Maurice "Stringy" ErvinMaurice “Stringy” Ervin has never strayed far from home. His father was the principal at Littleton High School, he was the quarterback who led the team to a state championship; he was the basketball player that guided the Lions to a state title in that sport.
And, then, he returned to teach and coach at the school. And what a coach he was – in swimming.
For a man who never learned to swim himself, Ervin could always be found at the pool coaching all levels of swimmer.
A coach for five decades, Ervin’s girls’ swimming teams won five state championships and his boys’ teams won another seven.
He has coached 40 individual state champions, along with posting a 533-117-7 dual meet record. He has also coached football and baseball. He continues to be an integral part of the Colorado High School Coaches Association’s leadership team.
He was a classroom teacher for LHS for over 30 years and is a meticulous record keeper.
He was named the 1998 National Swimming Coach of the Year. He is the recipient of The Denver Post’s Dave Sanders Award (2001), The NISCA National Special Service Award (1994), CHSCA Don DesCombes Distinguished Service Award (1992), ASCA National Certificate of Excellence (1991, 1992), NISCA National Outstanding Service Award (1990) and the CHSSCA Outstanding Contribution to Swimming Award (1985).
Many of his students and colleagues use words like mentor, integrity, selflessness, hard-working and caring to describe the longtime coach. Many of his colleagues point to him as the coach they model their programs – in any sport – after.
As a three-sport high school athlete at LHS, he led his teams to the 1959 state football championship as quarterback and to the 1990 state AA basketball title. Not bad for a guy who can’t swim.
