he was selected for induction into the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame and has even met former President of the United States, George Bush.
A secret to all this success?
“Be honest all the time,” Rokos said. “That’s the only way you can be successful for a long time and have credibility.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Cannon Casey at cannon.casey@colorado.edu.
