Stan Huntsman, a coaching legend, has finally been given his due recognition.
Huntsman, Ohio's cross country and track and field coach from 1957 until 1971, was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame on Dec. 3, 2004.
It was conducted like an Academy Award event
Huntsman said. Really first class a really fine affair.
The Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place at the Nike World Campus in Beaverton, Ore. Huntsman was inducted with Mike Conley, Michael Johnson and Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
After his graduation from Wabash College (Ind.), Huntsman was faced with a very difficult decision: which career path to pursue. At that point, Huntsman entertained the thoughts of a coaching position, joined the Army and was even offered a football contract with the Chicago Cardinals.
After talking with friend Carl Nessley, former chairman of the physical education department at Ohio, Huntsman agreed to interview for the track and field graduate position at Ohio.
We drove to Athens the next day Huntsman said, and the rest is history.
Huntsman continued to move up the ranks at Ohio when he was offered the head coaching job two years later, the same year he was to receive his master's degree. The opportunity was a result of previous head coach Jim Johnson's resignation.
During his 14-year tenure at Ohio, Huntsman coached numerous athletes who received national recognition. He even led the 1964 Ohio cross country team to a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
Perhaps the greatest individual Huntsman coached was Les Carney, who won a silver medal in the 1960 Rome Olympics.
He was ahead of what most coaches were doing
Carney said, He gave me the leeway to participate under him and realize a dream most cannot even think.
According to his athletes, what made Huntsman stand out among other coaches were his tough workouts and his dedication to hard work.
No doubt about it
Stan Huntsman believed in hard work
said Elmore Banton, winner of the 1964 NCAA cross country championship and Ohio coach from 1980 to 2003. He was a very tough coach
unbelievable workouts. He was quiet
but you knew he was the boss. He knew how to get the best out of the kids.
While Huntsman said he outworked most coaches, he remained humble after receiving his award and pointed a lot of his success away from himself and to his athletes.
They made me
Huntsman said, but I made them too. It works both ways.
After leaving Ohio in 1971, Huntsman continued to produce more national champions at Tennessee and Texas before retiring in 1995. Huntsman finished his 39-year coaching career with 41 individual national champions under his direction.
Along with an outstanding collegiate coaching record, Huntsman represented the United States in international competitions. He was the U.S. head coach at the 1988 Olympics, 1983 World Championships, 1977 World Cup and 2003 World Indoor Championship, and was an assistant for the Olympic Games in 1976 and 1980.
In the heyday of the Soviet Union and German Democratic
you didn't need much motivation as Americans
Huntsman said.
Praise is continuing to pour in about Huntsman regarding his recent national recognition.
I owe it all to Stan Huntsman
