Coach Ron Ballatore Passes - Led UCLA to 1982 NCAA Title at WSAC
Former Bruin Men's Swim Coach Ron Ballatore Passes Awa
Video Tribute To Ron Ballatore.
Ron `Stix' Ballatore, UCLA's head men's swimming coach for 16 seasons, passed away on Friday evening (April 27) at a hospital in Gainesville, FL, following a long battle with bone cancer. He was 71 years old and was surrounded by his family.
Earlier this month, Ballatore had been voted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame and was informed of his selection the following day (April 6). The 2012 Class will be inducted in October.
His tenure with the Bruins was highlighted by the 1982 NCAA championship. During his 16 seasons, UCLA compiled nine Top Five finishes, 15 Top 10 placings and a dual meet record of 109-51 and he was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year three times.
While at UCLA, Ballatore coached 28 Olympians, including Brian Goodell, who won two Gold Medals in 1976, and Tom Jager, who won two Golds in 1984, two Golds in 1988 and one gold in 1992. Overall, he coached 52 All-America swimmers and divers who captured 26 NCAA individual titles and 62 Pac-10 crowns. His swimmers at UCLA set 11 American and NCAA records and held several world records, including Jager's 50-meter freestyle (21.81). They also earned several Academic All-America honors and seven NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarships.
When the UCLA men's swimming program was discontinued following the 1993-94 school year, Ballatore became the head coach at Brown University for two years prior to moving to the University of Florida and continued to enjoy success. Between his coaching positions at UCLA, Brown and Florida, Ballatore coached seventy-one different swimmers and divers who earned All-American honors at least once.
During his career, Ballatore had been selected for numerous international and national coaching assignments, including five Olympic Games: 1995 U.S. National Team Camp; 1994 World Championships (U.S.A.); 1988 Olympics (U.S.A.); 1984 Olympics (U.S.A.); 1982 World Championships (U.S.A.); 1976 Olympics (Israel); 1975 World Championships (U.S.A.); 1975 Pan-American Games (U.S.A.); 1972 Olympics (Ecuador); and 1968 Olympics (Peru).
He was inducted into the American Swim Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2009. Ballatore recently won the 2012 National Collegiate and Scholastic Swimming Award, presented by the College Swimming Coaches of America (CSCAA). Ron's son, Ronald, and Brian Goodell will be accepting the award in San Antonio in a few weeks.
Ballatore was more than just a coach; he was a great friend to all who knew him, possessing a witty, dry sense of humor that he shared with everyone. Whether it was handing out candy on Halloween wearing a mask he would say "is even uglier than I am," making his famous Caesar Salad with the all-garlic dressing or having his team lead an "Icky La Boom Ba" cheer for the football team, he was, to everyone at UCLA - Ron Ballatore: "the man, the myth, the legend."
Ballatore, who was born in Chicago, coached at Pasadena City College prior to coming to UCLA. He is survived by his wife, Ann, daughters Lisa, Jenne and Angelina and sons Ronald and Brent.
