Roger L. Counsil (January 11, 1935 – August 8, 2017) was a former American gymnastics coach, and head of the United States Gymnastics Federation, now known as USA Gymnastics.

Biography

Counsil was born on January 11, 1935, in Wood River, Illinois. He was an athlete at Southern Illinois University, where he competed in track, swimming, and gymnastics. He was the NAIA 1-meter diving champion in 1957, the same year he was named the "Most Valuable Athlete" at SIU. In addition to his bachelor's degree, he earned his Master's from SIU and completed his doctorate in Higher Education Administration at Indiana University Bloomington. For 17 years, he coached at Indiana State University. Counsil was named Olympic coach for the U.S.-boycotted 1980 Summer Olympics and held several other positions. These included: In 1985, he was inducted into the Indiana State University and Southern Illinois University Athletics Hall of Fame. On August 8, 2014, he was selected as an Institutional Great by the Missouri Valley Conference and inducted into the Conference Hall of Fame.

Death

Counsil died on August 8, 2017, at the age of 82.