Former Kansas Jayhawks track coach Gary Schwartz dies at age 79

Former University of Kansas discus thrower Gary Schwartz, who won the Big Eight title in his event in 1965 then later went on to serve as head coach of the Jayhawks’ tradition-rich track program from 1988 to 2000, died Monday in Springdale, Arkansas, at the age of 79, KU Athletics has confirmed.

Schwartz was a member of KU’s track team from 1962 to 1966. He helped lead KU to three Big Eight titles. He coached the Jayhawks men’s and women’s teams 12 seasons, gaining induction into the Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989 after directing the Jayhawk men’s team to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships.

In his 21 years as a head coach (KU, Penn State, Tennessee), Schwartz’s athletes earned 133 All-America honors. He coached six top-four teams at the NCAA Championships and coached eight Olympians. Schwartz also served on four coaching staffs for U.S. teams in international competition — in Spain, England, Belgium and Canada — and he was a coach at the National Sports Festival in both 1982 and ’83.

“Coach Schwartz was a very supportive and understanding person,” KU Olympic javelin thrower Scott Russell said Tuesday in an interview with The Star. “He was kind but fierce. That was him as a competitor as well. Although physically he is not here, a lot of who he is will live on through everyone he touched in his life and his athletes. It’s an honor for me to say I was one of his athletes.”

Five-time KU All-American Candace Dunback told The Star: “Coach certainly had a presence about him. Equal parts love and tough love. He gave the opportunity to earn both but always wrapped it in a life lesson. I have had many conversations with coach over the years and had the opportunity to hear his stories. The common threads through all stories were he loved his teammates, he cherished representing the University of Kansas and his family was his greatest accomplishment. He will be missed but his impact on many lives will be forever felt. Rest easy Coach.”

And current KU track coach Stanley Redwine said in a release: ““Our condolences go to the Schwartz family. Coach was a true Jayhawk, serving terms as an athlete and later as a coach. He instilled commitment and accountability in all the teams that he coached. He served as the president of the Coaches Association. He was a great leader and friend and served the University of Kansas in a multitude of ways. “

Schwartz was an assistant at Ohio University, Massachusetts, Army and Penn State before becoming Penn State’s head women’s cross country and track coach in 1979, a position he held for five years. He then was the coach at Tennessee for four years (1984-88) before coming back to coach at his alma mater, Kansas, for 12 years (1988-2000).

In college, Schwartz emerged as conference discus champion as a junior in 1965 with a throw of 170-9.

He then embarked on a 34-year cross country/track and field coaching career that earned him 10 region coach of the year awards as well as the NCAA Division I National Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year honor while leading Penn State’s program in 1983.

He was the inaugural president of the U.S. Track Coaches Association from 1992-96 and served on various national committees from 1980-2005. He was the meet director for the 1998 NCAA cross country meet. Schwartz, who replaced legendary coach Bob Timmons at KU, worked with the USA Track and Field coaching staff in the 1999 World Outdoor Championships.

Schwartz also worked as an athletic administrator at the University of Arkansas. He was the technical director for the 2009 NCAA Division I outdoor track championships and had the same duties for nine NCAA indoor championships — all at Arkansas.

Schwartz, who hails from Wessington Springs, South Dakota, coached several All-Americans and Big 12 champions at KU including Dunback (pole vault, pentathlon, heptathlon), Russell (javelin), Charlie Gruber (distance), Kristi Kloster (800), Andrea Branson (pole vault), MaryBeth Labosky (high jump), Heather Berlin (javelin) and Cathy Palacios (mile).

Schwartz’s Jayhawks placed second at the conference indoor meet in 1992 for their highest finish in 13 years. In 1993, they placed second in the outdoor meet, the Jayhawks’ highest finish ever at the competition.

Schwartz was inducted into the South Dakota sports Hall of Fame in 2010. He was an all-state football player at Wessington Springs High. Schwartz was named the South Dakota Prep Athlete of the Year for 1962. He and Wilma Rudolph were selected to carry the torch in the opening ceremonies for the 1962 NAIA national meet in Sioux Falls.

Schwartz is survived by his wife, Myrna, and two sons, Michael and Matthew.