Bill Easton

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Millard E. Bill Easton (born September 13, 1904 in Stinesville , Indiana , † October 4, 1997 in Kansas City , Kansas ) was an American athletic coach.

Life

Easton belongs to the generation of coaches who were broad-based and competent in various sports. After graduating from high school in Sandborn , Indiana, (1922), he completed a degree in education (BA, 1927) at Indiana University , which was supplemented by physical exercise (BS, 1932). In the summer series he worked as a lifesaver. As a track and field athlete, he trained as a middle and long distance runner with Billy Hayes , from whom he was so enthusiastic that he became his graduate assistant (1927-1932). After graduating, he became a teacher / coach at high schools in Ellettsville, Indiana , Lowell , Hobart, Indiana, and Hammond (two Indiana team champions in three years). At the same time he was still enrolled and continued his studies (MS, 1935). In 1941 he became a track and field coach at Duke University and at the same time became the sports director of the Duke Relays , which he expanded into the most important medium and long-distance event in the USA. In 1948 he became the track and field coach of the University of Kansas and additionally (until 1955) assistant coach of the football team. He brought out 8 Olympic participants, including 3 Olympic champions, 32 international fighters, and they also achieved 14 American records. His most famous track and field athletes were Bill Nieder , Al Oerter , Billy Mills , Fred Wilt and Wes Santee . Despite his international success, the University of Kansas dismissed him without notice (early retirement at 61), because they really wanted Jim Ryun as an athlete and he only wanted to come with his coach Bob Timmons as head coach. Easton was then head coach of Mexico (1965-1969), before he gave trainer training courses for the State Department , especially in Malaysia . As a former middle- and long-distance runner, he required extensive interval training , which he supplemented with long cross-country runs in winter.

Honors

For his services he was inducted into the State of Kansas Sports Hall, 2000; Helms Hall of Fame, 1966; National Track & Field Hall of Fame, 1975; US Track & Field Hall of Fame, 1975; Drake Relays Coaches Hall of Fame, 1976; Indiana High School Hall of Fame, 1977; KU Athletics Hall of Fame, 1977.

The University of Kansas's annual invitational sports festival bears his name, Bill Easton Classic .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Bill Easton on USA Track & Field. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  2. ^ Pictures of KU Track and Field Teammates. raywyatt.net. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  3. ^ Earl Morey: Easton Closes Door On Ouster as Couch. Lawrence Daily Journal World, May 25, 1965, p. 11 ( online ).
  4. ↑ Family-Placed Death Notice. Legacy.com. October 11, 2005, accessed August 25, 2016.
  5. ↑ Arnd Krüger : Many roads lead to Olympia. The changes in training systems for medium and long distance runners (1850–1997). In: N. Gissel (Hrsg.): Sporting performance in change . Czwalina, Hamburg 1998, pp. 41-56.
  6. ↑ Bill Easton in the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame . Retrieved August 26, 2016.
personal data
SURNAME Easton, Bill
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Easton, Millard E.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American athletics coach
DATE OF BIRTH September 13, 1904
PLACE OF BIRTH Stinesville , Indiana
DATE OF DEATH 4th October 1997
Place of death Kansas City , Kansas