Jon Urbanchek & His Motivating ‘Keep It Movin’ Grace Heavenly Pool Deck This Day As Michigan Coach Legend Passes At 87

2024-05-10 Reading Time: 7 minutes
Jon Urbanchek
Jon Urbanchek, courtesy USA Swimming

Obituary – World swimming is in mourning for Jon Urbanchek, who’s ever-encouraging “keep it movin’ … ” will float across the heavenly pool deck this day after the Michigan legend of coaching passed away at 87.

During his time coaching at the University of Michigan between 1982 and 2004, leading the Wolverines to 13 Big Ten titles, including nine straight victories, and an NCAA championship.

Hungarian by birth and a naturalised American, Urbanchek served as an Olympic coach for Team USA at the 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 Games, his tour of the Olympic deck extending to an assistant role in 2008 and 2012 in a career that spanned the dark days of GDR doping and the Cold War in the pool to the fourth and penultimate Games of Michael Phelps.

Born in Hungary on August 23, 1936, Urbanchek was granted permission to attend the University of Michigan and, basically, he never looked back. From 1959 to 1961 he swam for Michigan, winning the NCAA 1650 freestyle championship in 1961, as a member of Wolverines squads that won the NCAA titles of 1959 and 1961.

After calling time on his own racing days, he took up coaching, his first job at Anaheim High School in 1964. The pool there was renamed Jon Urbanchek Aquatics Complex in 2019. Urbanchek stayed there for 14 years and in his spare time in those years, he coached at the Sammy Lee Swim School. In 1967, he formed Anaheim Aquatics.

Next came a position at Garden Grove High School in California and down the line then he co-founded the Fullerton Aquatics Sports Team (FAST). He was then named as the head coach of Long Beach State and Long Beach Swim Club, where he followed Dick Jochums and Don Gambril, a post he recalled as “a big move up in my career”. Among his pupils at Long Beach State was Dave Salo, who became a coach who “made me think and address some of my ways of doing things”, he would later say, noting at one awards ceremony: “If you look at my workouts over time, the style changes. People and ideas come to you and it is important to listen. You should not do the same things over and over, change is good.”

Long before that, he’d had a great innings with the yardage and programs he gave. Through all the years and programs, Urbanchek mentored 34 Olympic swimmers to a total of seven gold, six silver and four bronze medals, at the peak end of performance, while guiding generations of others in the pool and, say many of those who knew him well, in life, too.

The list of His Olympic podium charges who he helped guide reads like a Who’s Who of swimming achievers, including:

Mike Barrowman – image, by SwimSketch

Rod Strachan (USA, 400m medley gold, Montreal 1976)
Brent Lang (USA, 4x100m free gold, Seoul 1988);
Mike Barrowman (USA, 200m breaststroke gold, USA, Barcelona 1992);
Gustavo Borges (BRA, 100m freestyle silver, Barcelona 1992; 200m freestyle silver, 100m freestyle bronze, Atlanta 1996; 4x100m freestyle bronze, Sydney 2000;
Eric Namesnik (USA, 400m medley, silver at both Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996);
Tom Dolan (USA, 400m medley gold, Atlanta 1996; 400m medley gold, 200m medley silver, Sydney 2000);
Tom Malchow (USA, 200m butterfly gold at both Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000);
Marcel Wouda (NED, 4x200m freestyle, Sydney 2000 – and World 200m Medley champion, Perth 1998);
Chris Thompson (USA, 1500m free, bronze, Sydney 2000);
Kaitlin Sandeno (USA, 800m freestyle bronze, Sydney 2000; 4×200 freestyle gold, 400m medley silver and 400m freestyle bronze, Athens 2004)
Peter Vanderkaay (USA, 4x200m free, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008; 200m free bronze, Beijing 2008;
400m free bronze, London 2012)
Dan Ketchum (USA, 4x200m free, Athens 2004)
Tyler Clary (USA, 200m backstroke gold, London 2012)
Matt McLean (USA, 4x200m free gold, London 2012)

All of that joy met sorrow in 2006, when Eric Namesnik, known as ‘Snik’, died on January 11 that year from injuries sustained in a car accident four days earlier in icy conditions. He was survived by his wife, former swimmer Kirsten Silvester, from the Netherlands, and their two children, Austin and Madison. Club Wolverine hosts the Namesnik Memorial Grand Prix every spring in his honour and Snik is memorialized with a statue outside of the Butler County YMCA, along with his childhood coach John “Pump” McLaughlin.

He was a volunteer assistant coach at Eastern Michigan University for two years before his death and was a coach for Wolverine Aquatics Club in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Perhaps he’s out there somewhere catching up with his old coach this day.

After he retired from his Michigan mission in 2004, Urbanchek stayed in Ann Arbor to help coach collage teamsters and the Club Wolverine squad.

In 2010, Urbanchek moved back to California to lead the U.S. Olympic Post-Graduate Training Center at Fullerton Aquatics (FAST Swimming). His list of Olympic champions grew when he helped guide Tyler Clary (USA, 200m backstroke) and Matt McLean (USA, 4x200m free) when serving as special assistant coach for Team USA at London 2012.

Urbanchek: “A Kind Friend To All Those He Met”

Urbanchek was described as “a kind friend to all those he met” (spot on – it’s how he always came across, meant and genuine, down all the years – Ed) in the citation for the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America’s (CSCAA) Ben Franklin Award Winner of 2023. The prize recognizes :individuals or organizations whose efforts and innovations best promote the integrity and enhancement of the student-athlete ideal”.

Urbanchek was selected by the Board of Directors and will be recognized at the 62nd Annual CSCAA College Swimming & Diving Awards on May 8th, in Orlando, Florida.

In an interview with CSCAA’s Executive Director, Samantha Barany, Urbanchek recalled his start at Michigan:

“I enrolled and started studying engineering at Michigan. Everyone told me not to take the weed-out chemistry class. But, I was stubborn and thought I knew it all. Of course, I got weeded-out! But, I am glad it worked out that way because the pool deck became the place where I studied. I’d do it that way again.” Jon graduated from Michigan and competed on three National Championship teams from 1958-1962.

“I loved my time at Michigan, but it was cold! I liked working with Jim (Richardson) and putting the colors together. He was a big part of that and was instrumental in creating the computerized tables.”

Jon Urbancheck – images courtesy of the CSCAA

Urbanchek was an innovator. He created what he called “The Colors” System with his wife. In simple terms, athletes could adjust their training intensity in line with their personal and physiological goals, heart rate zones and levels of exertion among the parameters taken into account.

In accepting the CSCAA honour, Urbanchek recognized his wife, Dr. Melanie Urbanchek, for helping build The Colors system that so many coaches and athletes know and utilize today. She was a research professor in surgery at the UM school of Medicine and her husband described her as “the brains behind my work.”

Jon noted: “We designed a color table with a range from low-aerobic to high-anaerobic work; white, pink, red, blue, purple. All colors are beneficial if you mix them properly during your weekly cycle of training.”

On accepting the award, coach Urbanchek said: “I am so honored to be presented with the Ben Franklin Award. He was an inventor! I always tried to think of new ways to do things when I coached. The way I wrote practices changed because we need to invent new ways to make swimmers fast.

“We always need to think about doing something new and I credit great friends along the way for helping me do that. Dave Salo, Jim Richardson, Eddie Reese and Jack Bauerle are just some of the people who I credit. Of course, I married a doctor and she gets credit too!”

Tributes For Jon Urbanchek

Tributes poured in for Jon Urbanchek on social media. Here are a few of them:

We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of legendary former head coach Jon Urbanchek. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family and friends.” – Michigan Swimming & Diving

“I promise we will keep it moving, buddy.” – coach Bob Bowman

“1999 Pan Pacs in Sydney, Australia. The first time I shared a birthday with Jon. Since then we would call/text/send messages to each other throughout the year but especially on our birthday. Team USA was so lucky to have Urbie in our corner for the last several decades. A wonderful coach but even better person. So much love for him. #KeepItMoving” – Natalie Coughlin

“It is hard to express how much Jon Urbanchek has meant to me since I first met him in 2012. He was my coach on the 2012 Olympic team and he has been a coach, a mentor and a friend since then. I learned so much from his kindness and care, and I know all of my coaches have learned much from him too. Thanks Jon. Love to Melanie, the Urbanchek family, and the swimming family Jon loved so much. Keep it moving. ” – Katie Ledecky

And Katie Ledecky’s coach in the capital, Bruce Gemmell:

“Thank you, Jon, for everything! You changed the trajectory of my career and thus my life. My heart is full of sadness and gratitude. You were so kind, welcoming, funny and an incredible teacher! “Greg, it’s ‘Mind over matter’ cause if you don’t have the mind, it just doesn’t matter!” 😂. There will never be another like you. Rest in peace knowing we’ll “Move it”. – coach Greg Meehan

“A massive loss but his legacy will live on and on. His influence was far and wide and many of us benefited from how he was so open and willing to share. R.I.P. Jon Urbanchek” – coach Kevin Renshaw

“Our mentor, our friend, our role model and the finest man to share the deck with. God Bless you Jon. “Move it!” – coach David Marsh

“We lost a legend of the sport today. Jon Urbanchek motivated the best out of everyone. His love for swimming was unparalleled. He had the best sense of humor and made everyone around him smile. We’ll miss you. RIP” – Gary Hall Snr, The Race Club

Coach Anthony Nesty:

“Many will have been influenced in some shape or form by the icon who was Jon Urbancheck. A legendary swim coach who has died at the age of 87. RIP Jon Urbancheck” – the British Swimming Coaches Association (BSCA)

“Rest in peace, Urby. I am sad you’re time is up down here but enjoy your time up there, buddy. Heaven is a better place with you in it my friend.” – Oussama Mellouli

”No one has given more. The depth of this man’s commitment and love for the sport of swimming and his remarkable ability to express that love through caring for all of us is unmatched. Jon Urbanchek you have always been that one of a kind guy that listened, thought, and guided us well. I consider myself so blessed to have learned from you. Our time together getting coffee and setting up the pace clocks in the morning before practice at the Stanford Olympic Camp was priceless. Your focus on the “right things” never waivered. “Don’t complicate it John, just make him work hard and he’ll be just fine”. Urbs left us today without the spotlight on him, just as he wanted it.” – coach John Dussliere

“You will be missed. You’re far more than a coach and father figure to thousands of swimmers. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to swim with you.” – Steve West

USA Swimming:

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