A system for coupling light emitted from a plurality of laser diodes to a single optical fiber provides increased pump light brightness to the optical fiber to provide increased power fiber amplifiers. The system takes advantage of the brightness mismatch in the fast and slow planes of a laser diode to allow capture of more than one diode's power into a single multimode pump fiber. A first cylindrical lens is disposed to collimate light from the fast planes of the diodes. A second cylindrical lens is disposed orthogonal to the optical axis and perpendicular to the first cylindrical lens and images light from the diodes in the slow plane. A collection lens is provided to image the light from the slow plane as well as collect light from the fast plane and directs light from multiple diodes into a single multimode optical fiber.