General | 1/21/2017 11:42:00 AM

    The West Liberty University community is mourning the passing earlier this month of legendary Hall of Fame coach Tom Grall.
    Coach Grall built West Liberty into a swimming dynasty during an incredible five-year run during the early 1970s. His Hilltoppers rolled four West Virginia Conference titles over that span, highlighted by an undefeated season and second-place finish at the 1973 NAIA national championship meet.
    That 1973 squad was so dominant that 24 of the 26 spots on the 1973 All-WVIAC team were occupied by Hilltopper swimmers with 11 of them earning NAIA All-America honors.
    During Coach Grall's storied coaching career, he compiled a 140-26 record while coaching 42 NAIA All-Americans and six athletes who went on to compete in the Olympic Games.
    An outstanding coach regardless of the sport, Coach Grall also served as defensive coordinator for Coach Bob Roe's powerhouse football team during his time on campus. The 1970 and 1971 Hilltoppers won back-to-back WVIAC championships and advanced to the NAIA national semifinals each season.
    Coach Grall was inducted into the West Liberty Hall of Fame in 1990, the same year he was inducted into the NAIA Swimming Hall of Fame. Coach Grall is also a member of the Bethany College Hall of Fame and received a special award for "Outstanding Achievement and Meritorious Coaching" from the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Florida.
    Along with his collegiate coaching accomplishments, Coach Grall was a member of the United States swimming team's coaching staff for the 1970 World University Games in Italy, served on the U.S. Olympic Swimming Committee for the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games and was president of the NAIA Swimming Coaches Association for two years.
    After leaving the coaching profession, Coach Grall enjoyed a highly-successful business career winning numerous sales awards in more than a quarter-century with the 3M Company.