Hall of Fame Coach Jon Urbanchek, 1936-2024

Former FAST coach Jon Urbanchek passed away last night at his home in Fullerton surrounded by his family. Jon is a legend in the international swimming community and was an important mentor and friend to FAST since his return to California in 2010.

 

From Anaheim High School to Long Beach State, the University of Michigan, USC, and every Olympic Games since 1976, Jon has deeply touched many lives in and out of the pool. Jon was one of the first coaches at FAST when teams in Fullerton and Anaheim merged to become FAST. It was at the Janet Evans Swim Complex in 1976 that Jon coached his first Olympian, Rod Strachan, who went on to win gold in the 400 IM at the Montreal games that year. Since then Jon has coached and mentored over 50 Olympians. Among Jon's many honors and awards was his induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2008.

 

On June 14-16, 2024 FAST will host the 2nd annual Jon Urbanchek Invitational meet and luncheon. Last year was a great event and, while we will miss Jon's presence this year, we are honored to memorialize Jon and his legacy in this way. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages gifts to the Jon C. Urbanchek Endowed Scholarship Fund which supports scholarships for University of Michigan student-athletes on the men's swimming team.