Husker Coaching Staff Comes Up Gold

Two hail from the west coast and the other is a native Nebraskan.

They come from different backgrounds, and each has taken long roads around the globe in their respective journeys. But the roads of hard work led them to the same place years ago when each received a gold medal on the Olympic podium, and each has come to the same place again today ? Nebraska.

Pablo Morales, Launi Meili and Jim Hartung ? once dominant athletes in the pool, on the range and in the gym now circulate the Nebraska campus as coaches and mentors to Husker student-athletes.

The trio combined for 25 individual national titles during their days as collegians and went on to extend their unprecedented success on the highest level. Hartung won gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic as part of the USA men’s gymnastics squad and Morales and Meili garnered gold in 1992 at Barcelona in the 100-meter butterfly and three-position smallbore rifle, respectively.

The three former gold medalists are on staff at Nebraska as the head swimming and diving coach (Morales), head rifle coach (Meili) and assistant men’s gymnastics coach (Hartung), giving Nebraska the most gold medalists on any Big 12 staff.

"I have always associated Nebraska with quality," Meili said. "As coaches, I know that we try to bring the best people in as student-athletes. I think three Olympic gold medalists in a pretty small coaching tree is a significant number. That shows how Nebraska wants quality people for their whole athletic program and I am proud to be a part of that."

It was not a secret when these coaches came to Nebraska that they had extensive expertise and experience in their sports. After all, many experts called Morales and Hartung the greatest men’s swimmer and gymnast, respectively, in NCAA history. Meili, who set three world records and numerous national records, remains the only American woman to win Olympic gold in smallbore rifle.

But all three know that success as an athlete does not necessarily lead to success as a coach.

"The most important thing if you are an Olympic gold medalist who is trying to coach is that first and foremost you can coach," said Morales, who has another former Olympian, Diving Coach Natalya Chikina, on his staff. "I think it lends to a certain credibility, notoriety and recognition of the program to have that gold medal, but in terms of respect as a coach, you have to earn it every day and learn to get better and be able to make appropriate changes that are beneficial to the team and individuals on the team. That is very important, and I think Jim (Hartung) and Lonnie (Meili) understand that as well."

With that humble approach, the numbers have been impressive.

Morales has led the Husker swimming and diving team back to prominence by guiding it to a combined 15-3 record over the past two seasons, while Meili coached her team to a third-place finish at the 2005 NCAA Championships after a sixth-place national showing in 2004.

Hartung, an Omaha native and former Husker gymnast, was just brought on staff in September. The Nebraska native has more than 40 years of gymnastics experience and has lived in Lincoln since he graduated college. He also travels the world as a top 10-rated gymnastics judge and has been a visiting coach to the U.S. National Team.

"It means a lot to be a Nebraska native and coach here," Hartung said. "I was born, bred and raised here in Nebraska and I am a Husker. It means a lot to me to be here and this seems like it is where I belong. The athletic department has made a huge commitment to the Olympic sports by getting athletes what they need as far as great facilities and knowledgeable coaches. That makes me feel good that they have made a strong commitment."

It takes a special type of commitment to put together the type of staff that Nebraska has in this instance. Whether it be in Meili’s office where old Olympic banners are hung, or on the record boards at their respective universities, the Nebraska coaching staff has something to be very proud of ? an Olympic spirit.