Ray Essick, the first USA Swimming executive director, passed away last night while spending time with his family. The cause of death is not yet known, but the death was sudden.
No arrangements have yet been made. Swimming World will keep our readers updated when that information is available.
“Ray Essick led our sport through a period of enormous growth and prosperity,” said current USA Swimming Executive Director Chuck Wielgus. “He brought his passion as a coach and his drive for success to his role as USA Swimming’s first executive director. He was a mentor and a dear friend.”
Last year, Essick was named one of the 30 most influential people within the sport of swimming.
Here is the profile Swimming World ran about Essick’s influence as part of that series:
Ray Essick File
- Former head coach at Southern Illinois University, producing 21 All-Americans
- Former head coach at Harvard University
- Served as National Competitive Swimming Administrator for the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)
- Joined USA Swimming upon its founding in 1980
- Served as USA Swimming’s first Executive Director, 1980-1997
- 1997 recipient of the Good Neighbor Award, one of highest honors given to outstanding volunteers by the American Red Cross
- 1998 recipient of USA Swimming Award
- 2015 American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) Hall of Fame honoree
How has he influenced the swimming community?
It’s hard to believe there was a time when USA Swimming did not exist, and swimming in the United States was an AAU sport. Ray Essick headed up the Swimming Committee for the AAU, and then became part of the revolutionary era which saw the founding of USA Swimming. Essick relocated from Indianapolis to Colorado Springs in 1980 to begin his 17-year tenure as the executive director of the newly created USA Swimming. ASCA says it all in Essick’s Hall of Fame bio– “Ray took USA Swimming from an organization in a shoebox, to the finest National Governing Body in all of Olympic Sport.” Essick built USA Swimming into a structure which supports its National Team athletes wholeheartedly, and strives daily to maintain the coveted spot Team USA has held for decades as the best swim team in the world.
A really good man.
U of Illinois very generous and bright fellow who I had the pleasure of learning from. Blessings to Toni and family.
One of the best swimming has produced – a real leader who got US Swimming started after being a great coach.
Thank you to Ray for everything he did for swimming! I truly benefited as a young swimmer, with his name on my USA swimming card long before I would ever get the pleasure of meeting his daughter and then the rest of the family. His laugh was infectious. My heart goes out to the entire Essick family.
RIP Coach. You helped me develop a love for the sport of swimming that has never waned. I am eternally grateful
What a great guy. Ray recruited me to So. Illinois U. He believed in me and it was great. What a great businessman and coach. What he did for USA is Swimming is legendary, and will be tough to match. all the best to his family
Ray was Special to USA Swimming, and to me also. He was instrumental in helping officials recognize that my “roll over” backstroke turn, with touch, was legal. It was the precursor to the current roll over turn. Thanks for all you did for USA Swimming. RIP.