Legendary UCLA track coach Jim Bush dies at 90
He was not on the list.
Jim Bush, a legendary track and field coach at UCLA and master at developing world-class 400-meter runners, died Monday, the school announced. He was 90.
From 1965 to 1984, Bush guided UCLA to five NCAA championships. In the late 1960s, quartermilers Wayne Collett and John Smith became world-class runners at UCLA. Smith later set a world record in the 440. Collett won a silver medal at the 1972 Olympic Games.
Prior to Bush’s arrival, UCLA had never beaten USC in a dual meet. UCLA won 13 times over the Trojans and won NCAA outdoor titles in 1966, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1978. In 1992, as an assistant coach at USC, Bush helped coach Quincy Watts to the Olympic Games gold medal in the 400 in Barcelona, Spain.
“He was unique,” said Hal Harkness, UCLA’s former cross-country coach who spent six years as an assistant to Bush. “His body of work turning out world-class quartermilers and 4 by 400 relay teams is unmatched. Through evolution, he came up with a training system that started in October and finished in June. He did it for years and years.”
Harkness said Bush’s health deteriorated after a bout with prostate cancer.
Bush is survived by his wife, Francoise; two children, Don Bush and Jean Richmond; two stepsons, Gary Ruggieri and Patrick Ruggieri; and 21 grandchildren and great-grandchildren
Bush died of prostate cancer in Culver City, California on July 10, 2017, at the age of 90.
Among the athletes he coached in that time were Wayne Collett, John Smith, Benny Brown, Greg Foster, Willie Banks, John Brenner, Andre Phillips, David O. Carter, Arnd Krüger, Roger Johnson, Bob Day, and Quincy Watts. He famously kicked then world record holder Dwight Stones off of his team when Stones wanted to limit his participation to three meets. He was the head coach of the United States team at the 1979 Pan American Games.
He was elected into the TAC (now called the USATF) National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1987. He is also a member of the Fullerton High School, Fullerton College, Kern County, Bakersfield College, Occidental College, UCLA, Mt. SAC Relays and the United States Track Coaches Association Halls of Fame (an organization he was previously president of). The Southern California Association USATF Championship meet is named in his honor, as is the championship award for the 110 metre hurdles at that meet.
In 1962, he was hired at Occidental College where he beat UCLA three years in a row. When UCLA's legendary coach Ducky Drake retired, Bush was recruited to be his replacement. In addition to the collegiate athletes, he worked with other individual athletes after leaving UCLA. He also was a speed advisor to Los Angeles professional teams including the Dodgers, Kings, Lakers and Raiders. His work with Raiders and their star Marcus Allen earned him a Super Bowl ring. He also has a World Series ring with the Dodgers baseball team and an NBA championship ring with the Lakers basketball team. He narrowly missed a National Hockey League ring with the Kings when they placed second place. In 1991, he returned to collegiate coaching at crosstown rival University of Southern California until he retired in 1994.

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