Reprinted
with permission by world famous swim historian, Cecil Colwin.
Many thanks, Mr. Colwin.
Coach George Haines,
Swim Maestro: A Remembrance -- May 1, 2006
By Cecil Colwin
SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 1. THE World of Swimming is mourning
Coach George Frederick Haines, foremost producer of Olympic
champions in the history of competitive swimming.
George Haines passed away in his sleep early on the morning
of May 1, 2006, in Carmichael, California, four years after
suffering the aftermath of a severe stroke.
Between 1960 to l988, George Haines, coaching maestro of
California's mighty Santa Clara Swim Team, produced a total
of 53 Olympic swimmers who won 44 gold medals, 14 silver
and 10 bronze medals. Enshrined with Haines in the International
Swimming Hall of Fame are fifteen Santa Clara Club swimmers,
more than from any other club.
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George Haines was three times Head Coach of the United States
Olympic swimming team, and served on the support staff of four
other Olympic squads. He was Head Coach of the United States team
to the World Championships in West Berlin,1978, a team considered
the most successful in United States Swimming history in terms
of medals won.
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Obituary
George Frederick Haines
Competitor, Educator, Coach, Patriot
March 9, 1924--May 1, 2006
A Modest, Self-Effacing and Beloved
Mentor
George Haines was one of history's
great swimming coaches, and one of the most charismatic, inspiring
and beloved mentors to tread a pool deck. His chief attributes
were a vast knowledge of the sport, a shrewd strategic sense,
and an ability to motivate and produce both male and female champions.
The handsome George Haines will always be remembered as a striking
and genial man of unusual presence and ability, the type of person
who stood out in any group, and above all, as a coach who cared.
A man of high principles and strong moral fibre, Haines liked
people, and people liked him too. It was not surprising that he
attracted swimmers from every point of the compass. Not only did
he draw them in, but he made many of them great.
Among his colleagues Haines was a popular, entertaining and beguiling
raconteur with a wonderful sense of humor. To hear him talk about
"impact people" was something to remember. Not for him
were self-aggrandizement, pontificating, or the customary technical
buzz-words. Without drawing attention to himself, George Haines
spoke with the natural quiet authority of a great intuitive coach
who had done it all.
Haines' stories, told in the flat, flinty tones of his native
mid-West, were tinged with wry humor and a sharp eye for human
foibles. Haines talked about other great coaches, great swimmers,
their achievements, and the lessons he learned from them, yet
he never personally sought the limelight, remaining modest and
self-effacing about his own swimmers' successes, always giving
his teams full credit for their achievements.
Throughout a 50-year career, Haines took the pressures of top-level
coaching in his stride, remaining relaxed, outgoing, good-natured,
and free of hang-ups. While Haines kept firm discipline in his
teams, he never lost his sense of humor.
His swimmers too were relaxed and confident, just like their charismatic
coach. The team T-shirt sported one of the cleverest slogans ever
seen at a swimming meet. It said a lot in two words: "By
George!" It also meant "best in the world."
It was commonplace to see a Santa Clara swimmer step to the starting
block, look over at George, and give a wink. George would smile
and wink back. Then the race would start, and yet another "By
George" product was on the way to a championship medal, or
perhaps another world record.
Haines Founded a Dynasty
George Haines was born to coach. His career took off in December,
1950, when he founded the Santa Clara Swim Club, a team destined
to achieve a spectacular record, winning 44 US Senior National
tiltles.
The Santa Clara Swim Club first competed in meets in the summer
of 1951. The team started with only 13 swimmers, but ended the
summer season with 54 age group swimmers.
Santa Clara's first major title came when winning the 1957 Women's
Short Course National Championships at Hollywood High School.
Thus was born the George Haines Dynasty, and from here the young
coaching maestro took his club to a plethora of national titles.
Within the next three years, the Santa Clara Swim Club had impacted
the world scene with such stars as Chris von Saltza, Lynne Burke,
Anne Warner, Steve Clark, Donna de Varona, George Harrison and
Paul Hait, all of whom made the 1960 Olympic Team to the Rome
Olympics.
The addition of Don Schollander and Mark Spitz during the 1960's
further strengthened the men's team while Claudia Kolb headed
the powerful girls' team. Pokey Watson, a fast improving Donna
de Varona, Sharon Finneran, and Terri Stickles and many others
gave Santa Clara great depth. Never before was such an array of
great stars assembled in one club.
What Makes George Tick?
In 1966, at a national championship meet in Lincoln, Nebraska,
I quizzed Don Schollander, former Olympic champion, and one of
Haines' greatest proteges, on the subject of his coach's psychological
approach. His response was: "George Haines, in my opinion,
is the best all-round coach, at least in the United States. George
does somerthing that all the other coaches don't do nearly as
well--that is a sort of father-companion to his swimmers. He knows
each swimmer so well - it's almost a natural thing - that he can
work with them individually as well as in his large team as a
whole. This knowing each individual so well is, I think, Haines'
forte in being able to work with them."
At the same meet, I asked Donna de Varona, another of Haines'
Olympic champions, 'What makes George tick?". She replied:
"Despite his large squad he knew how to handle the individual
swimmer. His training sessions were fun and we never did the same
workout twice. He knew when to make us swim hard and when to swim
easily."
It was during these "easy" swimming periods that Haines
would perform his spontaneous pool-side high-jinks, such as an
accomplished soft shoe shuffle, or his favorite trick of chair-flipping,
in which he tossed a chair into space on the tip of his toe, then
caught it again on his foot and lowered it back to the floor.
On other occasions he suddenly demonstrated his own athletic ability
by hurdling over a line of small deck chairs. His workouts were
always fun, whether he was challenging or entertaining the team.
The Santa Clara Swim Club
With over 240 swimmers on the roster, ranging from 5-6 years old
through to a senior group with the oldest swimmers about 22-23
years old, George Haines was one of the pioneers of the large
super-club. Together with two assistant coaches, Haines would
take teams of about 40 swimmers to national championships. Haines
always acknowledged the work of the club's active Parents' Association,
saying they did "a fantastic job" over the years in
raising money in support of team travel and the club's general
operation.
Organizational Gifts
Haines was highly skilled in organizing practices, training 55-60
swimmers in the 50 meters Santa Clara pool, using circle formation
training to make best use of space. His swimmers trained using
mostly 50's, 100's, 200's, and 400's repeat swims over even distances,
so that the swimmers could start from opposite ends of the pool,
using the newly-developed circle training method. Huge training
clocks were placed at both ends of the pool enabling his swimmers
to time everything they did, and even to time the total workout.
In this way Haines ensured that his swimmers knew exactly what
they were doing, whether they were swimming, kicking or pulling.
Quality Training Produced Quality Swimmers
While George Haines believed in providing a strong background
of early season endurance training, he was one of the first coaches
to concentrate on training swimmers for the pace of the race.
Most of his training was done with quality-type swimming where
he gave the swimmers a slightly longer rest, and asked for better
times, saying that "we train most of the time in a slight
state of fatique because if you don't, you are never going to
build up a resistance to fatique and oxygen debt." Haines
said that, two or three weeks before the nationals, swimmers should
do "a lot more fast swims starting from a dive, at or near
the pace they were aiming for in the championship."
Early Influences
During his successful career, George Haines witnessed over 50
years of modern swimming history, and was often an important part
of it. The Haines saga started in Huntington, in northeast central
Indiana, where George was born on March 9, 1924, the son of George
Fremont Haines and Frances Mae Mow.
George Haines was a direct descendent of pioneer settlers, Richard
and Margaret Haines of Anyhoe of ye Hill, North Hampshire, England,
who set sail with their children on the ship "Amity"
from Downs, England and arrived in America in 1682, where they
settled in Burlington, New Jersey.
George Haines is survived by his brothers Richard, Schuyler and
Edward, all of Indiana, and a sister, Eva Ervin of Arizona. Haines
is predeceased by a brother, William, and sisters, Clara Bir,
and Esther Patten.
"A Beautiful Redhead, Strong and Sure!"
On July 20, 1945 in Oakland, California, George Haines married
June Elizabeth Carter, a lady whom George described through the
years as "a beautiful redhead, strong and sure!". Their
partnership was to last 61 years. They had four daughters: Kerry
Derr (Walter), Janice Canfield (Robert), Jody Baer, Paula Baldwin
(Randy) and one son, George Kyle Haines. They had nine grandchildren
and one great grandchild.
Mrs. Kerry Derr, Haines' eldest daughter said "Mom is a beautiful
California native. She was his 'rock' throughout his life, and
was at his side daily in the four years after he suffered a stroke.
She remains a wife and mother to emulate.
"They were a handsome couple. She met my Dad during World
War II, at a USO gathering in Oakland where he was stationed with
the Coast Guard in Alameda, Treasure Island. She has copper red
hair, and as she left the USO building my Dad approached her and
called her "Red" and she turned around and smacked him
in the arm and asked; "Who are you calling Red?". She
is an independent woman who, like Dad, has a strong set of convictions.
With her, giving up was not an option. She helped him stay the
course. She took care of the house, raised five kids and handled
their finances."
A Sporting Family
George and June Haines encouragd their children to participate
in sport: Kerry Haines Derr was a member of the National Championship
teams during 1961-1964, and a member of the gold medal 400 free
relay team with Terri Stickles, Pokey Watson and Donna de Varona.
She represented the US on a 30 day long trip to Japan in 1961
with Donna deVarona, Dick Roth and Tom Jamison, competing in various
venues around Japan. Janice Haines Canfield competed in tennis
in high school and at UCLA. Joanne (Jody) Haines Baer competed
in gymnastics in high school and at college at Long Beach State.
Following in her father's footsteps, she had a coaching career
in gymnastics for many years. Paula Haines Baldwin was an all-city
tennis player in high school. Kyle Haines wrestled and competed
in track in high school, running the 200.
After retiring, George Haines played senior softball several times
a week, and coached, managed and played third base on the 65 year
olds' team that won the Senior Softball World Series in West Palm
Beach. He was an avid golfer in retirement, playing three times
a week into his 70's , and had just started coaching his then
12 year old twin grandsons, Brent and Clint Baer, to play golf
when he became incapacitated.
The Influence of Coach Glen Hummer
Records at the Huntington YMCA show that a Haines has been a member
of the "Y" since 1932, and this is where George and
his brothers became interested in swimming under the spell of
coach Glenn Hummer, coach-mentor at the local YMCA,who was also
the high school biology teacher.
In the 1940s, George Haines was a member of the Huntington YMCA
swim team that Hummer coached to two YMCA National Championships.
Glen Hummer was to become the major factor in developing the young
George Haines' interest in competitive swimming, and in the shaping
of his character. Hummer's friendship and guidance continued as
he assumed a mentor role for George when he began his competitive
coaching career in the 1950's.
Even before he became a swimming coach, Haines learned the value
of a good early distance background, because Glen Hummer first
trained him to be a 1500 swimmer. (Haines was later to become
the conference champion in the 50 freestyle at San Jose State
College in California, a big drop from swimming the 1500!)
When Hummer died, Haines said.: "He was a great, great man,
His techniques were ahead of the time. I felt his loss as if an
arm had been cut off."
War Service
In World War II, George Haines enlisted in the US Coast Guard
on December 12, 1942, at the age of 18. For two years, Haines
taught swimming survival skills at the Crystal Plunge pool in
San Francisco to Marines and Merchant Marines going overseas.
He later served on the USS Casper which sailed out under the Golden
Gate Bridge exactly when World War II ended, hearing shouts from
the wharf-side crowds that the war was over! He received his honorable
discharge on February 12, 1946.
Demobilized from the Coast Guard, Haines attended college on the
GI bill, graduating from San Jose State University in 1950 with
a Bachelor's Degree and a teaching certificate. He later earned
an additional certificate in Administration.
A Natural Coach
Dr. Charles Walker, Haines' swimming coach at San Jose State University,
was a big influence in Haines' choice of swimming coaching as
a career. He advised Haines to accept a teaching post at Santa
Clara High School in 1950, where he was to teach physical education,
and coach football and swimming for the next 24 years.
It did not take the school authorities long to see that the young
George Haines' coaching skills were not limited to the swimming
pool, and they asked him to coach their light weight football
teams. During the 1950's and 1960's, his football teams remained
undefeated for seven years.
"The Greatest of the Great"
When the high school completed its pools in 1951, George Haines
started his first swim team with nine members. Before long, his
high school boys' swim team became the team to beat, both locally
and nationally. At one time, his high school swimmers owned the
national record in every event.
The Santa Clara Swim Club grew out of the original nine high school
swimmers to become one of the most prominent and successful teams
in the United States and the World. Santa Clara became the swimming
mecca and the Santa Clara Invitational Meet one of the most important
meets on the annual calender.
The Santa Clara Pool was recently renamed The George F. Haines
Swmming Pool, and a statue of the famous mentor serves to remind
all swimmers and visitors that here is the Place were one of the
Greatest of the Great worked his magic.
Note: GEORGE HAINES WILL BE TRULY MISSED BY FAMILY,
FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES. THERE WILL NO SERVICES BUT DONATIONS CAN
BE MADE TO THE HUNTINGTON INDIANA YMCA WHERE IT ALL STARTED FOR
GEORGE.
HUNTINGTON INDIANA YMCA
607 WARREN STREET
HUNTINGTON, INDIANA 46750
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TRIBUTES TO GEORGE HAINES
Bob Duenkel, Executive Director International Swimming Hall of
Fame: "George Haines represented the coaching fraternity
at its best. He was revered as a brilliant coach and a major 20th
century.force in the progress of American and World swimming.
His influence continues today through his former swimmers who
became professional coaches.
"George Haines helped start America's age group swimming
by developing one of history's most successful grass -roots programs
at Santa Clara, a program that was to produce more Olympic champions
than any other team. Moreover, almost all his swimmers were 'home-grown'.
A Hall of Famer himself, he coached more swimmers who were inducted
into the Hall of Fame than any other coach.
"George helped promote all the aquatic disciplines and, in
particular, recommended water polo as a training and competitive
supplement for his swimmers."
John Leonard, Executive Director, The American Swimming Coaches'
Association: "George Haines, to many, is the greatest American
Swimming Coach. His deck presence in practice and competition
was inspiration enough, his voice came like a command from heaven,
in both meeting rooms and natatoriums. Photos of George on the
deck coaching his athletes at Santa Clara, published in Life Magazine,
then the most popular publication in America, inspired a generation
of young people to become swimming coaches. There was no one else
like him. There never will be again. George, we love you and we
will miss you, and your voice will be in our minds every day we
step on deck."
Peter Daland, United States Olympic Coach, Former Head Coach The
University of Southern California: "George Haines was a good
friend, a great leader and the best coach in all categories: age
group boys and girls, senior men and women. His teams dominated
the World and USA scene for nearly twenty years helping California
to produce 50% of the best swimmers on earth in the sixties."
"Under his guidance Santa Clara Swim Club became the best
and most famous club in the world. This seven time Olympic coach
had countless Olympic champions and world record holders. His
is a name that we will never forget. We will long remember his
words of friendship and wisdom. Thanks, George, for what you gave
to our sport and its people."
Don Gambril, United States Olympic Coach, Former Head Coach, University
of Alabama: "George Haines was at the top of United States
swim coaches in the 20th Century. It was my pleasure to be a part
of five Olympic Staffs with George who was a member of seven.
The level of respect and confidence he inspired among the swimmers
was obvious, and a large factor in our teams' domination of World
Swimming in that era. My thoughts on George could fill a book."
Chris von Saltza Olmstead (George Haines' First Olympic Champion):
"George had the capacity to transform lives. If you met him
half way, you came away greatly enriched in all manner of living,
even if you never reached Olympic heights under his tutelage.
George has become part of me, and even now, he is in my heart
encouraging me to go on, to embrace each day, and to keep a smile
on my face."
Claudia Kolb Thomas: "I cannot separate my thoughts about
George from my everyday life. For over 40 years now he has been
a part of who I am. His dying will not change that. I cannot tell
you how many times, when faced with a decision about something
large or small, I have thought about George and what he would
do or think. He, along with my mom and dad, have been the most
powerful influences in my life and, have helped shape the person
I am. Some people have all the luck, and I am one of those, for
having had the best parents anyone could have and then having
George in my life. The gift of belief in me is the most powerful
gift he could have given to me. I was successful because he told
me I could be. True, I worked hard, but it never felt like work
and I always knew we were doing it together. Having worked with
young people ever since I retired from swimming, I see daily the
desire and need for them to have someone who inspires them to
believe in themselves and to work hard to make something worthwhile
of themselves. George did that for me and I will never be able
to thank him enough for that."
Pokey Watson Richardson: "George Haines was a man loved by
all of his swimmers, a man who was a second father figure to many
of us, a gentleman who truely impacted the lives of those he touched
in a positive and forever life altering way."
"George was a man who gave his swimmers the gift of belief
and imagination; anything and everything was possible in George
Haines world and he showed us how to unlock the key to so many
wonderful and powerful doors."
"His legacy will live on in the many thousands of swimmers
who are better people today because of how George chose to live
his life."
Stephen E. Clark: "George Haines certainly knew swimming
- both technique and training methods - and had to be one of the
greatest coaches of his era, if not the greatest of all. I was
with him on the Santa Clara Swim Club as my primary coach for
about 12 years (from age 9 until 21), and I still marvel that,
unlike many other coaches, he seemed to pick up his swimming knowledge
intuitively or almost by osmosis - he just knew what worked.
"Maybe more importantly, however, was his amazing ability
to understand and help swimmers of all types and ages -- somehow
it was his basic personality. He had almost a unique way about
him which made each swimmer feel like he (George) was that swimmer'
s personal and almost exclusive coach, despite George having many
other swimmers, including teammate competitors, to look after.
When I was competing with other sprinters on the Santa Clara Swim
Club over the years (like Don Schollander or Gary Ilman or Ed
Townsend) - both in training and in competitions - I just always
knew that he genuinely wanted me to do my personal best, just
like he wanted my teammate competitors to do their best. That
was good enough
for me."
Dick Roth: "George Haines coached as I would like to live.
He listened completely, understood deeply, and gave to his swimmers
unstintingly. When I swam for him (in the 1960's) our closest
competition, likely as not, was in the next lane in workout. Somehow,
he was able to make us believe that we couldn't be beaten. Years
later, when asked how he could make two competitors know that
they were equally the best in the world, without lying, he replied,
'Easy, I only saw the best each of you could be.'
"Forty years later, I still carry George's profound affirmation
of me in my heart, available whenever I need it. Thank you, George.
I wish there were more like you. The world would be a better place."
Richard Jochums, Head Coach Santa Clara Swim Club: "George
Haines was the best coach ever! George didn't write a lot of papers,
didn't write books, didn't give great seminars, he just went out
each day and coached."
"George always listened to everyone with knowledge and took
the best from these folks, meaning his program was always cutting
edge and scientifically sound. But it was more than that, George
took what he heard and decided what was right and then made it
work by communicating what he was doing to his swimmers and getting
them to buy into what he was selling. George did this selling
better than anyone ever."
"It was said of George that many of his swimmers didn't improve
after they left him for college. Well, the fact is that George
just communicated in such and open and honest manner that, when
his swimmers went on to college, far too often they ran into coaches
who weren't as open and honest, with the result that they just
didn't buy into the college program. It's tough to follow greatness!"
"I get to walk his deck and I consider that an honor all
by itself. George set the model I try to follow: that all kids
count and winning is really about making yourself the best you
can be. A huge majority of those who swam for George believed
he cared for them and the truth is that he did. Each was better
for having learned to make the sacrifices that allowed for each
to realize their potential. It doesn't get better than that. The
man just coached for the participants. He is the best ever!"
Phil Moriarty, Former Head Coach, The Yale University Swimming
Team: "For a long time, one thought that keeps coming to
mind is, I would have never been recognized as a swimming coach
had George not taught his swimmers so well.and passed them on
to me The fact that he was willing to put them into my care was
the ultimate compliment. In that sense he was THE YALE COACH.
May he go to heaven where he belongs in quiet peace.".
Jay Fitzgerald, Successor to George Haines as Head Coach of the
Santa Clara Swim Club": "When George retired we organized
a grand farewell party bringing back several Santa Clara Swimmers
to say thank you to George and it was a great night for everyone,
George even said 'kid you did good', and that made my night.
"Later George and I would talk from time to time and he always
came to see the Santa Clara International meet. I asked George,
who was playing Senior Softball, how his game was going and he
said, 'kid I hit a triple yesterday but could only turn it into
a double, my legs just will not go as fast as before.'"
"George always had a warm smile and easy manner and he was
one of the best athlete/coaches you ever saw, he had a commanding
and dashing presence on deck, like a General. George was just
grace and class, and he was the man who helped to guide young
coaches and to challenge us to be better and help our swimmers
first. George was always there for me and for anyone who ever
had a question. George was unique and I am honored that I knew
him and shared in his friendship."
Stan Tinkham, 1956 U.S. Olympic Swimming Coach: "George Haines
was the greatest influence in World and U.S. swimming and a role
model for all."
Forbes and Ursula Carlile, Australian Coaching Legends: "George
was the most successful Olympic coach ever. He had been a swimmer,
and he knew swimming. George was a no-nonsense coach. He oozed
honesty and fair-play as he dealt with swimmers, parents and the
Santa Clara Club. George knew what he wanted, was direct and uncompromising.
George was a man who knew how to deal with people, with straightforwardness,
respect and integrity."
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HISTORY AND COACHING CAREER of GEORGE
F. HAINES
Swimming Coach of the 20th Century
(BORN - March 9th, 1924 in Huntington, Indiana. Swam for the Huntington
YMCA under Coach Glen S. Hummer from the age of 9 through 21.
A member of two National YMCA Championship Teams under Mr. Hummer.
SERVICE - U.S. Coast Guard 1942-46. Taught survival training 1943-1945.
COLLEGE - San Jose State - Graduated in Spring of 1950. Swam for
three years.
COACHING CAREER
1950-1974
SANTA CLARA HIGH SCHOOL
Won 20 SCVAL League Championships. Won 215 straight dual meets.
A record
W-284 L-4
Won 16 North Coast Championships.
The Santa Clara High School Swimming Team (boys) held every National
High School record in every stroke and distance including relays
in the late 1960's and early 1970's.
George Haines produced 300 High School All Americans who set over
200 National High School Records.
In the late l960's Swimming World Magazine said that the
Santa Clara High School Swimming Team was capable of placing in
the top five)at the NCAA Championships i
OLYMPIANS DEVELOPED AT SANTA CLARA HIGH SCHOOL
Don Schollander, Joe Bottom, Mike Bottom, Wayne Anderson, Donna
de Varona,Terri Stickles, Claudia Kolb, Judy Reeder Mark Spitz
and Mitch Ivey
OLYMPIANS
A total of 53 Swimmers coached by George Haines swam in the Olympic
Games 1960 through l988.
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SANTA CLARA
SWIM CLUB OLYMPIC HISTORY
1960 OLYMPIC GAMES, ROME, ITALY
George F. Haines, Head Coach, Women's Team
CHRIS von SALTZA - 3 Gold Medals:
400 Freestyle, 400 Medley Relay, 400 Freestyle Relay. 1 Silver
in 100
Freestyle. World Record and Olympic records in all the Gold medal
wins..
LYNNE BURKE - 2 Gold Medals: IOO Backstroke and 400 Medley Relay.
World
record leading off in 100 Backstroke in the 400 Medley Relay.
ANNE WARNER - 1 Gold in 400 Medley Relay.
PAUL HAIT - 1 Gold Medal, Men's 400 medley relay, swimming the
breaststroke
leg. World and Olympic Record. 8th 200 Breaststroke.
STEVE CLARK - Alternate on all Relays.
GEORGE HARRISON - 1 Gold, 800 Freestyle Relay.
DONNA deVARONA - Alternate on all Relays. Swam in heats.
1964 OLYMPIC GAMES, TOKYO, JAPAN
George F. Haines - Assistant Men's Coach
DON SCHOLLANDER - 4 Gold Medals:-400 Freestyle,100 Freestyle ,
400
Freestyle Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay. All World and Olympic records.
WAYNE ANDERSON - 7th 200 Breaststroke.
STEVE CLARK - 3 Gold Medals: 800 Freestyle Relay, 400 Medley Relay,
400
Freestyle Relay.. All World and Olympic records World record leading
off
in 400 Freestyle Relay.
GARY ILMAN - 2 Gold Medals: 400 Freestyle Relay, 800 Freestyle
Relay . Both
World and Olympic records.
DICK ROTH - 1 Gold Medal ,400 Individual Medley, World and Olympic
record.
ED TOWNSEND - Alternate on all Freestyle Relays, Swam in heats
800
Freestyle Relay, 1st..
MIKE WALL - Alternate on all Freestyle Relays. Swam in heats 800
Freestyle
Relay, 1st..
DONNA deVARONA - 2 Gold Medals:400 Individual Medley, 400 Freestyle
Relay.
5th.100 Butterfly
SHARON FINNERAN - 1 Silver Medal . 400 Individual Medley.
CLAUDIA KOLB - 1 Silver Medal 200 Breaststroke. First American
woman to win
a medal in Olympic breaststroke event.
JUDY REEDER - Alternate 400 Medley Relay.
TERRI STICKLES - 1 Bronze Medal, 400 Freestyle.
POKEY WATSON - 1 Gold Medal, 400 Freestyle Relay.. World and Olympic
record.
1968 OLYMPIC TEAM, MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
GEORGE F. HAINES HEAD COACH MEN'S TEAM
BRENT BERK - 8th 400 Freestyle
GREG BUCKINGHAM - 1 Silver Medal 200 Individual Medley, 4th 400
Medley.Relay.
BRIAN JOB - 1 Bronze Medal , 200 Breaststroke.
MITCH IVEY - 1 Silver Medal 200 Backstroke.
RAY RIVERO - Alternate.
DON SCHOLLANDER - 1 Gold Medal, 800 Freestyle Relay.,1 Silver
Medal, 200
Freestyle.
MARK SPITZ - 2 Gold Medals: 800 Freestyle Relay, 400 Freestyle
Relay, 1
Silver Medal 100 Butterfly, 1 Bronze Medal 100 Freestyle, 8th
200 Butterfly.
MIKE WALL - Alternate in Relays.
LINDA GUSTAVSON - 1 Bronze Medal 100 Freestyle, - 1 Silver Medal
400
Freestyle, 1 Gold Medal 400 Freestyle Relay.
JAN HENNE - 2 Gold Medals: 100 Freestyle, 400 Freestyle Relay.
1 Silver
Medal 200 Freestyle, 1 Bronze Medal 200 Individual Medley.
CATHY JAMISON - 5 th 200 Breaststroke.
SUSAN JONES - Swam in 100 Breaststroke
CLAUDIA KOLB - 2 Gold Medals: 200 Individual Medley.
400 Individual MedleyI Both World and Olympic records.
JANE SWAGGERTY - 1 Bronze Medal 100 Backstroke
LYNNE VIDALI - 1 Silver Medal 400 Individual Medley.
POKEY WATSON - 1 Gold Medal- 200 Backstroke .World and Olympic
record
1972 OLYMPIC GAMES MUNICH, GERMANY
GEORGE F. HAINES, ASSISTANT WOMEN'S COACH
JOHN HENCKEN - 1 Gold Medal 200 Breaststroke - World and Olympic
Records, 1
Bronze Medal 100 Breaststroke.
BRIAN JOB - 9th 200 Breaststroke.
MARK SPITZ - 7 Gold Medals: 100 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle,
100 Butterfly, 200 Butterfly, 400 Freestyle Relay, 400 Medley
Relay, 800
Freestyle Relay.
MITCH IVEY - 1 Bronze Medal 200 Backstroke, 4th I00 Backstroke.
TOM BRUCE - 1 Silver Medal 100 Breaststroke, 1 Gold Medal 400
Medley Relay.
KEENA ROTHHAMMER - 1 Gold Medal 800 Freestyle, 1 Bronze Medal
200
Freestyle, 6th 400 Freestyle.
KAREN MOE - 1 Gold Medal 200 Butterfly, Olympic and World Record,
4th 100
Backstroke.
LYNN VIDALI - 1 Bronze Medal 200 Individual Medley, 7th 400 Individual
Medley.
JENNIFER BARTZ - 4th 200 Individual Medley, 4th 400 Individual
Medley.
JENNY WYLIE - 5th 400 Freestyle.
1976 OLYMPIC GAMES MONTREAL, CANADA
GEORGE F. HAINES - ASSISTANT MEN'S COACH
JOHN HENCKEN -2 Gold Medals 100 Breaststroke, 400 Medley Relay,
1 Silver
Medal 200 Breaststroke.
JOE BOTTOM -1Silver Medal 100 Butterfly, 6th 100 Freestyle.
TAUNA VAN DEWEGHE - Swam in 100 Backstroke.
KAREN MOE - 4th 200 Butterfly.
1980 0LYMPIC TEAM MOSCOW (Boycotted)
George F. Haines was selected the Head Coach of both the Men's
and Women's Olympic teams to go to Moscow in 1980. However, President
Carter chose to boycott the Moscow Olympics. (This US Olympic
Team was considered the best team ever selected to represent the
USA. This was to be the first time a USA team was to consist of
men and women in one team with one head coach of the combined
team.)
Swimmers coached by George Haines selected to the 1980 Team.
Mike Bottom - Swam for coach Haines at Santa Clara High and the
Santa
Clara Swim Club
John Hencken - Swam on the 1972 and 1976 Olympic teams as well.
Libby Kinkead - Swam for Coach Haines with the Fox Catcher Swim
Club.
Other members of the 1980 team who swam for Coach Haines at the
Santa Clara
Swim Club: Pokey Watson and Linda Burton selected as Assistant
Managers of
the 1980 team.
1984 OLYMPIC TEAM LOS ANGELES
GEORGE F HAINES ASSISTANT COACH
CHRIS CAVANAUGH -1 Gold Medal 400 Freestyle Relay.
SUSAN RAPP -1 Silver Medal 200 Breaststroke.
1988 OLYMPIC GAMES SEOUL, KOREA
SUSAN RAPP - 200 Breaststroke.
1974-1978 UCLA Head Men's Swim Coach
1979 Foxcatcher Swim Club
1980-81 De Anza Swim Club
1982-1988 Stanford University Head Womens' Swim Coach.
1988 George Haines retired from coaching.
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GEORGE F. HAINES
LIFETIME HONORS AWARDS
2000 George Haines voted The Swimming Coach of the Century by
USA Swimming
2001 George Haines inducted to the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame
2002 George Haines was inducted into the Stanford University Sports
Hall
of Fame
1974.
GEORGE HAINES WAS ENSHRINED IN THE INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING HALL
OF FAME,
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA
George Haines was named American Swimming Coaches Association's
Coach of
the Year in 1964, 1966, 1967 and 1972.
THE FOLLOWING SWIMMERS COACHED BY HAINES WERE ALSO ENSHRINED IN
THE
INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING HALL OF FAME:
WOMEN
CHRIS VON SALTZA - LYNNE BURKE -DONNA de VARONA -SHARON FINNERAN-
CLAUDIA
KOLB - POKEY WATSON - JAN HENNE - KENNA ROTHHAMMER - KAREN MOE
- SUSAN RAPP
MEN
STEVE CLARK - RICHARD ROTH -DONALD SCHOLLANDER - MARK SPITZ -
JOHN HENCKEN.
A TOTAL OF 15 SANTA CLARA SWIM CLUB SWIMMERS, COACHED BY GEORGE
HAINES,
ARE ENSHRINED IN THE INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING HALL OF FAME. IN ADDITION,
JOE
BOTTOM HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR THE HALL OF FAME
Olympic Medal Distribution for swimmers coached by George Haines
Year GOLD SILVER BRONZE
1960 8 1
1964 13 2 1
1968 9 7 5
1972 11 1 4
1976 2 2
1980 (BOYCOTT)
1984 1 1
TOTALS 44 GOLD 14 SILVER 10 BRONZE
GEORGE HAINES' TRACK RECORD
In a remarkable career Gerorge Haines was an Olympic Coach on
many occasions.
1960 US Women's Coach
1964 US Mens' Assistant Coach
1968 US Men's Head Coach
1972 & 1976 US Women's Assistant Coach
In 1980 Haines was appointed Head Coach for both Men and Women,
but the US
did not compete in the Moscow Olympics.
George Haines was named The American Swimming Coaches Association's
Coach of the Year in 1964, 1966, 1967 and 1972. Only Mark Schubert
(5) and Richard Quick (4) have equaled or surpassed Coach Haines'
number of awards.
Between the years 1957 to 1974, his Santa Clara Swim Club won
a remarkable total of 43 national titles; developed 55 Olympians
who won 44 Olympic Gold medals, 14 Silver medals, and 10 bronze
medals.
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copyright Cecil Colwin and "Swimnews" 2006. Printed
with permission.
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