BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) and the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) mourn the passing of Mercyhurst University men’s and women’s head coach Curtis Robinette. Robinette passed away early Saturday, August 14, after a courageous battle with cancer.
“Curtis was not only a coach in the league – he was our friend, a peer and an inspiration to everyone he met due to his love for the sport and commitment to the development of his athletes,” said CWPA Director of Communications Ed Haas. “Either seeing him in person at a championship or speaking with him on the phone, his excitement for the Lakers’ program and the development of water polo was electric. The sport lost more than a coach today, it lost a man and father who cared about his athletes and his family, the development of the next generation of leaders in water polo and the rise of water polo throughout the National Collegiate Athletic Association.”
A 2002 graduate of Slippery Rock University, Robinette was a standout player. He was a four-year varsity award winner, captain for two seasons and was the recipient of the Dr. Richard Hunkler Water Polo Scholarship.
After four years of coaching swimming at both Slippery Rock and Toledo, Ohio, Robinette made his debut as a water polo coach for the second-year Lakers squad.
A native of Maumee, Ohio, Robinette was entering his 20th season as the head coach of both Lakers’ water polo teams and was responsible for all but three of the programs’ all-time wins, recording over 200 victories with both the men’s and women’s programs at Mercyhurst.
He leaves behind his wife Molly, their two sons, Owen and Finn, and their daughter, Poppy.
Funeral arrangements will be shared in the coming days.
