James Counsilman

Counsilman was born in Birmingham, Alabama, but grew up and learned to swim in St. Louis, Missouri.[https://web.archive.org/web/20140317091426/https://www.indiana.edu/~radiotv/wtiu/doc/docbio.html More about Doc page] from the Doc Counsilman: Making Waves page of the WTIU; retrieved 2011-02-02. He swam collegiately for Ohio State University under Hall of Fame Coach Mike Peppe, and while in college set world-records in the 50 and 300 yard breaststrokes. Peppe was an exceptional coach and mentor for Counsilman. During his tenure, Peppe's Ohio State teams won 11 NCAA Championships and between 1943-63 finished first or second in national competition in all but two years. During World War II, Counsilman served in the United States Army Air Forces in Italy as a B-24 Liberator pilot with the 455th Bomb Group of the Fifteenth Air Force.

Post Ohio State, Counsilman went on to earn a master's degree at the University of Illinois (1947), where he also served as an assistant coach, before pursuing a doctorate degree in physiology from the University of Iowa where he was also the assistant coach under David Armbruster(1948-1951).[http://www.cortlandreddragons.com/hof.aspx?hof=43&path=&kiosk= Counsilman's bio] from the SUNY Cortland Hall of Fame; published in 2005, retrieved 2011-02-02. It was at Iowa that Counsilman coached his first two Olympians-Wally Ris and Bowen Stassforth. Following award of his doctorate, the now-dubbed "Doc" began teaching and coaching at Cortland State University, where he stayed from 1952 to 1957, before beginning his career at Indiana University.

While at Cortland State, he coached freshman George Breen in 1953. Breen was molded by Counsilman into a standout athlete, and broke the world record for the 1500 meter freestyle.{{Citation|title=World record progression 1500 metres freestyle|date=2019-12-19|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=World_record_progression_1500_metres_freestyle&oldid=931472661|work=Wikipedia|language=en|access-date=2020-01-31}} Breen, qualifying for the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, set another world record in the 1500 meter freestyle with a time of 17:52.9 during the preliminaries, but was unable to match the time in the finals and received only a bronze medal.

Once at Indiana University, he continued to train Breen for the 1500, an event for which he would receive a second bronze medal in the 1960 Olympics in Rome. Ultimately, Counsilman was credited with molding Breen into one of the finest Olympic distance swimmers in United States history.{{Cite web|url=https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/george-breen-a-four-time-olympic-medalist-dies-after-battle-with-pancreatic-cancer/|title=George Breen, a Four-Time Olympic Medalist, Dies After Cancer Battle|date=2019-11-10|website=Swimming World News|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-31}}

At IU, Counsilman coached the men's team to 6 consecutive NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships (1968–1973), and 20 consecutive (1961–1980) and 23 total Big Ten Conference titles. While at IU, Doc coached over 60 Olympic swimmers, including Mark Spitz.

He served as the Men's Head Coach of the USA's swimming team at the 1964 Olympics (where the USA men won 9-of-11 events) and at 1976 Olympics (USA men won 12-of-13 events).

In 1961, he was named Coach of the Year by the American Swimming Coaches Association.

In 1964, he led the Indiana team to its sixth straight USA national championships (AAU at the time).[https://web.archive.org/web/20071022044830/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,875110,00.html Swimming: Formula: Hurt, Pain, Agony], published by TIME on 1963-08-23; retrieved 2011-02-02.

In 1979, at the age of 58, he briefly became the oldest person to swim the English Channel.[http://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/sports/m-swim/spec-rel/010404aaa.html James 'Doc' Counsilman] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110311081835/http://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/sports/m-swim/spec-rel/010404aaa.html |date=2011-03-11 }} from the Indian Hoosiers website; published 2004-01-04; retrieved 2011-02-02.

Swimmers who swam for Counsilman include: Jim Montgomery, Gary Hall, John Kinsella, Mike Troy, Charlie Hickcox, Larry Barbiere, Don McKenzie, Chet Jastremski, Wally Ris, Bowen Stassforth, Tom Stock, George Breen, Mike Stamm, Alan Somers, Ted Stickles, John Murphy, Bill Heiss, Fred Tyler, John Waldman, Gary Conelly, Tom Hickcox, and Mark Spitz.

Doc Counsilman is known as one of the greatest swimming coaches of all time. He was an innovator in the sport,[https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/flash-a-giant-has-fallen-doc-counsilman-dies/ A Giant Has Fallen: Doc Counsilman Dies] by Cecil Colwin for Swimming World Magazine online. Published 2004-01-04, retrieved 2011-02-02.[http://www.indiana.edu/~ocmhptst/051603/text/doc.html IU's legendary swim coach to be featured in WTIU special] by Ann Wesley, Indiana University. Retrieved 2012-06-16. pioneering underwater filming, and watching swimmers underwater, as can be seen in Royer Pool at Indiana University today. He was the primary instigator of hypoventilation training, a training method which consists of swimming with reduced breathing frequency.{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.resp.2013.08.022 |title=Swimmers can train in hypoxia at sea level through voluntary hypoventilation |year=2014 |last1=Woorons |first1=Xavier |last2=Gamelin |first2=François-Xavier |last3=Lamberto |first3=Christine |last4=Pichon |first4=Aurélien |last5=Richalet |first5=Jean Paul |journal=Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology |volume=190 |pages=33–9 |pmid=24012989|s2cid=26688092 }}

Counsilman died in Bloomington, Indiana, in 2004, after developing Parkinson's disease.

He has been inducted into various Hall of Fames, including: the International Swimming Hall of Fame (1976), Ohio State Varsity "O" Hall of Fame (1988), IU Athletics (2001),[http://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/trads/ind-trads-hof-1991.html#James IU Athletics Hall of Fame - 1991 Inductees] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110310061304/http://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/trads/ind-trads-hof-1991.html#James |date=2011-03-10 }} from the IU Hoosiers website; retrieved 2011-02-02. the American Swimming Coaches Association[http://www.swimmingcoach.org/hof/coaches/counsilman.html Counsilman's entry] from the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame subpage; retrieved 2011-02-02. and SUNY Cortland (2005).

• List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
• List of Ohio State University people

{{Reflist}}

• The Science of Swimming, by James E. Counsilman, Prentice Hall, Juni 1968, {{ISBN|978-0-13-795385-1}}
• The Complete Book of Swimming , by James E. Counsilman, Atheneum, 1977, {{ISBN|978-0-689-10530-2}}
• Competitive Swimming Manual for Coaches and Swimmers, by James E. Counsilman, Counsilman Co., 1977, {{ISBN|978-0-253-31395-9}}
• The New Science of Swimming, by James E. Counsilman and Brian E. Counsilman, Prentice Hall, April 1994, {{ISBN|978-0-13-099888-0}}

• [http://www.indiana.edu/~hplab/ccss.html Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming] – Official website
• {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402125603/http://www.ishof.org/dr.-james-e.--doc--counsilman-(usa).html |title=Dr. James E. "Doc" Counsilman (USA) – Honor Coach profile at International Swimming Hall of Fame |date=mdy}}

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{{Footer USA Swimming 1976 Summer Olympics}}

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Category:2004 deaths

Category:American swimming coaches

Category:College swimming coaches in the United States

Category:Neurological disease deaths in Indiana

Category:Deaths from Parkinson's disease in the United States

Category:Indiana Hoosiers swimming coaches

Category:Ohio State Buckeyes men's swimmers

Category:Sportspeople from Birmingham, Alabama

Category:United States Army Air Forces bomber pilots of World War II

Category:American expatriates in Italy

Category:1920 births