Kris Kubik
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | circa 1955 Memphis, Tennessee |
| Alma mater | North Carolina State Auburn University '78 |
| Playing career | |
| 1973-1978 | North Carolina State Auburn University |
| Position(s) | backstroke |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1977-1978 | Auburn University Student Asst. Coach |
| 1979-1981 | University of Texas Assoc. Coach w/Eddie Reese |
| 1981-1986 | Nashville Aquatics Club Longhorn Aquatics Club |
| 1986-2016 | University of Texas Assoc. Coach w/Eddie Reese |
| 2007 | Pan American Games Asst. Coach |
| 2008 | U.S. Olympic Team, Beijing Special Asst. |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 12 NCAA National Team Championships (University of Texas) 33 Conference Championships) (University of Texas) | |
Kris Kubik was the Associate Head swimming coach for the University of Texas under Head Coach Eddie Reese, from 1979 to 1981, and from 1986 through 2016 where he helped lead the team to 12 NCAA Championship team titles, including consecutive titles in the 2015 and 2016 seasons.[1]
Kubik was born around 1955 to Dr. Burdette Kubik, a Dentist, and Mrs. Zelman Kubik an English teacher, and grew up in a swimming family of around four children in Memphis, Tennessee. Kubik and his three siblings were all swimmers, and won competitions. By three, Kris was active in Cub Scouting in Memphis, where his father served as a scoutmaster.[2][3][4] He attended White Station High School in Memphis, and swam under Coach Dick Fadgen for the Memphis State Athletic Club Swim Team, which practiced at the Memphis State University campus.[4] Fadgen woud produce seven state championship swim teams with the Memphis Athletic Club and coach Memphis State University beginning in 1972. Kubik had hopes of qualifying for the 1972 Olympic swimming trials, and at a high point of his high school swimming career qualified and competed in the 1972 trials in August in Chicago.[5] In 1972, he also qualified for the AAU National Meet in Louisville, Kentucky while swimming for the Memphis State Swim Club and recorded a qualifying time of :54.6 in the 100-yard backstroke.[6][7]
College swimming[edit]
He was an All-American swimmer for North Carolina State, where he swam under Head Coach Don Easterling.[8][9] In 1974, Kubik swam a conference record 1:57.07 in the 200-yard backstroke, breaking his own record by a second, and helping to lead North Carolina to its fifth straight victory in the Atlantic Coast Conference's swimming title. He transferred from North Carolina State to Auburn University where he graduated in 1978.[10]
Coaching[edit]
Kubik was Associate Head coach for the University of Texas under Head Coach Eddie Reese, from 1979 to 1981, and from 1986 through 2016.
Kubik departed UT for four years, where from 1981 to 1985, he was an age group coach for the Nashville Aquatics Club and then for the Longhorn Aquatics Club, a high achieving age group swim club in Austin, Texas.[9]
University of Texas[edit]
Kubik coached a total of 34 seasons with Eddie Reese as Head Coach. During this period, Texas had 26 NCAA top-three finishes in the top three and 32 NCAA showings in the top-five. Texas had a total of 54 NCAA individual titles and 42 NCAA relay titles during Kubik's tenure, and had 32 Olympians who captured a total of 36 gold, 16 silver and eight bronze medals. The team of Kubik and Reese took SEC conference team titles in 33 of its 34 seasons working together.[1]
In Kubik's final season, Texas had a perfect 10–0 record in dual meets, took it's 37th consecutive conference title, recorded seven NCAA four American records, and more significantly won their 12th NCAA National team title. Four swimmers from that team, Townley Haas, Jack Conger, Clark Smith and Joseph Schooling, were expected to attend the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[11]
International coaching[edit]
He also coached several international teams. He was Asst. Coach for the U.S. team at the 2007 Pan American Games and served as a special assistant for the Coaching Staff of USA Swimming 2008 Beijing Olympics in 2008.
He also was the Team USA Asst. Coach at the FINA World Championships in 2009 and the 2015 World University Games.[11]
Kris was married to April Russell, David Russell's daughter. Russell was an outstanding defensive back on two University of Texas SEC Champion football squads from 1959 to 1961.[9]
Honors[edit]
In 2011, Kubik was inducted into University of Texas's Athletics Men's Hall of Honor.[11] In a more exclusive honor, he was more recently chosen as one of the 100 Greatest Swimming and Diving Coaches of the Century in 2021 by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA).[12] Kubik was also named to the National Collegiate and Scholastic Trophy by the CSCAA in May, 2017.[13]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Kris Kubik". Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
- ^ "Future Boy Scout", The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tennessee, 31 August 1958, pg. 8
- ^ Kaye, Sara, "Lamb Shasklik Keeps Hosts With Guests", The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tennessee, 4 September 1964, pg. 20
- ^ a b Johnson, Robert, "Good Evening", The Memphis Press-Simitar, 14 January 1972, pg. 5
- ^ "Swim Club Aims at Olympic Trials", The Memphis Press Scimitar, Memphis, Tennessee, 20 April 1972, pg. 6
- ^ "Tigers Qualify in Eight Events", The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tennessee, 19 March 1972, pg. 40
- ^ Athletic Club Party Tonight, The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tennessee, 20 December 1956, pg. 52
- ^ "Wolfpack Wins Swim Crown", Winston Salem Journal, Winston Salem, North Carolina, 3 March 1974, pg. 21
- ^ a b c "University of Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Kris Kubik". University of Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
- ^ "State Wins ACC Swimming Record 5th Straight Time", The News and Observer, Raleigh, North Carolina, 3 March 1974, pg. 23
- ^ a b c "SwimSwam, University of Texas Associate Head Coach Kubik Retires". SwimSwam.
- ^ "CSCAA Coaches of the Century Named, Carl Samuelson". Retrieved January 27, 2023.
- ^ "Kubik Awarded National Collegiate and Scholastic Trophy". Retrieved January 27, 2023.