Bryan Robbins “Robo” 2012 TSDHOF Inductee passed away peacefully at his home in Dallas on at the age of 78 following a prolonged illness. He was surrounded by his wife of 50 years, Laura Robbins, and their four children, Melissa, Andrew, Matthew, and Jennifer, and family, including grandchildren ranging from 7 to 24 years old.
Bryan was born in Corpus Christi on June 14, 1946, and died on November 2, 2024. Bryan’s older brother Garry passed away in Washington, DC just a few hours later, where they joined their parents in the Mustang blue skies, and stars so bright, deep in the heart of Texas.
Bryan was a Texas state and Southwest Conference Champion, NCAA all-American and head diving coach at SMU during the decades of the Beatles & Vietnam War, followed by the post-war ‘70s. His athletes captured multiple U.S. national and Southwest Conference championships, winning several High Point awards at the U.S. Diving nationals and upsetting the diving dynasties of old; Dallas became the place to be to train for the 1976 Olympics. Robbins was the 1975 World Championships coach, 1975 Pan American Games coach and a two-time U.S. Olympic diving coach in 1976 and 1980. Robo was also instrumental in opening the doors for women divers into NCAA collegiate sports, ushering the way for the first women’s team in the state of Texas under Title IX in 1975. He was inducted into the Texas Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame in 2012 and the SMU Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. As professor of physical education at SMU for more than 40 years, Bryan was also a master teacher of martial arts, yoga, and racket sports, with black belts in Tae Kwon Do and Aikido.
Hall Of Fame Diver And Coach Bryan Robbins Passes Away - SMU Athletics