Foxal is having his retirement ceremony after 38 years of coaching and probably won't raise a toast. His gymnasts, past and present, will be too busy doing it for him. See, Dick is a man facing the sunset of his career—and he doesn’t fit into his own silhouette.
Oregon State gymnasts will tell you stories you may not believe, because they aren’t sure they do either. He’s worked for Boeing and has taught in the Southeast. But he was always pulled back into the gym.
He was a coach.
He was bigger than life. Part coach, part mentor. Always entertaining and always teaching.
“He will be missed in the gym,” senior D’Anna Piro said. “He was a very influential person. He gave us a lot of a purpose when we worked out. What you learn from Dick goes further than just gymnastics—you learn a life lesson almost everyday."
There had been whispers about his retirement for quite some time now. He has been coaching for 38 years, people weren’t sure if he knew how to stop. It’s still so surreal to the gymnasts.
“Nobody wants him to go,” 2008 graduate Keegan Fitzgerald said. “He is the most patient man; he is so knowledgeable about gymnastics.”
Foxal has been a key component to the successes for Oregon State. In his 21 seasons with the Beavers, he has helped guide the team to 13 NCAA Championships—including the last three seasons. He is also responsible for 10 top 10 finishes since he walked into Corvallis and helped the team finish fourth in 1996.
“It was nice to have someone who has been around gymnastics for a while,” junior gymnast Laura-Ann Chong said. “He knows a lot of different techniques.”
He is regarded by the gymnasts as an amazing man, and they are fortunate to have known him.
“He’s been a wonderful coach and he has been very inspiring,” senior Kera Bolen said. “He was one of the best bar coaches I’ve ever worked with.”
Foxal feels the exact same way toward the women he coached. He told osubeavers.com that he has had a great career.
“I’m a lucky man to have been involved in gymnastics for so many years. This has been a very rich experience,” Foxal said. “I’m very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with such amazing young women during the course of my career at Oregon State.
"A lot has changed at OSU over the last two decades in the sport of gymnastics and at this university. I am very proud to have been part of such an enormous transformation with the gymnastics program as well as for the athletic department.”
The Beaver gymnasts know it won’t be the same in the gym. Foxal was known as a bit of a prankster at times.
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