University of Illinois Athletics

MEN'S GYMNASTICS COACH • 1949-73

Charles Pond won an incredible 11-consecutive Big Ten championships and four NCAA team titles from 1950-60 during a 25-year run as head coach of the Fighting Illini. He compiled an overall record of 319-152 (.677) and dual-meet record of 150-78 (.658) at Illinois. Pond started his career at Illinois as an assistant for one season before continuing as head coach for the next 25 years. He coached 107 men and women to national, Olympic and world titles. Pond coached six men and four women Olympians. A versatile athlete at Hardin-Simmons, he was a cheerleader, won gold in the Golden Gloves welterweight Division (1938) and played on the Hardin-Simmons football team. Pond was an associate men’s coach and assistant women’s coach for the U.S. Olympic team in 1956. He developed the Pond Twisting Belt, which was one of the most valuable pieces of gymnastics safety equipment ever produced. Pond was inducted into the U.S. Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1966. He died in 2003 at the age of 88.