Legendary swimming coach Richard Quick dies

The legacy that Richard Quick leaves behind solidifies his place in history. One only needs to read the long list of Olympians he has coached and what they achieved under his guidance.

Jenny Thompson. Summer Sanders. Janet Evans. Lea (Loveless) Maurer. Janel Jorgenson. Jill Johnson. Misty Hyman. Catherine Fox. Caroline Bruce. Kristen Caverly. Lisa Jacob. Dana and Tara Kirk. Those are just the U.S. Olympians from Stanford that he coached during his 17-year career on The Farm.

Quick, one of the most prominent figures in the sport of swimming and diving, passed away Wednesday night at the age of 66 in Austin, Texas. Quick was diagnosed with an inoperable cancerous brain tumor this past December.

The most decorated swimming coach in American history, Quick was a six-time United States Olympic coach who directed his collegiate teams to 13 NCAA titles the most in the history of the sport.

Current Stanford head women’s swimming coach Lea Maurer, who took over when Quick left following the 2004-05 season, was coached by Quick both collegiately on The Farm and on the United States team at the 1992 Olympic Games.

“All associated with Stanford Swimming are deeply saddened by Richard’s passing,” said Maurer, who won 10 NCAA individual titles while swimming for Quick. “He leaves an indelible legacy on the sport of swimming, one that will live on through the many people whose lives he enriched. Beyond the tremendous swimming accolades, I will always celebrate the stories, the life victories, the laughter and the friendships he helped to create. Our sincerest condolences and prayers go out to the Quick family.”

Quick won seven of his NCAA titles at Stanford after winning an unprecedented eight straight at Texas. He guided his first Cardinal team to a national championship in 1989 before winning five in a row from 1992-96 and one more in 1998. He also led Stanford to 14 Pacific-10 Conference crowns, including back-to-back league titles in his final two campaigns before retiring following the 2004-05 season.

He started his Stanford career by winning his first 57 dual meets, while his teams on The Farm sported an all-time record of 123-10 (.925). He coached 41 NCAA champions who captured a combined 63 national individual titles and 29 NCAA relay crowns during his 17 seasons at Stanford.

“The swimming world has suffered a great loss,” said Stanford senior associate athletic director Earl Koberlein, the longtime sport administrator for Stanford swimming. “Richard’s successes on the collegiate and international levels speak for themselves, and he helped to create a tradition of world-class swimming at Stanford that continues to this day.”

A four-time Pacific-10 Coach of the Year (1989, ’92, ’95 and 2001), Quick earned two of his five NCAA Coach of the Year awards while at Stanford (1989 and ’92).

Renowned throughout the sport, Quick was the head coach of the United States team at the 1988, ’96 and 2000 Olympic Games while serving as an assistant at the 1984, ’92 and 2004 Olympics. His men’s and women’s swimmers combined for 26 medals in Atlanta — the most by any team at the 1996 Olympics.

Among Quick’s other international coaching assignments are four consecutive World Championships as both an assistant coach (1982) and a head coach (1986, ’90 and ’94). He has also coached at the 1990 Goodwill Games, three Pan Pacific Games (1983, ’85 and ’87), the 1985 World University Games and the 1979 Pan American Games.

Quick earned a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education (1965) and a Master’s degree in Physiology of Exercise (1977) from Southern Methodist.

He began his coaching career at Houston’s Memorial High School (1965-71), guiding his team to six state championships before returning to SMU, where he served as an assistant coach on the men’s side for four years (1971-75) before starting the SMU women’s program in 1976.

Quick is survived by his wife June, and children, Michael, Kathy, Tiffany and Benjamin, and grandchildren, Blake and Emily.

“From all of us at USA Swimming who knew and loved Richard Quick, we send our deepest sympathies for the loss of our friend,” said USA Swimming Executive Director Chuck Wielgus in a statement. “We will always have the greatest admiration for an icon in the sport of swimming. Our love and respect for Richard is shared by coaches, athletes, volunteers, officials and staff. Richard experienced extraordinary success as a coach, and was one of the world’s all-time great Olympic coaches. But we also knew and loved Richard as a person and a dear friend. The legacy of Richard Quick will endure with all of us at USA Swimming, and we send our deepest sympathies and prayers to his family.”

— Matt Hodson, Stanford Sports Information, and USA Swimming contributed.

— Matt Hodson, Stanford Sports Information, and USA Swimming contributed.

— Matt Hodson, Stanford Sports Information, and USA Swimming contributed.