Jerry Dyes

I knew my spelling didn't look right. Thanks for the correction.

Dallasalum, thanks for posting. It is a reminder that I have been meaning to post about Jerry for several days, but have been tied up.

Jerry Dyes was undoubtedly one of, if not THE, best all-around T&F athletes in ACC/ACU history. He was a little before my time, but I knew of his exploits and his exploits were almost otherworldly. He is the only man to win the javelin at the Texas Relays, Drake Relays, Kansas Relays and Penn Relays in a career. He would pick up events just to see if he could do them. So the same year he won the javelin at the 4 BIG relay meets, at the Kansas Relays he won the javelin (a throw of almost 240 feet), the long jump (over 25 feet) and the Triple jump (almost 50 feet) and he only practiced the triple jump a few times before competed in it. He only competed in 2 decathlons collegiately -- one in his freshman year and again in his senior year. In his senior year, he won the Kansas Relays in terrible weather, beating the guy who would later set the world record for the event. He has already qualified for the Olympic Trials in the javelin, but he qualified for the Trials in the decathlon in his 2nd competition ever. He told me that his biggest regret ever is that he decided to compete in the javelin only at the 1964 Trials - he had an off-day and only placed 5th and missed his only try at the Olympics. His ACC teammate, Billy Pemelton, did make the U.S. team in the PV and placed 9th at Tokyo.

He had a good career in coaching as well. That 4x100 relay he had a Northwestern State - the one that included future NFL players Mark (Super) Duper and Joe Delaney was very, very fast and won the D1 title in 1981. I met Jerry the first time in Natchitoches when ACU played Northwestern in the Fall of '80, when I got to see both Duper and Delaney as they ran circles around the ACU defense. That game was the first game after John Mayes graduated and in a quest to find someone who could fill John's shoes, the 'Cats played a different QB in each quarter and never found one that was effective in the least. I think the Wildcats was like 10-38 passing for the game. Jerry would coach at LA Tech after NWST until ACU came calling.

Jerry came in after Don Hood and had a very different coaching philosophy that Coach Hood. The NCAA allowed 12.6 scholarships for men and Coach Hood would get 50-75 people on his men's roster only -- lots of walk-ons and small scholarship kids (after all, Coach Hood got Wes Kittley himself to walk on). ACU loved that because that meant that every walkon was paying their own way and was a revenue generator. Coach Dyes on the other liked to give out 12.6 scholarships to as few people as possible. But, the NCAA would not let you "count" the sport unless the you had 18 on the roster -- a perfect roster for Coach Dyes was 12 full scholarships, 1 .6 scholarship person and 6 walkons to insure you have a fraction more than the minimun 18. That meant that ACU would have less tuition revenue and would too few people to make a serious run at winning the LSC title and only made one serious run at winning D2 nationals. When Jerry left ACU, Wes Kittley (who was already coaching the women's team) was given the helm of the combined men's and women's team and would continue to wrack up national championships (29 in all) until Tech stole him away 25 years ago. Jerry would end up at UTSA -- where his old buddy, James Blackwood, was the head T&F coach after years at UT as an assistant. After James retired, Jerry was go over to Schreiner for a few years to keep in the game.

While at ACU, Jerry had started competing again at the Masters level and he dominated the world in the javelin at this age level. An amazing thing was that Janis Lusis, the Olympic champ and former world record holder, was in Jerry's age division and Jerry schooled him every time they competed. Masters competitors do not get financial help from the US Olympic Committee or USATF, but Jerry had some buddy from his ACC days (seems like the guy was big defense contractor on the west coast) who would pay for Jerry to go to the international meets. So, Jerry got to go Helsinki and Rome and places like that to defend his world titles.

Jerry was also one of the most best-read men I ever knew, EVER. If he was not coaching or training, he was usually reading. I never knew anyone who read the Greek philosophers more than Jerry. He would talk a little bit about ACC T&F history (he still held Wally Bullington responsible for ACU dropping from the NCAA to the NAIA in 1973), but he would far rather talk about Socrates or Plato. He read extensively from the theologians of the past 2-3 centuries. Jerry was the first person to acquaint me with Dietrich Bonhoeffer and C.S. Lewis. He was just a really unique guy.

I am sorry that in the years since leaving ACU he did not have much to do with the school. But, he should rightfully be seen as one of the greatest athletes to every matriculate to "the Hill".

Jerry was married to Genevieve Bottoms…..her nickname was “Jenny”. She had 2 brothers, Johnny and Charlie. Johnny died several years ago. Charlie is still living, but in poor health.

Jenny is suffering from a severe case of dementia. Jerry’s health was wrecked by neuropathy and other health issues. They were both living in a nursing home in Fredericksburg, TX until he passed away. Now she is alone there, and it is a sad situation. They have 2 sons who will make sure she is cared for. It was so sad that both of them were suffering so at the same time.

Most of the people who knew Jerry at ACC (ACU) would say he was the greatest athlete they ever knew. He could do anything…..threw footballs over 100 yards multiple times, could dunk a basketball, many think he could have been an NFL kicker and punter.

Jerry was a good and honorable man. He loved his family, he loved the Lord. Highly intelligent. I have been blessed to have been a close friend for over 60 years.

RIP Jerry.