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ATHENS, Ohio – Former Ohio swimming and diving coach Fletcher Gilders has been named to the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America's (CSCAA) 100 Greatest College Swimming & Diving Coaches of the past 100 years list, the organization announced.
Gilders coached the Ohio men's swimming and diving squad from 1959 until 1984. During his time with the Bobcats, Ohio won five Mid-American Conference titles. Gilders was inducted into the Kermit Blosser Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame in 1971.
During the 1980s and 90s, Gilders coached at Keynon College, where he and his athletes won 14 consecutive North Coast Athletic Conference championships and eight individual NCAA Division III diving titles. Gilders would also earn NCAA-D3 Coach of the Year honors on three occasions.
Gilders attended Ohio State where he was a two-time NCAA Champion in the one-meter springboard and helped lead Ohio State to three Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Championships. Gilders was also a member of the OSU track & field, gymnastics, and soccer teams; winning a total of 10 varsity letters to become the first four-sport letterman in Ohio State's modern history.
Not only is Gilders a member of the Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame, but he is also an inductee to the Athletic Hall of Fame at Ohio State and Keynon.
As a part of the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America's (CSCAA) Centennial Celebration, the association has named its list of 100 Greatest College Swimming & Diving Coaches of the past 100 years.
Just over 500 coaches were nominated. A blue ribbon committee of fifty eight voters selected from 263 finalists, each focusing on a particular sport (swimming or diving) and Division. A steering committee consisting of Anne Goodman James, Peter Hovland, Bob Groseth, and Jon Lederhouse then vetted and finalized the selections.
The list includes well-known names like James "Doc" Counsilman and Eddie Reese, but also some lesser-known names like Clarion's Becky Rutt (with six AIAW titles) and Fletcher Guilders who led Ohio University for a quarter-century before becoming one of the pre-eminent diving coaches in Division III.
What ties them together, is a record of exceptional success vis-à-vis their peers. Collectively the coaches account for 346 NCAA and NAIA team titles plus an additional 260 individual diving titles. "The voters and committee really deserve a lot of credit for making performance the key criterion" explained CSCAA Executive Director Greg Earhart, adding, "they ensured that each of the three NCAA divisions and the NAIA were represented, yet made sure that a coach's selection was not simply a product of their longevity or service to the sport."
The CSCAA's 100th birthday celebration will continue with upcoming announcements recognizing Centennial MVP's for each team along with a listing of 100 Alumni of Impact. The anniversary will culminate with the Association's convention and awards banquet, May 2-4, 2022 in Rosemont, Illinois.
Founded in 1922, the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA), is the nation's first organization of college coaches. The mission of the CSCAA is to advance the sport of swimming and diving with coaches at the epicenter of leadership, advocacy, and professional development.
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