Jerry Carlson, a high school swim coach in Minnesota for 46 years, died last Saturday at the age of 85. His death came as the team that he founded prepared to swim at the Minnesota High School State Championship finals.
Carlson founded the Hutchinson High School boys swim team in the 1961-62 season, according to the Hutchinson Leader. He coached until retiring in 2007 after 46 years. Carlson also founded Hutchinson’s U.S. Swim Club in 1975, now named the High Tides.
In 2005, he was inducted into the Minnesota Swimming and Diving Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
“Jerry meant everything to our program, both the boys and girls,” current Hutchinson swim coach Rory Fairbanks told the Leader. “Being the first coach, the founder of the club team (High Tides), without him you don’t know if we’d even have a program in town. He’s been an advocate for both programs all the way through.”
Carlson grew up in Ely, MN, and swam collegiately at Gustavus Adolphus College, where he won MIAC titles in the 220-yard free and 100-yard free.
Though he did not coach the Hutchinson girls team, Carlson was known to swing by practice and meets.
“He would come in my first couple years as coach,” Fairbanks said. “He was there pretty much every day to make sure that I was the right guy to be leading our programs. He never said a bad thing about what we were doing, but he was there watching and giving assistance when needed, whether you asked for it or not. If he saw something to help a kid out, he would jump right in there and coach them up, even after he retired.”
Carlson is survived by his wife, Malene, and two sons, Jon and Dan.
One of the great swimming families of Minnesota that has given so much to the sport. I remember Coach Carlson from my high school years at MKW and my brother swam under Jon at GAC. He inspired and built quality swimming in a small town.
My condolences.
Jerry was the epitome of what a great high school coach should be. He did an outstanding job for many years. Hutch was a power in high school swimming because Jerry really invested of himself in the program.With a smile I remember the time he asked David Salo why he didn’t do more sprinting.
That is priceless!
RIP ❤️
Condolences to JC and the whole family, as well as the larger Hutch and GAC families. He was a legend and left a huge mark.