George McMillion

George McMillion became the head of the SMU swimming program after serving 14 years as assistant to the legendary A. R. “Red” Barr. The SMU men’s swimming and diving team has finished ranked among the nation’s Top 20 teams in each of McMillion’s 16 seasons as head coach of the Mustangs. His squads have ranked among the NCAA Top Ten a total of 14 times (including a runner-up finish in 1983 – SMU’s highest NCAA finish ever), have won eight Southwest Conference championships and have compiled a 160-39 overall dual meet won-lost record, including one undefeated season (16-0) in 1979. McMillion has produced 78 NCAA All-America swimmers and divers and has sent many swimmers into international competition (including the last four Olympics). SMU swimming Olympic medalists have included Steve Lundquist, Ricardo Prado, Jerry Heidenreich, Ron Mills and Rich Saeger.

As a competitor for the Mustangs, McMillion captained the SMU squad in 1954 after lettering the two previous years. He won a total of seven Southwest Conference individual championships, never losing a backstroke event in his three varsity years. When he graduated, he held the conference records in both the 100 and 200-yard backstrokes.

McMillion has coached for the United States in international competition many times. In 1978, he coached the U.S. team that toured France, the American team in the U.S. – Great Britain Dual Meet and was head coach for the Olympic Development Camp in Colorado Springs. In 1982, he was one of the coaches of the U.S. team at the World Games in Ecuador. In 1983, he coached at the U.S. vs. U.S.S.R. junior swimming meet. He has served as a head coach at the Olympic Sports Festival three times, coaching the South team to victories in 1983 and 1985 and the North to victory in 1987.

The former high school All-American from Coffeyville, KA, served as Meet Director of the 1972 and 1974 National AAU Swimming Championships. He received Southwest Conference “Coach-of-the-Year” honors in 1972, 1976, 1977 and 1984 and was named NCAA District Six “Coach-of-the-Year” in 1973. In 1978, McMillion received the highly prestigious “Big D” Award from the Dallas All-Sports Association.

McMillion served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Force for two years and taught in the Dallas Public School system before coming to SMU in 1957. He and his wife, Jean, have three children: Stan, Robin and Jan.

NCAA Champions Coached

6 in 15 events

1981-1982

1972

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