{"id":355899,"date":"2019-03-08T04:00:28","date_gmt":"2019-03-08T11:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=355899"},"modified":"2019-03-08T00:51:34","modified_gmt":"2019-03-08T07:51:34","slug":"swimming-world-presents-lessons-with-legends-coach-gus-stager","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/swimming-world-presents-lessons-with-legends-coach-gus-stager\/","title":{"rendered":"Swimming World Presents “Lessons with the Legends: Coach Gus Stager”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lessons with the Legends<\/span><\/h2>\n

Swimming World Continues a series in which top coaches share some of the secrets of their success.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coach Gus Stager<\/span><\/h1>\n

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When alumnus Augustus P. Stager Jr.<\/strong> was named head swimming coach at the University of Michigan in 1954, it was a great disappointment to assistant Matt Mann Jr.<\/strong> and his legendary father. However, subsequent events\u2014including NCAA championships in 1957-59 and 1961 plus 18 first- or second-place Big 10 finishes in 26 years, helped to assuage any Blue-and-Maize concerns.<\/p>\n

Gus Stager, an accomplished New Jersey high school swimmer and \u201cPacific Army Olympics\u201d 400 meter freestyle champion, enrolled at Michigan in 1946. In February 1947, he set an American freshman college record in the 200 yard freestyle (2:12.3), going on to be a three-time All-American and member of the Wolverines\u2019 1948 NCAA title-winning team.<\/p>\n

Hired by Athletic Director Fritz Crisler<\/strong> following Matt Mann\u2019s 31-year coaching stint, Stager mentored Michigan swimmers from 1954-79 and 1980-81. He compiled a career dual meet record of 169-39-1, going 23-3 against Big 10 and NCAA powerhouse Ohio State.<\/p>\n

Stager, along with Indiana\u2019s Doc Counsilman<\/strong>, was an early adapter of interval training made popular in Europe and utilized by Roger Bannister<\/strong> to break the four-minute mile. Through rigorous workouts, Stager extracted the best from his athletes, including Olympians Carl Robie<\/strong>, Dave Gillanders<\/strong>, Dick Hanley<\/strong>, Bill Farley<\/strong>, Ron Gora<\/strong>, Bumpy Jones<\/strong>, Jack and Bert Wardrop<\/strong>, Juan Bello<\/strong> and Joan Spillane<\/strong>. Among his NCAA champions were high-point winner Tony Tashnik<\/strong>, Fritz Myers<\/strong>, Cy Hopkins<\/strong>, Dick Nelson<\/strong>, Ron Clark<\/strong> and Frank Legacki<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Fritz Damm (four-year swimmer, 1964 grad):<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe was a life changer for me (a walk-on from a high school without a pool or team) who was willing to spend his valuable coaching and mentoring time with me in the same pool with mostly\u00a0All-America and Olympic-caliber swimmers.
\n\u201cGus Stager basically taught me to race. My first meet was against archrival Michigan State my sophomore year, and he continued coaching and mentoring me through three years. Into adulthood, Gus was my shining star as he was to many others lucky enough to swim for him and Michigan.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To read more about the legend Gus Stager,
\ncheck out the full article in the March 2019<\/a> issue of Swimming World Magazine<\/em>, available now!<\/p>\n

Swimming World subscribers can download this issue in the Swimming World Vault<\/span><\/a><\/span>!<\/p>\n

\"SW<\/a><\/p>\n

[PHOTO CREDIT: PETER H. BICK]<\/p>\n

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