Don Gambril

Donald Lee Gambril (born January 2, 1934) is an American former Hall of Fame swimming coach who is best known for coaching the University of Alabama from 1973 to 1990.

He was born on January 2, 1934, in Altamont, Kansas, and after moving to El Sereno, California, attended El Sereno's Woodrow Wilson High School where he was on the swim team and played football, starting as a Center by his Senior year.

He grew up during the depression with a family of limited means where he learned the importance of a work ethic and the necessity of thrift.

Gambril attended and swam for East Los Angeles Jr. College, from 1951-52, before transferring to Occidental College where he continued to swim for a year.

At East Los Angeles, he specialized in distance swimming, making the Junior College All-American team in the 1500-meter event.

After marrying his wife Teddy on March 14, 1953, he went to work full time and then enlisted in the Navy reserves before graduating college.

Returning to complete his studies at California State, Los Angeles, he also played center and linebacker on their Football team for a year.

From around 1956-57, he served in the Navy and swam for the All-Navy "B" team, competing occasionally in intercollegiate swimming competition and water polo.

He swam on the winning 800 free relay at the All-Navy championships.

While serving on the U.S. Navy Destroyer USS Cunningham, he was able to attend though not compete in the swimming portion of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

He believed he obtained the best conditioning of his life training with the U.S. Navy Swim Team, and was deeply affected by the opportunity to view Olympic swimming competition.

Gambril briefly coached J.V. Football at El Monte High School and worked as a lifeguard at the end of 1957 upon his return from Naval service.

Returning to college studies around 1957 after his service in the Navy, he completed his BA and Master's degree while attending California State at Los Angeles around 1960.

The school was about 12 miles West of Rosemead High School where Gambril was coaching.

In 1958, after his Navy service, Don had his first position as a fulltime teacher, instructing Social Studies at California's Rosemead High School, where he also coached J.V. Football.

In the same year, he started Rosemead Swim Club, which he would coach in the evening after school hours, and where he would attract exceptional swimming talent.

Still pursuing his teaching credentials, he received a provisional teaching certificate to take the opening.

In the Spring of 1958, he also took over coaching the Rosemead High School's swim team, a role that would soon direct his career focus.

He would eventually lead the team to five league championships.

Top women swimmers coached by Gambril at Rosemead by 1961 included Jeanne Hallock Craig, Sharon Stouder, and Pam Crotwell.

He remained as coach and teacher at Rosemead through around 1963.

In September 1963, Don took over the swim coach position as well as coaching Football and teaching P.E. and History at Arcadia High School, a more affluent school with a more competitive sports program and student athletes who could train full time without having to work after school.

Gambril had success at Arcadia, with a few of his athletes becoming California Interscholastic Federation titlists.

Gambril was gaining visibility in the Southern California swimming community as well as in neighboring states.

Commerce Swimming Club was located in the small town of City of Commerce, just outside Los Angeles, and though the town was small, it was prosperous and had a beautiful new swimming facility completed in 1963.

The team included 1964 Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Sharon Stouder in butterfly, who swam for Don for over five years, and 1964 world record holder Patty Caretto in distance freestyle.

Other female Olympians he coached at City of Commerce included 1964 Olympic breast stroker Sandy Nitta, and 1964 Olympian Jeanne Hallock Craig.

Looking back on their experience, the women at City of Commerce believed Gambril was a brilliant marketer who convinced them they could be the best in the world, and remembered him as a "tough but tender-hearted leader."

In 1965, Pasadena City College looked to Gambril to take over their Head Coaching position.

Gambril was interested in a chance to coach a college team, but worked hard to find a suitable replacement at Arcadia, eventually settling on Ray Peterson, who would do an exceptional job, and coach at Arcadia for thirty years.

Gambril became known as a coach who would work hard to find outstanding coaches to replace him when he made a move.

He took over the City of Commerce Swimming Club team around 1965, which was composed of many Rosemead Swim Club members, which Gambril started around 1958.

In his first full year at Pasadena City College, the team won the league championship in 1966, and won it again in 1967.

Future UCLA coach Ron Ballatore would be mentored as an Assistant Coach under Gambril for one year at Pasadena City College around 1966.

Around the same time, as his service at Pasadena City College, Gambril had an opportunity to coach a Club team that had demonstrated great achievement, as their Women's team had attended National tournaments, and Olympic trials.

Gambril stayed with both teams through 1967.

Gambril was head coach at Long Beach State from 1967 to 1971, where he mentored Assistant Coach Skip Kenney, who would become a highly accomplished coach for Stanford University.

Earlier, his Long Beach State teams had top ten NCAA finishes four times from 1968-71.

He had the rare distinction of serving as a U.S. Olympic coach in five Olympics from 1968 to 1984.

His Alabama teams had top ten NCAA finishes eleven times, 3 Southeastern Conference titles, and were the runner-up at the NCAA Championship in 1977.