Courtesy: Michiganensian
Former University of Michigan head swimming & diving coach Gus Stager has died. He was 96 years old.
As an athlete, Stager was a 3-year All-America swimmer for Michigan from 1947 to 1950. After graduation, he served as the head coach of the Michigan men’s team for 26 years from 1954 through 1979, which included leading the team to 4 NCAA titles (1957, 1958, 1959, and 1961). He also won a team title as an athlete in 1948.
Stager came out of retirement for a brief period to coach Michigan from 1981-1982, before calling it quits for good.
He also served as the head coach for the U.S. Olympic Team at the 1960 Games in Rome where they won 9 out of 15 gold medals on offer. Other international appointments include the 1967 Pan American Games and the 1973 World Championships.
After graduating from Michigan, he took his first coaching job at Fordson High School in Dearborn, where his team won 3 straight Michigan Class A championships in 1952, 1953, and 1954. He then took over the helm of the Michigan men when legendary coach Matt Mann retired after 31 years. His career record as Michigan’s head coach was 169-39-1, including 3 Big Ten titles and 20 runner-up finishes. Indiana’s Doc Counsilman-led program won most of the conference titles in that era.
2 of his 4 NCAA titles came in seasons where Michgan weren’t even conference champions. One of the exceptions, however, was the 1959 season. There, the Wolverines scored 137.5 points. At the time, that was an NCAA Record by 41 points (Yale scored 96.5 at the 1953 championships), and that record stood until 1965, when the NCAA scoring system was overhauled, drastically changing the scoring scale.
As a freshman at Michigan, Stager set a “freshman American Record” (no longer kept) in the 200 yard free with a time of 2:12.3.
Stager is a member of both the University Michigan Hall of Honor and the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Gus was also the Navy’s Pacific Fleet Middleweight boxing champion while he served. Matt Mann pool (now gymnastics) had a door that directly opened into the IM building where the boxing ring was located. When swim practice got too monotonous Gus invited us to go a few rounds with him in the ring. It showed us how that sport demanded so much from its competitors. We swam by racing one another but in boxing you competed against each other directly. It was humbling to not be able to lift your arms to defend yourself after a few rounds against that ‘old guy’.
Gus was a true gentleman coach. I will miss him.
Love this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At44pt2ZE4A
Such a bummer announcement today at the Eric Namesnik Memorial Meet.
Gus was one of the formative influences on my coaching when I swam for him (briefly). Years later now coaching, and at the Ann Arbor Grand Prix we sat and talked for two hours about life. Warm memory of that. My prayers and thoughts are with you Gus. And to Anne and Gus Jr.
The Coach who originated the Fishburn set.
Never heard of it – can you share what that is?
5 x 100
4 x 200
3 x 300
2 x 400
1 x 500
Intervals are varying in my experience, but I personally like it when you add 1:00 per 100 up… for example:
5 x 100 on 1:30
4 x 200 on 2:30
3 x 300 on 3:30
2 x 400 on 4:30
1 x 500 on 5:30
At EMU when Jones did it. 5 x 100 @ 1:30 4 x 200’s@ 2:30 3 x 300’s @ 3:30 2 x 400’s @ 4:30 1 x 500 @ 5:30 I am sure you can alter this to what ever interval
I was Dan Fiahburn’s coach before he went to Michigan and we are still in touch