Robert Lyman "Dink" Templeton was a multi-talented athlete at Stanford University who competed in the 1920 Olympics in two sports – track and field and rugby. He was fourth in the long jump at Antwerp but won a gold medal with the rugby team. At that year's Olympic Trials, Templeton lost the chance to qualify in his best event, the high jump, when his style of jumping called the "Western roll," was considered an illegal dive. Four years later, he again represented the U.S. in the Olympic long-jump competition. Templeton went on to become an excellent coach and some of his innovations are still in effect today. He became Stanford coach in 1922 and during his 17-year tenure, the Indians (as they were known then) won three national collegiate team titles and 19 NCAA individual titles. He held intensive daily track practices, not common in those days, and his ability to get the maximum out of his athletes became a trademark. He later coached the famed San Francisco Olympic Club and remained active in coaching until his death. A graduate of Stanford Law School, Templeton also was a broadcaster and journalist.
1920 Olympics: Long Jump (4th)
Coach Journalist Broadcaster