BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Former Slippery Rock University water polo and swimming coach Dr. Richard F. “Doc” Hunkler is among 75 individuals named to the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference’s 75 Distinguished Keystones, recognizing individuals that have been historically influential in the PSAC, whether it be either staff, coaches or administrators.
“Every great structure relies on keystones, which are essential elements that hold everything together,” said Steve Murray, PSAC Commissioner. “The individuals we recognize as our Distinguished Keystones have been just that: the steady hands, bold voices, and visionary leaders who helped shape the foundation of our conference. They may or may not have worn a uniform, but their fingerprints are all over our history. Their legacy reminds us that success isn’t only measured in points or trophies but in leadership, dedication, and a lifelong commitment to something greater than oneself.”
The men’s and women’s water polo coach at Slippery Rock University from 1971-to-1998, “Doc” was a professor, academic advisor and coach who was years ahead of his time as it related to coaching women. He treated his men’s varsity/National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) team equally in all ways to his women’s club team – both started at the same time. Men’s varsity water polo began at Slippery Rock in 1971 and the women’s club water polo team went from playing intrasquad games to competing at the USA Indoor Water Polo Championship beginning in 1976.
A professor at Slippery Rock from 1968-to–1998, he began his career in the Elementary Education Department where he authored a set of standardized statistical programs called the “Electronic Statistical Cookbook.” He rewrote his cookbook so it connected to the computer mainframe at SRU – creating a revenue source for the water polo team – in addition to allowing him to create and lead the college’s Computer Science Department.
Throughout his coaching career, Slippery Rock competed at the highest levels in both men’s and women’s water polo. The teams claimed numerous Eastern Conference Championships, and culminating by being the only male varsity team at Slippery Rock to reach an NCAA Championship Tournament at that time. In 1995 his women’s team was the first team outside of California to win the USA Indoor National Championship despite a club level designation. The Slippery Rock Women’s Club Team was also the first “true” collegiate women’s water polo team in the country. Doc Hunkler’s vision was to promote the sport of water polo at all levels by developing lifelong support through sportsmanship, camaraderie, friendship, and competition.
During 20 of his 27 years of coaching, Hunkler received no release time from teaching nor did he receive any payment for his coaching duties. In 1976, one of his players, a college sophomore, Lynn Comer Kachmarik played on the USA Women’s National Water Polo Team. Hunkler felt that with her experience he needed her on the pool deck, so he appointed her the assistant coach for the men’s varsity water polo team. This was a first for any woman in the country – coaching a men’s varsity NCAA program – and started Kachmarik onto a career that included service as the head men’s water polo coach at Bucknell University.
Highlights of his coaching career include:
- Assistant coach for the 1982-83 national women’s team which finished second at the World Cup Championships. As a coach at the U.S. Olympic Festival, he became the only person to ever direct both a men’s and women’s squad to a water polo gold medal.
- First and only women’s team to win a National Championship outside of California in 1995
- Earned status as the National “Coach of the Year” three consecutive seasons after leading The Rock to Women’s Collegiate National Championships runner-up finishes in 1993 and 1994 and the national championship in 1995.
- Men’s varsity team won Eastern Men’s Collegiate Championship twice, coached several NCAA All-America selections and led them to the NCAA National Championship Tournament
- He coached the Slippery Rock women’s swimming and diving team for seven years. He coached 101 All-America honorees with an equivalent number of league champions.
- He was instrumental in getting women’s water polo added to the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) as an emerging sport in 2000. Since then, women’s water polo has grown in popularity and participation at the collegiate level.
- Coached over 20 All-America selections with many Slippery Rock women playing on the United States National Team.
- The CWPA Division I Eastern Championship “Coach of the Tournament” award is named for Hunkler
- The USA Water Polo Outstanding Female Coach of the Year award is named for Hunkler.
- Hunkler is a member of the Texas A&M University Athletic Hall of Fame, Slippery Rock Athletic Hall of Fame, CWPA Hall of Fame, USA Water Polo Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Aquatics Hall of Fame.
- Hunkler founded and managed Water Polo Planet – a website which remains among the most often visited sites for the sport of water polo. This site allows coaches to share their coaching knowledge, advertise for open coaching positions and seek out opinions on its message boards for questions in the sport.
