Payton Jordan, coach of the record-setting 1968 US Olympic track and field team, died Thursday. He was 91
AGUNA HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Payton Jordan, coach of the record-setting 1968 US Olympic track and field team, died Thursday. He was 91.
Jordan died of cancer at his home in Laguna Hills, daughter Cheryl Melville said.
He led the US track team to a record 24 medals, 12 of them gold, at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. He served as Stanford's track and field coach from 1957-79.
Years ago, Jordan recalled how his Olympic team excelled despite some black athletes threatening to boycott the games over a push for civil rights.
"We just sat down and talked about how hard everyone worked for so long to get ready for this lifetime opportunity," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1989. "It was like the high altitude in Mexico City — something we weren't used to — or like an injury. It was just something we had to work through and overcome."
Before his coaching career, Jordan broke world records with Southern California — in the 440-yard relay in 1938 and the 100-yard dash on grass in 1941. His records stood for decades. He also played football for USC and played in the 1939 Rose Bowl.
Instead of competing in the 1940 and 1944 Olympics, which were canceled due to World War II, Jordan joined the Navy.
He started his coaching career at Occidental College, and later produced seven Olympic athletes at Stanford.
After retirement, he laced up his running shoes to compete in masters races. He set his last masters world record in the 100-yard dash at the Penn Relays in 1998 — at age 80. He set his last world record in the 100-meter dash in 1997.
He was married to his wife Marge for 66 years before she died in 200
Track & Field coach Payton Jordan dead at 91
Report Thread
-
-
http://www.world-masters-athletics.org/records_output/rec_list_outdoor_m.php
Sure could move for an old fella.
RIP and thanks for the memories. -
I grew up down the street from Coach Jordan. He was a family friend and I knew him before I knew what track was. I will never forget him coming over to my house and describing Bob Beamon's WR long jump to our Cub Scout troop: "He jumped from about this end of the living room over to the front door, five feet in the air." Our eyes went wide, as we were all about three and a half feet tall, and couldn't imagine a human being jumping that far or that high.
Coach Jordan was a big reason why I got into track in the first place. He always had a positive word and always encouraged his athletes to do their very best. Marge and he both led long, full lives and I will miss them both.
Rest in peace, Coach. -
Not to speak badly about the guy now that he's passed on, but is this not the same man Kenny Moore called a bad coach of distance runners in his book Men of Oregon?
-
Born March 19, 1917 in Whittier.
Payton went to Pasadena High School.
They say most people die within 50 miles of where they were born.
Payton was just an ordinary guy and did just that, he died February 5, 2009 in Laguna Beach. -
a) That's one man's opinion.
b) There are lots of fine coaches who are weak in one area or another. That doesn't take away from him being a fine coach in other areas, nor from being a fine person. -
Thanks for sharing!
-
14.35 is insanely fast for 80
-
ahill wrote:
I grew up down the street from Coach Jordan. He was a family friend and I knew him before I knew what track was. I will never forget him coming over to my house and describing Bob Beamon's WR long jump to our Cub Scout troop: "He jumped from about this end of the living room over to the front door, five feet in the air." Our eyes went wide, as we were all about three and a half feet tall, and couldn't imagine a human being jumping that far or that high.
Coach Jordan was a big reason why I got into track in the first place. He always had a positive word and always encouraged his athletes to do their very best. Marge and he both led long, full lives and I will miss them both.
Rest in peace, Coach.
You are a lucky man to know him as you did. It was always my impression, from things heard and read, what you describe about Payton- the man led a FULL life. May he RIP. -
Bam! wrote:
Not to speak badly about the guy now that he's passed on, but is this not the same man Kenny Moore called a bad coach of distance runners in his book Men of Oregon?
Kenny Moore preferred a coach who liked to piss on his athletes while they were showering. -
C o a c h wrote:
Kenny Moore preferred a coach who liked to piss on his athletes while they were showering.
After meeting Mr. Moore, while he's a decent writer, he struck me as a closet case in denial. As Al Bundy would say; "...he's a homo." -
I was named after Payton Jordan (Jordan) that's what' my dad has always said
-
Former Wildcat wrote:
After meeting Mr. Moore, while he's a decent writer, he struck me as a closet case in denial. As Al Bundy would say; "...he's a homo."
Actually he's closer to pedo than homo. Most of the women he dates are very young. 18 probably. Younger than, possibly. -
More details on Payton the masters sprinter are here:
http://masterstrack.com/blog/005345.html
ken -
I ran at Stanford "under" Jordan (the word is appropriate) when Kenny Moore was also on campus, so he has first-hand knowledge of Payton Jordan as a Coach for distance runners. It was the consensus opinion among ALL of the distance crew that the more distance we maintained from Payton Jordan, the better off we were. Our Coach was Marshall Clark, who had a great deal of respect for Coach Jordan, so we honored that, too. But the expression "That was just something Payt said" was one you heard often. Jordan also routinely ignored at least two team votes when the outcomes did not correspond to his wishes.
I notice Jordan being praised as someone who respected (somehow) Smith and Carlos' protest at the Olympic Medal ceremony. That may be true, but he also told T & F News before the Games that a proposed boycott by black Olympic athletes wasn’t a response to any real grievances. His right-wing politic were familiar to all of us.
Jordan's training ideas -- his emphasis on quality -- was not up with the times. I could go on, but the man just died so an honest appraisal of his capabilities as a Coach should occur on another day. But a man with a reputation as a track "immortal" coached only 29 All-American athletes during his 23 years at Stanford. Averaging a little over one athlete a year who was among the top 8 or 10 in his event in the country? I would call that a fairly ordinary performance for a big-time Division I track Coach, especially one that had many, many major high school athletes recruited into his program. -
Yeah, just piss on a dead man's grave. Vin has never had a athlete win an Oly medal, and if Vin died tomorrown, you'd probably be the 1st to say that, just to ruin it for him. Do you enjoy pissing on a dead man's grave ?
-
Jordan never coached a single Olympic medalist, either. He was the Olympic Coach, but he didn't develop the athletes on "his" team, or even give them their workouts. They were all international-calibre runners with their own training methods. A U.S. Olympic Coach, as a certain renown University of Arkansas track coach once remarked, is a "babysitter." And Jordan could shine in the role of inspirational booster, if you were willing to overlook the subtle and not-so-subtle authoritarianism that lay just below the surface.
By the way, although Jordan made my time at Stanford very difficult (and I was not alone), I am not "pissing" on anyone. Many people were very inspired by Payton Jordan, which I fully acknowledge, and I think at this moment we should just leave it at that. But since you mention Vin Lanana -- I could use what he achieved at Stanford to rest my case.
A Stanford alum who I respect a great deal, Greg Brock (now track coach at Santa Cruz High School), said something in the last few days about Jordan that I think is true (and I more-or-less quote): "He got caught up in the time. But the virtues he had were timeless." -
Wonder what 'right-wing politic' could possibly have to do with your negative view of Jordan's coaching abilities. Oh. Unless that's your real objection.
A conservative in a liberal hellhole is very similar to applying Bactine on an infection. The wound needs it, but it sure hurts like hell to get better. -
I'm very sorry to hear of the passing of Payton Jordan.
