Flashback: Dick Hannula Wilson coach, 1958-83

Sport: Boys swimming

High-school rewind: Built the dynasty of all dynasties in Washington high-school sports, guiding Wilson of Tacoma to 24 consecutive state championships from 1960 (a year after the school opened) through 1983, when he retired. The Rams built an unbeaten streak of 323 meets before losing to David Douglas High of Portland just before the '83 state meet. Hannula started the Tacoma Swim Club in 1955 and produced numerous national champions, including Kaye Hall, a Wilson grad who won two gold medals at the 1968 Olympics.

After high school: Hannula, 75, continued to coach at the Tacoma Swim Club through the 1997-98 season and still volunteers there when needed.

After athletics: With his wealth of knowledge, Hannula is still frequently asked to speak at coaching clinics. He has written two books on coaching and co-authored another. He continues to write articles for the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association Journal.

Personal: Hannula and his wife, Sylvia, celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary last September. They have three sons, a daughter and 13 grandchildren. All three sons were swimming state champions and All-Americans at Wilson in the 1970s. One grandson, Ben, was an all-league quarterback at Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma as a senior last fall.

Fast forward: It's hard to catch the Hannulas at home these days as they are often watching their grandchildren compete in sports, although Dick says none excel at swimming.

Hannula swam at Aberdeen High, Grays Harbor C.C. and Washington State, but said he considered himself "a pretty mediocre swimmer." But he was masterful as a coach.

"We tried to never stay satisfied," Hannula said. "We used to say, 'To be satisfied is to be finished.' "

— Sandy Ringer