Tennessee Legend Bussard Passes Away

A legend of collegiate swimming and the father of Tennessee swimming, Ray Bussard, passed away on Wednesday.  Known for his competitiveness, innovation and loud jackets, Bussard coached with what can only be described as spizzerinctum in leading the Volunteers to eight SEC titles and the 1978 NCAA Championship. More impressively, the Vols never finished out of the top four from 1972-1979.  

Bussard was coach of current UT head coach John Trembley and when JT thinks of his mentor one word comes to mind - intensity.  "Like so many coaches, he did not allow us to believe we had limits." 

In addition to becoming the first coach in the SEC to win a NCAA team championship, Bussard was twice named NCAA Coach of the year, led the 1979 and 1983 Pan American teams, and assisted on the 1984 Olympic team.

Bussard was especially known for his expertise in sprinting and considered innovative in his focus on starts, turns, strength, and speed.  His swimmers set six world records, earned three Olympic gold medals, set 19 American records and won 44 NCAA titles.  

Bussard also had success outside of the pool.  Prior to coaching swimming Bussard coached high school track, football, basketball and baseball and won five Virginia high school track championships.

He made his mark, however, at Tennessee.  Bussard was hired in 1966 to resurrect at UT team that had been mothballed in 1959.  He spent that first year recruiting ferociously and that first team of freshmen finished the 1968 season second behind Florida at the SEC Championships.  A year later the SEC title was theirs and so began a string of titles.  Bussard's teams went 178-20 in dual-meets over his years, an impressive .899 winning percentage.  Eighty-five of those victories came consecutively and set a standard for years to come.

In addition to the wins and championships, Bussard established many traditions at UT including the donning of coonskin caps by the Volunteers and the tradition of pouring water from the UT Aquatic Center into opponents’ pools prior to meets.  When the Vols swam at home they also had the benefit of the Vol Timettes – attractive co-eds who served as timers.  

He was the SEC Coach-of-the-Year six times and received the CSCAA National Collegiate and Scholastic Swimming Trophy, the highest honor bestowed upon swimming coaches. Bussard is a member of both the University of Tennessee Hall of Fame and International Swimming Hall of Fame and helped establish the Tennessee Swimming Hall of Fame.