Nort Thornton

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Norton Thornton, Jr.
Biographical details
Born1933
DiedApril 21, 2021 (Age 87)
Alma materSan Jose State University 1956
Stanford University
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1956-1960Los Altos High School
1960-1974Foothill Jr. College[1]
1974–2007University of California, Berkeley men's swimming and diving
Head coaching record
Overall231-85 .73 Win %
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
NCAA Championships 1979, 1980
(U. Cal.)
8 National Swimming Titles
(Foothill Jr. College)
4 Northern CIF titles, 1956-60
(Los Altos High School)
Awards
International Swimming Hall of Fame, 1995
Cal Athletics Hall of Fame, 2010

Norton Thornton Jr. (1933 – April 21, 2021) was the head coach of the California Golden Bears men's swimming and diving team at the University of California, Berkeley from 1974 through 2007, where he led the team to NCAA national championships in 1979 and 1980. Formerly, he coached Southern California's Los Altos High School, Los Altos Swim Club and Foothill Junior College, leading them to national recognition from 1956 through 1974.[2]

Early life and education[edit]

Born in 1933,[3][4] Thornton earned a bachelor's degree in Physical Education from San Jose State University in 1956 and a Master's degree in Education from Stanford University.[5]

Coaching career[edit]

Thornton began his career around 1956 in Los Altos, California, coaching swimming at Los Altos High School, where under his direction the team broke 13 national records out of 20, and won four straight Northern CIF titles by 1960.[1]

Foothill Jr. College[edit]

From 1960-1974, he coached at Foothill Junior College, where the team became one of the most highly rated junior college swim programs in the United States. Inheriting a team that had great potential, by his 1962 season, Thornton had eight team members with All-American honors in prep school, and two that had been on the Junior College All-America team in the 1961 season.[6] At Foothill, he led his teams to eight national swimming titles, and five state Junior College championships in Water Polo.[7]

In 1960, he founded Foothill Aquatic Club, which he coached through 1974, when it was renamed the Los Altos Mountain View Aquatic Club. By 1960, Thornton had produced national championship and Olympic swimmers. He left Foothill Aquatic club in 1974 to help coach University of California's Concord Swim Club, formerly coached by Pete Cutino.[8][1]

Outstanding swimmers prior to 1974[edit]

Outstanding swimmers coached by Thornton before he began at U. Cal Berkeley included 1960 and 1964 Olympian Steve Clark, 100-meter freestyle record holder, Gary Ilman, a '64 Olympic medalist in the 100 freestyle who swam for Foothill Junior College, and Canadian Ralph Hutton, a three-time Olympic finalist. Thornton also trained European champions from Sweden, Peter Fiel and Ingmar Ericksson. Australian swimmer and 1972 Olympian Shane Gould trained at the Foothill Aquatic Club during High School.[1]

Coaching U. Cal Berkeley[edit]

He became head coach of the men's swimming and diving team at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1974 and remained for 33 seasons, retiring and becoming Head Coach Emeritus in 2007, when he became the longest-tenured coach at the university. In his early years with U. Cal Berkeley, he helped with the Water Polo team, and the Concord Swim Club, coached by Cal's Pete Cutino.[1][5][7][9][10][11]

The U. Cal. Berkeley team's record in dual meets during his tenure was 231-85. They won NCAA Championships in 1979 and 1980, and were ranked in the top 10 in national polls in 28 seasons.[5][9][10] During his tenure, members of the team won 48 individual and relay NCAA championships and 108 Pac-10 individual, relay and diving championships,[9][10] Forty-eight of his swimmers competed in the Olympics, winning 14 gold, 10 silver and 5 bronze medals;[10][11] two others won one gold and one silver medal after his retirement.[10] The only previous Olympic medal won by a University of California, Berkeley swimmer was Ludy Langer's silver at the 1920 Olympics.[7] Thornton pioneered recruitment of international athletes, and was also known for embracing new technology and methodologies. He was involved in recruiting Dave Durden as a Cal swimming coach who would continue his legacy beginning in 2007.[12]

Outstanding Olympians coached by Thornton included U.S. team member Peter Rocca, and Swedish Olympic team freestylers Bengt Baron, Pelle Holmertz, Par Arvidsson, and Thomas Lejdstrom. He also coached Canadian Olympian Graham Smith.[2]

International competition[edit]

In international competition, Thornton coached United States swimming teams at the 1979 FINA Synchronised Swimming World Cup and the 1981 World University Games.[10] He was a coach for the United States team at the 1992 Summer Olympics[7] and an assistant coach at the 1983 Pan American Games, the 1986 FINA World Championships, the 1991 Pan Pacific Championships, and the 1998 FINA World Championships.[10] He served as president of the American Swimming Coaches Association and on its board of directors, and was a member of the NCAA Rules Committee.[10]

Awards[edit]

Thornton was twice voted National Coach of the Year, and four times Pac-10 coach of the year.[7][9] He received the National Collegiate and Scholastic Award and was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1995[5][7][9][2] and the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.[3][5][13]

Personal life and death[edit]

Thornton and his wife, Carla, had three children.[2] His son Richard Thornton, who swam for him at U. Cal Berkeley, was an Olympic Swim team member in 1980 and a national team coach.[14]

Nort Thornton died on April 22, 2021, aged 87, after being hospitalized with heart disease.[3][5][7][13]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Foothill Aquatics Coach Wins Call Swimming Job", The Berkeley Gazette, Berkeley, California, 19 April 1974, pg. 14
  2. ^ a b c d "Nort Thornton (USA): 1995 Honor Coach". International Swimming Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Former Cal Head Coach Nort Thornton Passes Away". California Golden Bears Athletics, Men's Swimming and Diving. April 22, 2021.
  4. ^ "In Memory: Norton Thornton". Los Altos High School Class of 1962. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Steve Kroner (April 22, 2021). "Longtime head coach Nort Thornton, who led Cal swimming to 2 NCAA titles, dies at 87". San Francisco Chronicle.
  6. ^ "Foothill College Swim Squad Loaded With Former AA Stars", The Peninsula Times Tribune, Palo Alto, California, 1 February 1962, pg. 22
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Andy Ross (April 22, 2021). "Passages: Hall of Fame Cal Coach Nort Thornton Dies at 87; Produced Olympic Champions". Swimming World.
  8. ^ "Mission and History". Los Altos Mountain View Athletic Club. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Thornton decides to call it quits". Contra Costa Times. Times Wire Services. July 27, 2007. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h "Nort Thornton, Head Coach Emeritus". California Golden Bears Athletics, Men's Swimming and Diving. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  11. ^ a b John Crumpacker (July 27, 2007). "Long-time coach Thornton is gone". San Francisco Chronicle.
  12. ^ Ron Kroichick (May 19, 2002). "Staying power/ Four Bay Area coaches buck trend of jumping from job to job". San Francisco Chronicle.
  13. ^ a b Jeff Faraudo (April 22, 2021). "Cal Swimming: Legendary Coach Nort Thornton Dies at 87". Sports Illustrated.
  14. ^ Jordan Parker (January 17, 2024). "U.S. Olympian, Bay Area swim coach died by drowning, autopsy finds". San Francisco Chronicle.

External links[edit]

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