No beating around this bush

Friday, May 15, 1998

No beating around this bush

TRACK: Jim Bush’s love for coaching changed not only a program,
but people’s lives

By Donald Morrison

Daily Bruin Contributor

Almost every Monday and Wednesday during the spring, a fit and
healthy looking man over 70 years of age will visit Drake Stadium
around 2 p.m.

He’ll sit down and happily watch track and field practice.

Virtually, every athlete on the team knows who he is and has the
utmost respect for him. Usually, he’ll come down and talk to
assistant coach Art Venegas, who he met in 1980 before hiring him
to coach the throwers.

The man is Jim Bush who arguably is the greatest track coach to
ever live. Bush was the head coach at UCLA from 1965 to 1984 and
made the Bruin track program one of the premier programs in the
nation.

Bush made UCLA a powerhouse despite some people saying that the
Bruins could never eclipse the powerful USC program that had
already won 22 national titles.

"Everybody told me that I couldn’t beat USC and why was I going
to UCLA," Bush said. "I said ‘The heck I can’t.’"

During his 20-year tenure, Bush garnered five national titles,
seven Pac-10 titles and sent over 20 athletes to the Olympics.

In 1966, he also became the first track coach in school history
to beat USC in dual meet competition when the Bruins gave the
powerful Trojan program only its third dual meet loss ever. The win
snapped the Bruins’ 33-meet losing streak against USC. And the win
propelled UCLA to its second national championship.

"I have pictures of that day in the L.A. Coliseum," Bush said of
the 86-59 win. "The team put me and the assistant coach on their
shoulders and we paraded around the Coliseum. Everybody was going
crazy. It was unbelievable."

Bush’s presence as UCLA’s track coach was unbelievable. He
demanded full dedication from his athletes and gave them full
dedication. He would set his standards high and push his team to
reach them.

UCLA assistant coach John Smith, who ran for Bush from 1969 to
1972, recalled how organized and determined Bush was as a
coach.

"The one thing that I really like about him was that everyday he
was out at practice," Smith said. "I used to watch him come across
and used to see how enthusiastic he was about practice. It always
amazed me."

Smith is also amazed at Bush’s desire to take high school
athletes who were not so highly touted and turn them into NCAA
champions.

"I got fifth in the (California) state meet and I said to (Bush)
‘Well, I guess you don’t want me anymore, like everyone else,’"
Smith said. "’Oh no. I want you even more,’ (Bush) said. ‘Those
guys at USC are collecting state champions and we make them over
here.’ I did everything I could to get here."

Smith went on to capture two NCAA titles in the 400 meters and
was a member of two Bruin squads to win national titles in 1971 and
1972. Smith also won four NCAA championships as a member of the
1,600-meter relay team. He also still holds the world record in the
440-yard dash at 44.5 seconds.

Under Bush, UCLA won an NCAA record six straight 1,600-meter
relay crowns and became the first school to win the 400-meter and
1,600-meter relays in the same year when the Bruins accomplished
the feat in 1966.

Winning was important under Bush but the most important thing
for Bush’s athletes was to improve.

"My top goal was to see how many athletes could get personal
records," Bush said. "I felt that if enough of them got it, winning
would take care of itself."

Winning did take care of itself in the early 1970s. UCLA won
three straight national titles from 1971 to 1973. The Bruins also
compiled a dual-meet record of 28-1 in that span.

The wins and the national titles were great for UCLA. Bush did
not like to lose and took losing hard. He did not like waiting 12
months to get even with an opponent.

However, in 1974, UCLA was denied a fourth straight title when
Tennessee edged the Bruins out at the NCAA Championships. People
expected Bush to be disappointed by the narrow loss but he was not,
as he showed that he was happy when others succeeded.

"I really wasn’t sad," Bush said. "It was time for someone else
to have fun and get the championship."

One championship that UCLA and Bush could’ve had was cross
country in 1964. Bush took over that program in 1964 and felt the
team was good enough to win a national title.

However, Morgan didn’t want to send the cross country to the
NCAA championships because of the expenses that would be incurred.
Bush argued with Morgan, but to no avail, and said that his
arguments with Morgan almost cost him his job.

To the benefit of many Bruins, Bush was never fired and many of
his athletes earned championships during the ’60s, ’70s and early
’80s. Bush coached many notable athletes like high jumper Dwight
Stones, who won a bronze medal at the 1976 Olympics and is
considered one of the best high jumpers ever.

Wayne Collett, a silver medalist at the 1972 Olympics, Benny
Brown, an Olympic gold medalist in the 1,600-meter relay in 1976,
and Greg Foster, a three-time NCAA champion and also a silver
medalist at the 1984 Olympics in the 110-meter hurdles, are just a
few of the athletes that Bush coached.

Bush’s love for track never deteriorated during his years at
UCLA but health problems and conflicts with administration forced
Bush to leave UCLA in 1984.

His success did not go unnoticed in the Los Angeles area. Bush
was hired by the Raiders in 1982 to train their No. 1 draft pick,
Marcus Allen.

Allen won the Heisman Trophy in 1981 at USC and the Raiders
wanted him faster and talked Bush into training him.

Being an old football coach, Bush made Allen stronger by
teaching him old drills. Allen went on to win rookie of the year
after Bush trained him. The joke, Bush said, was on the Raiders
because he said he didn’t make Allen faster.

"Everyone said that I got (Allen) faster," Bush said. "I didn’t.
He wasn’t any faster but in better shape."

Bush worked for the Raiders for six years between 1982 and 1988
conditioning players like all-pro Howie Long. Bush also conditioned
members of the Lakers and the Kings in the early ’70s.

Bush also conditioned the Dodgers and earned a World Series ring
in 1988 to go along with the Super Bowl championship ring he earned
with the Raiders in 1984.

After working with pro sports teams, Bush returned to coaching
collegiate track and became an assistant coach at USC in 1989.

Bush returned and went to USC as a favor to the wife of a former
athlete under Bush, the late Ron Copeland. Copeland, an NCAA
champion in the 110-meter hurdles in 1966, had three sons and his
eldest son wanted to go to USC and be a hurdler.

Bush hadn’t seen Copeland’s sons grow up and wanted to coach
another Ron Copeland in the hurdles. In 1991, USC fired Coach Ernie
Bullard and picked Bush to replace him. He then became the first
ever person to be a head coach at UCLA and USC.

Bush rebuilt the fallen USC program and coached Quincy Watts to
a 1992 gold medal in Barcelona and recruited Balazs Kiss, a
four-time NCAA champion in the hammer throw. He retired in 1994
from USC, never managing to beat UCLA in a dual-meet.

Bush’s coaching style and philosophies have carried over the the
current coaches at UCLA like Smith, Venegas and head coach Bob
Larsen.

"(Bush) is a competitor," said Venegas, who was hired by Bush in
1981. "He’s old and weathered now. He’s payed his dues. If you get
him out there he can outcoach a 22-year old. He’ll stay out here
and that workout better be done his way and finished his way and
that’s what I like."

"I think (Bush) was a little bit ahead of his time, especially
with the quarter-milers and the hurdlers," Larsen said. "They had
some incredible marks over the years."

In 1996, Bush was inducted in the U.S. Track Coaches Association
Hall of Fame and in 1987 was inducted into the National Track and
Field Hall of Fame. In December of 1997, Bush was inducted into the
UCLA Hall of Fame. However, Bush feels his athletes deserve to be
in the UCLA Hall of Fame more than he does.

"I don’t believe a coach should go (to the Hall of Fame) before
his athletes," Bush said. "I wouldn’t be in if it wasn’t for my
athletes. I don’t feel I should be put in the hall of fame. Ron
Copeland is the only person in school to win three NCAA
championships in the same year."

Bush now gives advice to young coaches around the Los Angeles
area and gives lectures across the country about the keys of being
a successful coach.

"If you want to be a good coach – be organized," Bush said.
"Treat every athlete the same way. I don’t care if he’s the world
record holder or a little guy struggling to make the team. I treat
everyone the same and make everyone feel important."

Bush’s coaching philosophies and influence had an impact on many
former Bruins as he counted over 80 of his former athletes coaching
track and field now.

"That’s exciting," Bush said. "It’s fun to see my old guys
coaching."

His love and desire for coaching seems endless as he now trains
an up and coming Tyree Washington two days a week. Washington won a
bronze medal in the 400 meters at the 1997 World Championships.

"(Washington’s) a nice kid," Bush said. "I’m probably going to
keep working with him through the 2000 Olympics because I like him.
How could you say no to someone that’s nice?"

With all of his accomplishments and accolades over the years,
Bush never earned what he wanted – a psychology degree from his
close friend and former UCLA chancellor, Charles Young. Bush asked
Young jokingly one day to give him an honorary degree.

"To be a good track coach, you got to be a good psychologist,"
Bush said. "It’s really tough because every guy is different."

Bush’s legacy will always live on at UCLA and Drake Stadium, a
place where his teams won 99 dual-meets.

"I think Ducky Drake’s (track coach from 1946 to 1964), Bush’s,
and Larsen’s legacies will continue because they put in a real
solid effort every day," Venegas said.

No one knows for sure if Bush will ever stop coaching track or
if he will ever stop showing up to UCLA practices and talking to
the coaches, but one thing is certain: Bush’s desire to coach.

"I love it," he said with a smile.

SUSIE MING HWA CHU

Former UCLA track coach Jim Bush led the Bruins to five national
titles.

Daily Bruin File Photo

Jim Bush transformed the Bruins into a track powerhouse.