# RIP Coach John McNichols (1950-2016)



## SycamoreStateofMind

It's with sad news that I pass this along - coach suffered a major stroke yesterday morning. The ISU coaches were at a coaching clinic in Orlando this week. He is in the ICU with his wife and other coaching staff by his side.

I know several of you on here were coached by him and or know him personally. Hopefully he returns to good health soon - prayers would be appreciated for he and he's family.


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## Sycamore Proud

Prayers for Coach, those close to him and his medical team.


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## Bluethunder

Thoughts and prayers for his family and for his recovery.


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## ISUCC

Was incredibly saddened to hear about this earlier, hoping coach makes it through this, he's been through a lot medically through the years, but this will probably be his toughest test yet. It much too early for him to go, so hang in there coach, and pray everyone!


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## SycamoreStateofMind

*Prayers for Coach John McNichols*

Nothing to report at this time on coaches condition. He showed no improvements today. Hopefully he can read this one day (he's too old school to read this) and wonder what all the fuss was about. I pray for that. 

The support for coach continues to pour in over the last 24 hours both locally and nationally. The IndyStar had a piece on coach and the Tribune Star has had a couple of really nice pieces on him. 

http://www.indystar.com/story/sport...na-state-track-coach-suffers-stroke/95608442/

http://www.tribstar.com/sports/loca...cle_c48ea350-879d-599f-b314-4c7381be3326.html

Coaches across the country have reached out via social media and to the current staff to check on him and offer support. Really speaks to the volume of work this man put in as not just a coach but a great person. 

Over the last 24 hours I've spent a good deal of time reflecting on my own personal relationship with coach. I vividly recall our political conversation in late November about the recent election and the state of our Nation. Our viewpoints couldn't be further apart polticially, but he is the one guy I can have an educated conversation with and walk away feeling better about everything no matter. I've had many of political discussions with the guy - he's as intellegent as they come. 

I will conclude with this (for now), sometimes the legacy of a person isn't quite thought about until they are gone. Though coach isn't gone he is fighting for his life and it's been weighing heavy on my heart since I found out. What this man has meant to his family, his athletes, Indiana State University, track & field/cross country is unmeasurable. 34 years a head coach at Indiana State, 9 XC MVC titles, 4 indoor MVC titles, 11 outdoor MVC titles (one of which I was a part of) and 37 men's and women's combined titles and yet those are not his greatest professional achievements. 





*(Captured this photo in 2006 at MVC Championships @ Wichita State) 


As a lifelong resident of Terre Haute I point toward his development of the greatest Cross Country course in all the land - LaVern Gibson doesn't happen without McNichols, his vision for what a Cross Country course should be set the standard for the sport in the United States (think about that for second)!











The Heritage Trail doesn't exsist without McNichols - perhaps his single biggest contribution to the city of Terre Haute. The trail is used by fitness enthusist and people just looking for a safe means of transportation on a daily basis - because of him a corner stone of our community. 











Gibson Track & Filed Complex - in an economic climate where track programs at mid majors are more likely to be cut than see facility development McNichols won. The man told recruits for 15 years that a new track was going to be built, he won championships without it and finally he got his track built! 






Wabashiki Trails/Parks & Riverscape has been a personal passion of coaches for years. He's sent his athletes out to the river bottoms for many years in search of soft ground to put milage in. That developed into something greater because of his work as a board member with Riverscape and his vision - the same vision that brought us LaVern Gibson, Heritage Trail, Gibson Track & Field Complex and Wabashiki. 











I could go on but I will spare you. Please continue to pray!


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## Drake Relays Horsemen

We love you coach...Have a speedy recovery...This is a hurdle you will conquer!!


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## treeman

So saddening to hear this news. I owe Coach McNichols some of my best personal accomplishments. I can never thank him enough for letting a little college freshman join the track team (I didn't even run track in high school) and giving me that opportunity. Some of the best college memories were traveling around the country with the team, working cross country meets, being a part of 2 conference championships (2012 & 2013), and scoring at the conference meets. I would have never been given those opportunity without McNichols. Get well Coach!


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## ISUCC

well put ssom, there just aren't enough words to describe what coach has meant to not only ISU, but to Terre Haute and to the entire track and field world. It's much to early for coach to leave us, he's going to fight and recover from this, it'll be a long road, but in the end I have faith he'll be back with us.


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## SycamoreStateofMind

Coach passed away this morning.


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## meistro

Wow, sorry to hear that.


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## niklz62

sorry to hear this news.


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## Bally #50

R.I.P. Coach. A Sad day for many and a huge loss for ISU.


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## Bluethunder

Sad to hear this news.  Huge loss for Indiana State and for the Terre Haute community.


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## ISUCC

indescribable and devastating loss for ISU, Terre Haute and ALL of the track and field world, coach is irreplaceable, noone had more passion for track and field, and cross country, and making Terre Haute Cross Country Town USA than coach did. This loss will resonate forever. RIP coach, God Speed to you...


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## treeman

Wow incredibly saddening news....Just all the more thankful that Coach got see his labors come to fruition with the new track built along the river. Incredible coach, father, mentor, friend, person to many many people. My thoughts are with his family around this holiday season.

Here is the recent story from the tribstar: http://www.tribstar.com/news/local_...cle_e28c942e-c796-11e6-8239-ef3c76bbba82.html


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## Southgrad07

Horrible news. Never met the man, but anyone who was as well regarded by so many different types of people must of been a hell of a guy. RIP and prayers to the family and loved ones.


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## Sycamore Proud

I met him only briefly a few months ago.  In those brief moments I sensed he was someone special.  Indiana State, the city of Terre Haute and the sports he loved so much has lost a great friend.  My condolences to his family and friends.


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## SycamoreStateofMind

Sad day. Thank you all for supporting the Track & Field - XC programs the way you all do. The support you people have for a sport often times forgotten is pretty awesome. It speaks to how good of a job this man did as a coach and as a person. His wife lost her husband today. His kids lost their dad today. His grandkids lost their grandpa today. Indiana State lost it's coach today. We all lost our friend.


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## Bally #50

SycamoreStateofMind said:


> Sad day. Thank you all for supporting the Track & Field - XC programs the way you all do. The support you people have for a sport often times forgotten is pretty awesome. It speaks to how good of a job this man did as a coach and as a person. His wife lost her husband today. His kids lost their dad today. His grandkids lost their grandpa today. Indiana State lost it's coach today. We all lost our friend.



I've only met him a few times as well but as the news surfaced this morning, I shed a tear for the man because in all my years of being part of the ISU family, *nobody* surpassed what this man has done for Indiana State. No one even close. He had a remarkable life and that is why this board feels the way it does. He will be missed so greatly.


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## ISUCC

Golden wrote a very nice tribute to coach this afternoon, not enough words can convey the loss

http://www.tribstar.com/sports/todd...cle_6709817e-c7b2-11e6-9feb-13fd5d7eb079.html


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## ISUCC

ISU's official release on coach's passing, a memorial service will be announced in the coming days

http://www.gosycamores.com/news/201...ach-john-mcnichols-passes-away-at-age-66.aspx


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## ISUCC

more tributes for coach, a nice article in the Indy Star from David Woods

http://www.indystar.com/story/sport...-athletes-much-more-than-just-track/95699372/


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## SycamoreStateofMind

I will share a couple personal stories on here in hopes that someone will find them enjoyable. If not I will feel better having just shared them because I have so many. 

From a personality standpoint McNichols and I are a much different. He's calm I'm not calm. That's really the biggest difference. He has tact I don't have tact. 

So when I walked in on my visit as a SR in high school I already had a chip on my shoulder. No one wanted me as a runner and I didn't feel like I was getting the respect I deserved. I knew two things. 

1. I wasn't going to school any other place than ISU. I had some communications with a few other programs but nothing was amounting to much. I was going to either go to ISU and run or go to ISU and just go to school.

2. That I deserved some scholarship money. 

So when the point in time came on my visit to meet with Coach McNichols I told him as much. I said, "coach you know I should be on some sort of athletic scholarship". I thought he would respect my bluntness but he handed it right back to me. He then calmly explained to me that between XC and Track he only has 13ish scholarships to work with and that he would give me every opportunity to earn an athletic scholarship but until then he'd get my shoes and books taken care plus a few other things. He did - he gave me a chance. I missed 2 track meets in 4 years. 

Which brings me to my second story. Early in the indoor season my senior year I believe I was nursing an Achilles tendon injury our first indoor meet was at Rose Hulman against IL State, Rose and a few other small schools. I wanted to race - that's what you train for and I had this thing about not showing up for work, I had a job to do. I was rehabing like crazy and going to the training room trying to get ready. Coach wasn't having any of it he said your going to sit this one out it doesn't make sense. I said, "coach can you just please list me as questionable?" As if their was some NFL status update to be made to the local press about my availability for the game. That was my playful way of saying I wanted to get consideration. I ended up sitting out that meet but was back the following week at Purdue. Coach was always fair and he always looked our for your health and best interest as an athlete first. 

The last story took place at the famed Drake relays my freshman year. We were in the fast heat of the 4 x 800 relat and it was going to be a hot race and we probably didn't have the guns to be in the position we were going to be in so Coach ran our fastest guy first and our slowest guy (me being a frosh) last. He told me before the race, "Twitch don't go out and get DFL" and I looked at him like "DFL"?? I had no idea what he was talking about. 

20 minutes later I'm running down the back straightaway of the drake relays on my final lap and the leaders are finishing in the crowd is going crazy I'm watching the race on the video board down the backstretch it's the worst possible feeling as a runner. By no means were we last because of me but it was my job to make sure that we didn't stay in last in the moment really got the best of me. 

I was really upset with the effort after the race and was talking with the guys and told them what McNichols told me before the race. They started dying laughing - I said what!!! Like what the hell is the joke on me or what?! DFL means Dead Fucking Last! The fact that he had that as an abbreviation and I learned about it on that stage was actually quite humorous to all involved. 

I could go on I have many stories of a man that I loved and respected so much. It so happens I have a presentation on this Thursday before Christmas at Indiana State this morning. I won't be able to do it without mentioning Coach and his influence.


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## Bally #50

We have said so much about OUR loss but we should not forget what YOU have lost. Thoughts and prayers coming your way too, SSOM, and ISUCC and those of you on here that knew him like a father. This will be a tough week for you.


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## blueblazer

Church service on Thursday, celebration of life on Friday, Hulman Center


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## ISUCC

blueblazer said:


> Church service on Thursday, celebration of life on Friday, Hulman Center



times for these

Thursday's viewing
3-8pm at the Memorial United Methodist Church on Poplar Street

Friday's Celebration of Life
11am at the Hulman Center

Hope many of you can attend to pay your respects for coach McNichols


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## ISUCC

the school has created an historical photo website on SmugMug with photos from the Coach McNichols era at ISU, some old photos being added, worth a look, and more will be added

https://indstathletics.smugmug.com/Sports/Track-and-Field/In-Photos-John-McNichols-1950/


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## ISUCC

just a reminder that visitation for coach is tomorrow, with a memorial service celebrating his life is on Friday, hope some of you can make it to one of these

http://www.gosycamores.com/news/201...fe-ceremony-announced-for-john-mcnichols.aspx


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## ISUCC

last night and today we paid our final tributes to coach McNichols. The turnout from around the country and around the world was outstanding for a man who meant so much to so many. ISU put together a nice video tribute to end today's Celebration of life

http://www.gosycamores.com/news/2016/12/30/track-field-goodbye-to-coach-mcnichols.aspx


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