Comments on: Passages: Jon Urbanchek, Iconic Olympic, Michigan Coach Dies at 87; Legacy Will Endure

By: Steve West

Steve West — Sat, 11 May 2024 01:08:52 +0000

He was an amazing coach, and an even better person… he touched thousands of swimmers, and motivated people to push themselves to the limit. Even after all of that, he remembered not just what each swimmer did in the pool, but outside of the pool. A man with tens of thousands of lives he touched, we are all his kids.

By: Steve Friederang

Steve Friederang — Fri, 10 May 2024 19:56:33 +0000

Schubert was giving a speech a few decades ago on coaching the 400 I.M. I raised my hand from the front row and asked what percentage of each 100 he expected his swimmers to go in the 400. Mark said he didn’t know but he said from the microphone that Jon Urbanchek would. So I took Jon to lunch and he showed me his charts and shared anecdotes and science that was new to me and treated me like I was an important coach — not in a hurry, etc. He was always that way with all of us. He was really really smart; always learning; incredibly organized. You could walk into his practice and know right where they were in the practice — and why they were doing what he and his swimmers were trying to achieve in each set. Even stroke drills were on interval and compared to previous times they’d done them. He led this way because he cared so deeply about his swimmers, and swimming in general. I had a chance to interview him when I first started the Magazine and missed the window. It’s one of the regrets I will take with me. Jon lived his life as if his and our lives are of great consequence. If we hadn’t remembered how short and important each minute is before, we should now. I miss you coach!

By: Steve Furniss

Steve Furniss — Fri, 10 May 2024 19:04:40 +0000

My brothers and I had Jon as age groupers at the start of our careers and Bruce went full circle finishing his career with Jon as his coach. We count ourselves among the truly fortunate to have learned under him and to have him as a dear family friend for over 50 years. As great as a coach as he was, Jon was an even better person.

By: Tom De long

Tom De long — Fri, 10 May 2024 17:46:53 +0000

I met Jon in 1965 when he got the job at Anaheim high school we both coached the Sammy Lee swim teams, Jon at Anaheim and me at the Orange pool. I was a new coach at Foothill and learned so much from Jon. What a wonderful human RIP.

By: Bruce Furniss

Bruce Furniss — Fri, 10 May 2024 14:57:35 +0000

I am a better person for having known and swam for Jon. He always made me feel like I was his most important relationship. He had my back when I was DQ’d in my very last career race at the ‘80 Olympic trials. He provided important personal perspective during the ill fated US boycott of the ‘80 Moscow Games. Last summer I was blessed to sit together with Jon and Melanie for three glorious days at the Urbanchek invitational. I treasure that special time and memory. He remained a cherished friend for over 60 years. Every day he inspires me to keep it moving! I loved Jon immensely and will miss him dearly. RIP and Fight On Jon!

By: Andrei Vorontsov

Andrei Vorontsov — Fri, 10 May 2024 14:22:03 +0000

Jon (Janos) Urbanchek as a coach was a frontrunner, as a man – impacable gentleman. I was lucky to meet him in many occation on the pool deck and in lecture rooms and I do dare to call hin a Friend! Good buy Jon!