The Russell/Spitz Rivalry

I was a bit young in 1968. I was a junior in high school and came down from St. Louis MO during the Christmas school break to train with Don Easterling at UTA. This was after the 1968 Olympics. Doug was training as well. During Christmas break I asked Don Easterling if I could continue to train with UTA while I finished high school in Arlington. He said no, but changed his mind by the end of Christmas break.

So, early in 1969, UTA hosted Indiana University at UTA for a swim meet. Doug and Mark did not swim against each other, and neither swam the 100 butterfly that day. I often swam exhibition these meets, but was not allowed to swim at this meet. But I got to watch! I was so "young" that I didn't know the history I was watching.
The summer of 1969 I was still training with UTA and Doug Russell was the Coach. During that summer Doug offered me a full scholarship to UTA. He believed in me that much! but I has so many other youth thoughts that I did not recognize what his offer could have meant to me. Instead, I followed Don Easterling to NC State, and one year later I was so lonely I quit swimming to save my life. Whenever I think back to this time period in my youth, I am awed and thankful that Doug believed in me and told me of his belief in a way that I would remember and come to understand.
It is wonderful to read what all others have written here. AND hearing Doug's voice again after all these years has been wonderful!
Thank you to everyone who put this all together.

Doug coached me as an age grouper at UT Arlington, (Doug Russell Swim Club). His workout's nearly killed us all, but they gave us a work ethic I still have today. Mechanics were the key.
One Saturday workout consisted of 100's on the 1:10, we did them untill his stopwatch broke.
Thanks Doug!

this is his daughter- haven't seen him in years but heard he was in Austin,Tx

Doug Russell was my hero in 1968. My coach at the time, Bob Read, who was a fabulous stroke coach, I believe coached Doug Russell at some point. Mr. Read had the exact same philosophy about swimming. Easy strokes, less mileage, and emphasis on technique. Coach Read told me before the 1968 race that Doug Russell would win, no question, that Spitz had no chance. He sat me down after the race and went over Doug's swim stroke for stroke. Doug was my absolute idol.

Awesome Coach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it when you coach me! It is soooo cool to have a coach that won two gold medals in the olympics!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did some swimming in my day. I used to analyze Swimming World cover to cover in 1970 and 1971. In 1970 at the long course AAU nationals Mark Spitz didn't swim as fantastic as he usually did. Spitz always had a ready excuse like a cold or something.
I can't take anything away from Mark Spitz because at the Long Course Nationals in 1971 he won 4 individual 1st places and in 1972 we won those unprecendented 7 gold medals all in world record time.

This is very nice to see Doug Russell again. I watched him swim some of his last races at UT Arlington. I swam as an age group swimmer on his team in the summer of 1970 and swam the rest of High School ( Arlington Sam Houston ). In Feb 1971 I swam the 100 yard butterfly under a minute at SMU at the South West AAU meet. Doug Russell came back and congradulated me and to this very day it means a lot. I swam a little while at UT Arlington and I am very proud of that. - I don't know the results he got as a coach during the last 40 years. If he has the drive and determination he had years ago I believe he has coached some tremendous swimmers.

YEAH! Coach Doug is my coach at Nitro. Always so honored to be in his presence. :-)

It is good to see Doug still at the pool. I knew him back a UTA. After returning from Mexico he told a funny story about running up the stairs at the hotel and nearly running into George Foreman who was shadow boxing. (It was a funny scary story at the time.)

Hope Doug is doing well...Dan

Such a basass to call out spitz like that

good job coach! very impressive

Anybody notice how energized Doug gets as he recounts his not so subtle rivalry with another great swimmer? At the conclusion of his vignette about being so smart that he swam his pre-olympic...swimming harder than needed
style....against Mark again, take a gander at reverse-aging. Doug looks 15 years younger at the end of the video...Gotta give him lots of credit.

I'm glad that Mark Spitz is portrayed as a total hot-head a-hole in this vid. From what I hear Phelps is the same way. What is it with the greatest swimmers of all time?

very tight.
awesome story coach!!

"R-U-S-S-E-L-L: Russell's workouts hurt like hell!" That used to be on the backs of his swimmer's tee shirts. I am from the Panhandle of Texas where Coach Russell was a legend as an AAU coach at the Amarillo Aquatic Club back in the 70's. He produced some great swimmers (like Mike Richmond) that were just as tough mentally as their mentor. The new book on Spitz doesn't pay enough tribute to you, Coach. Spitz is a whiner, you are a winner. Good to see you, Coach!

I bet you he had a lot to do with how fast Mark was four years after this.

this guy is tough as nails...suck it spitz!

what an intense rivalry! they should go at it again head-to-head on television! i bet doug would win.

I loved his honesty-you just don't see that often! Also his clarity of past events!! I'm curious what he is doing now??

Hey coach,
You definately did look cool in this so dont worry about it.(inside comment)

excellent. Garrett, if you get a copy of that race you should post it

Doug Russell is one of the most amazing people you will ever meet! I used to swim for him way back in Amarillo, Texas, and he is the reason I am coaching today at the University of Nevada in Reno. I've been trying to track him down for years, so if you read this and know how to contact him, or if you are reading this Coach Russell, drop me a note!

"That's how smart I am". You gotta love this guy. A little lengthy but worth every long pause. I can just envision Lochte or Crocker or Cavic giving this kind of interview 30 years from now.