Roger L. Counsil (January 11, 1935 – August 8, 2017) is a former American

gymnastics Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, shou ...

coach and headed the United States Gymnastics Federation, now known as

USA Gymnastics United States of America Gymnastics (USA Gymnastics or USAG) is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. Established in 1963 as the U.S. Gymnastics Federation (USGF), USA Gymnastics is responsible for selecting and traini ...

Biography

Counsil was born on January 11, 1935, in

Wood River, Illinois Wood River is a city in Madison County, Illinois. The population was 10,657 according to the 2010 census. Geography Wood River is located at (38.863047, -90.088527). According to the 2010 census, Wood River has a total area of , of which (or 9 ...

. He was a standout athlete at

Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University is a system of public universities in the southern region of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its headquarters is in Carbondale, Illinois. Board of trustees The university is governed by the nine member SIU Board of Tr ...

, where he competed in track, swimming and gymnastics. He was the NAIA 1-meter diving champion in 1957, the same year he was named "Most Valuable Athlete" at SIU. In addition to his bachelor's degree, he earned his Master's from SIU and completed his doctorate in Higher Education Administration at

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

. For 17 years, he coached at

Indiana State University Indiana State University (ISU) is a public university in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was founded in 1865 and offers over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 75 graduate and professional programs. Indiana State is classified among "D/PU: Doctor ...

. Counsil was named Olympic coach for the U.S.-boycotted

1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (russian: Летние Олимпийские игры 1980, Letniye Olimpiyskiye igry 1980), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad (russian: Игры XXII Олимпиады, Igry XXII Olimpiady) and commo ...

and held several other positions. These included * Chairman of the NCAA Gymnastics Committee * Men's coach for the U.S. team in the 1978

World Games The World Games are an international multi-sport event comprising sports and sporting disciplines that are not contested in the Olympic Games. They are usually held every four years, one year after a Summer Olympic Games, over the course of 11 d ...

* Host coach for the 1975 NCAA National Championships in Terre Haute * National "Coach of the Year" and four-time recipient of Mideast "Coach of the Year" honors * Executive Director of the

, a position he assumed after leaving ISU in February 1980 In 1985, he was inducted into the Indiana State University and Southern Illinois University Athletics Hall of Fame. On August 8, 2014, he was selected as Institutional Great by the Missouri Valley Conference and inducted into the Conference Hall of Fame.

Death

Counsil died on August 8, 2017 at the age of 82.

References

1935 births 2017 deaths People from Wood River, Illinois American male artistic gymnasts Gymnastics coaches from Indiana Indiana University alumni Indiana State University alumni Indiana State Sycamores men's gymnastics coaches Southern Illinois Salukis men's gymnasts Southern Illinois Salukis men's swimmers Southern Illinois Salukis men's track and field athletes {{US-artistic-gymnastics-bio-stub