James Gaughran

James Alan Gaughran (born July 5, 1932) was an American water polo player, competitive swimmer, and former Hall of Fame Stanford Head Swimming and Water Polo Coach from 1960–73.

Gaughran evolved into an outstanding swimmer and water polo player under coach Clyde Devine at Redwood City's Sequoia Union High School, where he graduated in 1950, and held records for the 50 and 100 yard freestyle.

While swimming for Sequoia High, Gaughran was named to the All-America swimming team.

Coach Divine let Jim know he believed he could make it to the U.S. Olympic team.

Gaughran swam and played college water polo for Stanford University beginning in the fall of 1950, and served as Captain of both teams in his Senior Year in 1954.

By his Junior year, he attended the NCAA Championships at Ohio State in March, 1953.

Demonstrating skills in diverse strokes, he specialized in the 150-yard individual medley, though he also competed in freestyle events.

A multi-sport athlete, at Stanford he was a Pacific Coast Conference Champion in the 100-yard freestyle from 1953–54, and made the All-Pacific Coast Conference Water Polo Team in 1951–1953.

He graduated in 1954 with a B.A. in Economics, and was President of his fraternity Kappa Sigma.

He swam under the leadership of former Stanford swimmer, and Stanford Hall of Fame Coach Tom Haynie.

After Stanford college graduation on June 12, 1954, at 21, he married Joan Ross McCrae at St. Annes Chapel in Palo Alto.

Joan had also attended Sequoia Union High School and then College of the Pacific.

Jim taught swimming in the summer after College graduation.

He continued to develop his skills in Water Polo, with San Francisco's Olympic Club, and a year after college graduation competed in the Senior National AAU Championship in Chicago with nine other players, including his brother Robert.

In the Fall of 1954, he had begun attending Stanford Law School.

Gaughran competed in Water Polo for the U.S. in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne.

He was born in San Francisco and grew up in Redwood City, where his father James A. Gaughran taught him to swim at China Beach, adjacent to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Two years after graduating Stanford, he became a member of the American water polo team which finished fifth in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.

He played two matches.

Clapp was also a Stanford Law Graduate, and was a member of the 1956 U.S. Olympic Swimming Team.

However, Gaughran would soon leave the position to become a full time Stanford Coach.

Gaughran's brother Robert "Bob" Kramer Gaughran, was also a Sequoia High School swimming star like James, and a Water Polo player, swimming title holder, and team Captain at College of the Pacific, where he graduated in 1957.

Robert, who served as best man at Jim's wedding, would coach swimming and water polo for Palo Alto's Menlo-Atherton High School by 1958, and lead their Water Polo Team to an undefeated season in 1959.

Having a brother who he was close to, as a successful water polo and swim coach may have been one of the factors that later influenced Gaughran to consider coaching as a full-time profession.

In November, 1958, he and his brother Bob led the San Francisco Olympic Club to a Pacific Association AAU Championship.

Still recognized as a top Water Polo player while playing for San Francisco's Olympic Club, in early December of 1959 he was named by the American Athletic Union to the All America Water Polo Team as a Back.

In the Fall of 1960, having worked in law for a few years, and serving as a Deputy Attorney General while working at the office of the California Attorney General, he was asked by Stanford to replace his former Coach Tom Haynie, who was retiring.

Gaughran considered remaining in a private law practice with Attorney Austin Clapp in Redwood City.

Accepting the position, Gaughran became Stanford's head swimming coach from 1960 to 1979, and the head coach of Stanford's water polo team from 1969 to 1973.

As the coach of an elite program at Stanford in both swimming and Water Polo, from 1960 to 1980 he produced 26 swimmers for the Olympics who together set 26 world records, and eleven world records in relays and together took eight gold, two silver and five bronze medals.

Olympians he coached who won medals included Paul Hait and George Harrison in 1960, Dick Roth in '64, Brian Job, Mitch Ivey, Mike Wall, Greg Buckingham and John Ferris in '68, John Hencken, Mitch Ivey in swimming, and John Parker and Gary Sheerer in Water Polo in '72, and swimmers Mike Bruner, John Henken, and Kim Peyton in 1976.

As Stanford's swim coach, he compiled a dual meet record of 129-47-1, giving him a .728 Winning Percentage.

During his years as Head Coach, he produced 15 NCAA champions with four first place relay teams.

Jim worked for a period as an Assistant Administrative Director at Stanford after retiring as a Swim Coach.

He was President of the College Swimming Coaches Association of America in 1962.

During his early years coaching Stanford, Gaughran served as an assistant water polo coach for the U.S. team at the 1963 Pan American Games in Brazil.

As a career highlight, Gaughran lead Stanford to its first NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championship in 1967.

From 1968–1972, he served on the U.S. Olympic Swimming Committee, and from 1964–1972 served on the U.S. Olympic Water Polo Committee.

Beginning in 1970, and for a number of subsequent years, Gaughran owned and managed National Swim Coaches’ Clinics which featured educational seminars often presented by outstanding American coaches in water polo and swimming.

After his coaching career, in 1984 Gaughran was nominated for the Collegiate Scholastic Award for coaches who have made the greatest contribution to the sport of swimming as it relates to undergraduate and scholastic education.