Jon Urbanchek, Coach of University of Michigan, USC and US Olympic Team
RIP, Coach Urbanchek. He died May 9, 2024 at age 87.
“I’m not looking at how many fast times you have, or how many medals you’ve won, medals will tarnish, right? I’m looking at how many friendships you made.” -Coach Jon Urbanchek
When I was gathering stories for the SoCalSwimming History website, a swim official gave me Jon Urbanchek’s number to call. The year was 2017 and he was 80 years old. He told me how he was coaching part time at USC. I was amazed at his energy and how enthusiastic and friendly he was.
From my interview with Coach Urbanchek:
“I’m going to be 81 this year, and I still love the sport. I still volunteer coach at USC Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday because I love being with young people. I love the energy they put out. I think at my age it’s important to be active. I leave the house at 5 a.m. to get there at 6 a.m. driving through LA traffic. I’m officially retired but I’m very happy to be a part of the program. Even this year, I did the training camp for the national team. I’m still involved with the national team and USC. I want to continue on.”
I loved talking to him and learning his life story from leaving Communist Hungary, studying at University of Michigan to his decades-long career coaching.
He was a US Olympic coach on staff for ’92, ’96, ’00, ’04, ’08 and ’12. He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, Long Beach State Hall of Fame and University of Michigan Hall of Fame.
There was an outpouring of love for him this week from the swimming community:
“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 him. He was a kind and dedicated coach who never forgot his swimmers. I will never forget his dedication to our sport, his humor, his coaching style and his love for Team U.S.A. He was a coach of coaches. I know that all of my coaches learned something from him. I am so lucky to have had him as a part of my team….he never stopped coaching and encouraging me.”
— Katie Ledecky, three-time Olympian, seven-time Olympic gold medalist, 21-time world champion, and holder of three world records“I can still hear him saying “keep it moving” “ey , _____ MOVE IT!”…. Thinking about what he taught me in and out of the pool… one of the most influential ppl I’ve had in my life…this man is a legend and truly one of one!
RIP buddy…. ❤️❤️ “
–Michael Phelps, legendary American swimmer who won 28 medals across five Olympics, making him the most decorated athlete in the history of the Summer Games.
“Undeniably among the legendary coaches of our time. Better was his inclusion of all of us on our way up. Fast friend to anyone who crossed his path. If you met him you were undoubtedly added to his contact list along with a selfie together. All of us in swimming owe his wife Melanie and daughter a debt of gratitude for sharing him with us.”
— Dave Salo, former U.S.A. National Team Coach and head coach at USC“Jon Urbanchek was the Yoda to world swimming. Add on the sense of humor and occasionally needed warm hug. His wisdom grew and spread over the decades and his legacy will continue to influence future generations. We will miss his presence and carry on his spirit. ‘Go Blue! Keep it movin!’” — Mike Bottom, former University of Michigan swimming and diving head coach (2008-23)
After my phone interview with Coach Urbanchek, I would run into him at swim meets.
I remember talking with him at Open Water Nationals at Lake Castaic, Calif. I was there to cheer on our daughter.
He was coaching Haley Anderson, who swam the 10k in the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympics. We became friends with the Anderson family, because Haley’s younger sister, Jordan, swam with our daughter at the University of Utah. Haley and her sister Alyssa made the US Olympic team in London. Alyssa earned a gold medal for the 4 X 200 free relay, while Haley earned Silver, finishing 4/10s of a second — in the 6.2 mile race — behind the winner from Hungary.
Jon Urbanchek at the 2017 Open Water Nationals at Lake Castaic.
Who has made an impact in your life like Jon Urbanchek made in the swimming world?
Wow, I could just feel his energy from your description of him. What a great coach of swimming and life. Thank you for sharing these bits about him, Elizabeth!
Thank you! As Michael Phelps said, he was one of one. I am so fortunate that I got to interview and know him.
Amazing!!
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Thank you so much for sharing, Elizabeth! 💕
I’m glad you enjoyed it. Coach Urbanchek was so inspirational.
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It must be a great honor to meet and interact with a person like him. He sounds amazing.
It definitely was an honor. Also, he was so kind and easy to interview. He had such an impact on coaches, swimmers and everyone he met.
A wonderful and inspiring man. How many lives he must have influenced for the better.
What a wonderful legacy to touch everyone he met with joy and kindness.
Absolutely 👍🏼
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I think that it’s amazing when a human being like this emerges and touches so many lives in such positive ways. It was great to hear about your experience with this man EA. Sometimes those stories and moments are lost among the bigger picture in honoring a person but clearly he touched you in a way that measures up perfectly…just as much as he touched so many others.
Thank you for your great comment. It is rare that a person of Coach Urbanchek’s character comes around. He had such a sparkling personality and brought out the best in everyone he met.
What an incredible man, and a beautiful tribute!
Thank you. He was a breath of fresh air. Truly one of a kind.
The people who had the biggest impact on my life were writers. Og Mandino was a motivational speaker who wrote, The Greatest Salesman in the World, and plenty of other books. It was a Bible story of sorts, but even as an Atheist I was able to get the underlying message.
John Ott was a time-lapse photographer who wrote, Health and Light. Fifty years ago, that book opened my eyes to the benefit of sunlight.
Also around 50 years ago, Pat Frank wrote a book called Alas, Babylon, which was about surviving a nuclear war. It taught me about what is really important in life. It was my Mother’s favorite book, and it became one of mine, too.
So, finally, I would like to add my parents as the people who had the greatest impact on my life. I didn’t make their job easy, especially when I was a teenager, but they were great role models.
I enjoyed your thoughtful answer. Yes, I agree with you that writers have impacted my life, too. And my parents. I will have to take a look at the books you mentioned.
I’m so glad to learn about this energetic, kind and giving man who graced our world (and especially the world of swimming).
I’ve recently reconnected with a woman locally who still writes regularly about the arts for the local paper. She’s approaching 90. She also introduces the Life-long Learning lecturers at the college, and has been doing so much to promote me since my book came out (she and her late husband co-authored a book). She spent many years in academia, teaching art history. She is very inspiring to me, and I will treasure her friendship always.
What a great person you connected with and is helping to promote your book. When I meet one of these extraordinary individuals, like Coach Urbanchek, it helps my desire to be more like them and impact others in the positive way they have.
I agree! I hope I can mentor and promote others in the future.
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Indeed! I was lucky enough to have had a wonderful physician who truly cared about his patients’ health, wasn’t afraid to say when he doesn’t know something. Sadly for us, he recently retired still young in his 80s… Sadly for him, the practice he started didn’t feel he was making enough money for them and encouraged him to retire.
I’m so glad to see that some of our elders are respected and treasured!
That sounds like a wonderful doctor. It’s too bad he was encouraged out the door. This coach is so loved. I keep seeing photos of swimmers posting photos on Instagram with him.
My girls swam for years and years before switching to water polo in high school and college. Their first coach was named Valerie and she made being on a team fun and social. Lots of great memories of those days. Hugs, C
Fortunately, my kids’ early coaches were like Valerie. As they got older they had coaches who weren’t as social and screamed. Urbanchek was one of a kind.
This tribute reminded me of the old adage that if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. It sounds like Jon probably didn’t feel like what he did was “work” at all. Great story, great life.🙂
That’s exactly right. He was doing what he loved. He was studying engineering in college and realized that he didn’t want to do that. Lucky for Jon, he figured it out early on!
What a wonderful tribute to a man who sounds amazing, Elizabeth. I had a teacher in high school, my choir teacher, who made a big impact, encouraging me to stretch my singing abilities. Great memories!
Thank you for the compliment. Isn’t Irv wonderful when we have people like your choir teacher and Jon Urbanchek who can impact our lives?
Yes, these people enrich our lives. 🥰
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