Gary Kempf: Upholding KU swimming traditions
by Brett Brenner
anasa swimming coach Gary Kempf has sat behind the net.
same building, and coached at the same pool for the past 14 years. And that's fine.
it's been a privilege to coach at what I think is the finest athletic and academic university in the country," he said.
Kempf became the coach of the Kansas women's swimming team in 1976, the summer after he graduated from the University of Kansas.
"It was back when women's athletes was looking for an identity," Kemp said.
Gary Kempf
When he took over as coach, the team was extremely young. Kemp said. There were 13 freshmen and only two or three upperclassmen.
"I had no extensive coaching background, and I made a lot of mistakes," he said. "It was easy to be successful because of the work we did."
And the Kansas women's squad was successful. It won nine straight Big Eight titles between 1976 and 1984, and has won 11 of 14 titles while Kempf has been coach. The women's team won this year's conference meet in Lincoln, Neb., and finished 22nd in the NCAA Championships in Indianapolis.
In 1800, Kemp took on the responsibility of coaching the men's team as well. This year, the team finished second in Lincoln and placed 10th at the NCAA competition
Brad Wells, an assistant coach, said he thought Kempi was successful because he
"I think he puts so much into what he does," Wells said. "The bottom line is the pride he has in KU and the care he has for his athletes."
Kempi said being coach at his alma mater was important.
"That makes it very special," he said. "I've always said that there is not a better University in the country academically or professionally, and I have a recruit I can honestly tell them this."
Kempf himself was an outstanding swimmer at Kansas, winning seven Big Eight championship events while swimmasters coach Dick Reamont from 1972 to 1976.
In 1973, as a freshman, Kempf was named the outstanding performer at the Big Eight Championships and qualified for the NCAA Championships in three events.
"Coming out of high school, I was pretty good he'd been well prepared go back to school better than I really was."
"A as young coach, you try to reflect who you think is good." Kempf said. "He taught me the personal touch. Dick is still and always has been a close friend of mine. He put up with a lot of garbage from me."
Reamon also was a role model for Kempn's coaching.
Reamon, who coached at Kansas from 1962 to 1977, said Kempf was everything that a coach could ask for in a swimmer
"He was intelligent, intense, and exuberant," he said. "He was a leader both in and out of the pool."
Reamon said he remembered two experiences with Kempf that stood out in his
"One was the phone call from Bartlesville, when he had to tell me about messing up his knee playing football in the backyard." Reason said.
"I can remember the dead silence. The injury, in essence, did his career as a swimmer in."
Kemp had torn ligaments in his knee. The injury has been ongoing, resulting in a third broken arm.
but before the injury, Reamon said, he could remember Kemp being named the conference championships outstanding swimmer, and going to nationals.
"Coaches are what the athletes want them to be," Kempf said. "If the athlete wants a close friend, or just business, it's up to them. Sometimes you get to know them better than they know themselves, and vice versa."
"When you coach 70 athletes, you have an open door, and they will pick."
Wells said the swimmers responded well to Kemmf because they knew he cared.
"When the swimmers feel that he is giving them all he's got, then they turn around and give all they've got." Wells said.
March 19 was a busy day for Kempf. The women's team arrived from the NCAA Championships early that Sunday morning, and the men were taking for victory in two weeks. And the night before, a fire had destroyed the home of three of Kempf's swimmers.
Kemp goes out of his way to help his swimmers in areas besides swimming
n宴 was at the scene of the fire that kept helping salvage what he could of the swim in the river.
"It's just one of those things," he said. "I view it as part of what I do. These athletes bust their rear ends for me, so I'm there for them."
Dave Yokeen, one of the swimmers,
said, "What he did was awfully nice. He went through our rooms and cleaned our clothes and the important things out,
without our knowing.
"This is typical of something that Coach would do. He goes out of his way to help you out. No matter what, if you have a problem out of the pool, he will be there to help."
Kempf also tries to help his swimmers in the pool as well.
In 1985, Kempiw was persistent in recruiting Barbara Ann Smith, but her times had not been good since she moved from Oklahoma to Wisconsin during high school. This was after she had qualified for the Olympic trials in 1984.
The problem was that she was anorexic. Kempf did more than just recruit Smith. He brought her to Kansas and gave her a scholarship.
"I knew of her ability," he said. "It's my belief that you never lose ability, you lose desire. I knew we could help her regain that desire."
Under Kempf's coaching, Smith has done far more than regain the desire. She was named the outstanding women's performer in the Big Eight Conference Championships for the last two seasons, and became a two-time All-American.
"The first semester there was no pressure to gain the weight back," she said. "At the first intrasquad meet, I did awful I didn't make the first trip either."
"He could have easily given up on me. No many coaches would have been so pained."
Caring is a large part of Kempf's coaching philosophy; so is hard work. He watered the water
"I am tough on my athletes because in my mind, the university of Kansas hired me to produce students as well as a winning program," he said.
"Also because I think that I'll be the last in their lives to give them direction
with a caring attitude. To get out and be successful is difficult. You've got to be
Kempf said many of his swimmers didn’t swim in the water were pushed, both in jumping and in acrobatics.
"Not all of our athletes like the discipline," he said. "It's not always a popular thing. It doesn't always make me popular. That's not important, and I don't care. Our relationship as athlete and coach is built on respect."
Kempf has organized a study hall for all underclassmen, and for juniors and seniors who grade point averages are above the grade points meets for two hours, three days a week
"Some athletes struggle," he said. "I want to work with them. Give them a year or two to adjust. These are the ones that come back later and thank you."
Wells said Kemp didn't try to hide his embasis on academics.
"That's one of the first things he'll tell a recruit." Wells said. "He says he's tough. Not like golf or tennis, swimming can only be taught at school. They are here to get an education."
In 1984, Kempf married Dorothy Frey, who was an All-American swimmer when she attended Emprica State University and was a two-year-old son. Paul Thomas.
kemp said he got a lot of support from his wife, who coaches with the Lawrence team.
Apukawas, a bona fide hero,
"She is very supportive, and that is vital to me." he said. "In essence, I get more support than I deserve."
Kempf said he was comfortable at Kansas and had no large plans plane
I've been involved in swimming —
five years old," he said. "I been
prefected home."
KANSAN/Profiles/April 12,1989
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