Internationally-known swimming coach Norton "Nort" Thornton and sprint great Dennis Johnson from the San Jose State "Speed City" era, both enshrined in the San Jose State University Sports Hall of Fame, died in California and Jamaica, respectively, on April 22.
A HALL OF FAME SWIMMING COACH
1953 San Jose State swimming team. Thornton is in the second row, second from right.
Thornton (1933-2021) competed in water polo and swimming as a Spartan and graduated in 1956 with a degree in education. He would go on to coach the University of California men's swimming team from 1974 through 2007. A two-time national coach of the year, Cal won the 1979 and 1980 NCAA Championships. Golden Bear swimmers won 48 NCAA individual and relay championships.
A 1995 inductee into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, Thornton's prodigies included Olympic Games gold medal winners Matt Biondi, Anthony Ervin, Par Arvidsson, Bengt Baron and Nathan Adrian.
A GENERATIONAL SPRINT LEGEND
Johnson (1939-2021) specialized in the 100 and 220-yard dashes during his San Jose State track and field days in 1961 and 1962 after transferring from Bakersfield College.
Coach Bud Winter and "Speed City" sprint great Dennis Johnson
In 1961, Track & Field News ranked Johnson #2 in the world in the 100-yard dash. Three times in a six-week span during the outdoor season, he tied the world record of 9.3 seconds in the 100. Johnson was a member of the 1964 Jamaican Olympic team 4x100 meter relay that placed fourth at the Tokyo Olympics.
Coached by the legendary Lloyd "Bud" Winter, Johnson took everything he learned from his San Jose State days back to Jamaica and formulated a countrywide training program. He was Jamaica's Olympic Games track and field coach for seven Olympiads (1980 – 2004). The program produced world-class caliber and Olympic Games medal winning male and female sprinters – Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Yohan Blake, Warren Weir, Shelley-Ann Fraser, and Shericka Williams.
Besides his San Jose State Sports Hall of Fame status, he was awarded the Order of Distinction by his country of Jamaica and a commendation from the United States House of Representatives.