Frank Carroll
Encyclopedia
Francis M. "Frank" Carroll (born March 1939, Worcester, Massachusetts
) is an American
figure skating
coach
and former competitive skater. He has coached three skaters to win the World Figure Skating Championships
: Linda Fratianne
, Michelle Kwan
, and Evan Lysacek
. His pupil, Evan Lysacek
won the men's Olympic gold medal in 2010 at Vancouver.
He has been inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame
and the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame
and was the 1997 Olympic Coach of the Year
.
. When he was in his early teens, a skating rink opened in his neighborhood and he began skating, interested by the combination of artistry and athleticism. After graduating from the College of the Holy Cross
in 1960 with a B.S. in Sociology, Carroll eventually moved to Winchester, Massachusetts
and lived with his coach Maribel Vinson Owen and her daughters on weekends.
Carroll won the bronze medal on the junior level at the 1959 U.S. Championships
. He won the silver medal on the junior level at the 1960 U.S. Championships behind Douglas Ramsay
. Carroll turned professional after that and was skating with the Ice Follies
at the time of the Sabena Flight 548
crash.
Carroll skated with the Ice Follies until 1964. He was accepted to law school at the University of San Francisco
, but chose to pursue acting. He appeared in the background of several beach films, including The Loved One
. He began coaching on the side to support himself and eventually decided to coach full-time. His most notable students have been Linda Fratianne
, Michelle Kwan
and Evan Lysacek
. He is the current coach of the 2008 National Champion, Mirai Nagasu
, who placed 4th at the 2010 Olympics. He was the head coach for the Toyota Sports Center
in El Segundo, California
. In 2011, he began coaching at a newly built rink in Palm Springs, one of his homes since the 1970s.
He has coached skaters to win the World Figure Skating Championships
during the era of compulsory figures
(Fratianne), after compulsory figures (Kwan), and under the ISU Judging System
(Lysacek). He also coached Lysacek to an Olympic gold medal.
Carroll was inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame
in 1996. He is the first figure skating coach to be named the Olympic Coach of the Year
, which happened in 1997.
On March 6, 2007, it was announced that he was elected to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame
. He was inducted on March 22, 2007 during the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships
, between the original dance and the men's free skate.
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
and former competitive skater. He has coached three skaters to win the World Figure Skating Championships
World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
: Linda Fratianne
Linda Fratianne
Linda Sue Fratianne is a former American Olympic figure skater who won four consecutive U.S. Championships .-Early career:...
, Michelle Kwan
Michelle Kwan
Michelle Wingshan Kwan is an American figure skater. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, a five-time World champion and a nine-time U.S...
, and Evan Lysacek
Evan Lysacek
Evan Frank Lysacek is an American figure skater. He is the 2010 Olympic champion, the 2009 World champion, the 2005 & 2007 Four Continents champion, the 2007 & 2008 U.S. national champion, and the 2009/2010 Grand Prix Final champion....
. His pupil, Evan Lysacek
Evan Lysacek
Evan Frank Lysacek is an American figure skater. He is the 2010 Olympic champion, the 2009 World champion, the 2005 & 2007 Four Continents champion, the 2007 & 2008 U.S. national champion, and the 2009/2010 Grand Prix Final champion....
won the men's Olympic gold medal in 2010 at Vancouver.
He has been inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame
World Figure Skating Hall of Fame
The World Figure Skating Hall of Fame serves as a repository for the sport of figure skating. The World Figure Skating Hall of Fame is where the greatest names in the history of the sport are honored...
and the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame
United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame
The United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame serves as a repository for the sport of figure skating. The United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame is where the greatest names in the history of the sport are honored. To be inducted into the Hall of Fame is considered the highest achievement an...
and was the 1997 Olympic Coach of the Year
USOC Coach of the Year
The USOC Coach of the Year awards are given annually by the United States Olympic Committee to the top coaches in Olympic and Paralympic sports. One award is given in each of five categories:*National Coach*Developmental Coach*Paralympic Coach...
.
Competitive and professional career
Carroll grew up in Worcester, MassachusettsWorcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
. When he was in his early teens, a skating rink opened in his neighborhood and he began skating, interested by the combination of artistry and athleticism. After graduating from the College of the Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
in 1960 with a B.S. in Sociology, Carroll eventually moved to Winchester, Massachusetts
Winchester, Massachusetts
Winchester is a town located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, eight miles north of Boston. With its agricultural roots having mostly disappeared, it is now an affluent suburb...
and lived with his coach Maribel Vinson Owen and her daughters on weekends.
Carroll won the bronze medal on the junior level at the 1959 U.S. Championships
United States Figure Skating Championships
The United States Figure Skating Championships is figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. The competition is sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. In the U.S. skating community, the event is often referred to informally as "Nationals".Skaters...
. He won the silver medal on the junior level at the 1960 U.S. Championships behind Douglas Ramsay
Douglas Ramsay
Douglas Ramsay was an American figure skater who competed in men's singles.Known as "Dick Button Jr.", he early won the reputation of being a particularly charismatic free skater and an audience favorite....
. Carroll turned professional after that and was skating with the Ice Follies
Ice Follies
Shipstads & Johnson Ice Follies was a touring ice show featuring elaborate production numbers, similar in concept to Ice Capades. It was founded in 1937 by Eddie Shipstad, Roy Shipstad, and Oscar Johnson, who also skated in the show. In later years, Olympic skaters such as Donald Jackson, Barbara...
at the time of the Sabena Flight 548
Sabena Flight 548
Sabena Flight 548, registration OO-SJB, was a Boeing 707 aircraft that crashed en route to Brussels, Belgium, from New York City on February 15, 1961, killing the entire United States Figure Skating team on its way to the 1961 World Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia.The flight, which...
crash.
Carroll skated with the Ice Follies until 1964. He was accepted to law school at the University of San Francisco
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
, but chose to pursue acting. He appeared in the background of several beach films, including The Loved One
The Loved One (film)
The Loved One is a 1965 black comedy film about the funeral business in Los Angeles, which is based on The Loved One: An Anglo-American Tragedy , a short satirical novel by Evelyn Waugh...
. He began coaching on the side to support himself and eventually decided to coach full-time. His most notable students have been Linda Fratianne
Linda Fratianne
Linda Sue Fratianne is a former American Olympic figure skater who won four consecutive U.S. Championships .-Early career:...
, Michelle Kwan
Michelle Kwan
Michelle Wingshan Kwan is an American figure skater. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, a five-time World champion and a nine-time U.S...
and Evan Lysacek
Evan Lysacek
Evan Frank Lysacek is an American figure skater. He is the 2010 Olympic champion, the 2009 World champion, the 2005 & 2007 Four Continents champion, the 2007 & 2008 U.S. national champion, and the 2009/2010 Grand Prix Final champion....
. He is the current coach of the 2008 National Champion, Mirai Nagasu
Mirai Nagasu
Mirai Aileen Nagasu , born April 16, 1993 is an American figure skater. She is the 2008 U.S. national champion, 2010 U.S. silver medalist, 2011 Four Continents bronze medalist, and 2007–2008 Junior Grand Prix Final champion....
, who placed 4th at the 2010 Olympics. He was the head coach for the Toyota Sports Center
Toyota Sports Center
The Toyota Sports Center is a practice facility for the Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Sparks, and the Los Angeles Lakers, located on 555 North Nash Street in El Segundo, California...
in El Segundo, California
El Segundo, California
El Segundo is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located on the Santa Monica Bay, it was incorporated on January 18, 1917, and is one of the Beach Cities of Los Angeles County and part of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments...
. In 2011, he began coaching at a newly built rink in Palm Springs, one of his homes since the 1970s.
Results
| Event | 1959 | 1960 |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Championships United States Figure Skating Championships The United States Figure Skating Championships is figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. The competition is sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. In the U.S. skating community, the event is often referred to informally as "Nationals".Skaters... |
3rd J. | 2nd J. |
- J = Junior level
Coaching career
Carroll's current and former students include:- Nicole BobekNicole BobekNicole Bobek is an American figure skater. She is the 1995 U.S. Champion and World bronze medalist.-Biography:An only child, Bobek was raised by her Czech mother, Jana, and her friend Joyce Barron...
- Christopher BowmanChristopher BowmanChristopher Nicol' Bowman was an American figure skater. He was a two-time U.S. national champion and two-time World medalist. He won the 1983 World Junior Figure Skating Championships and competed in two Olympic Winter Games, placing 7th in 1988 and 4th in 1992.-Biography:Bowman was born in...
. Coached him to the U.S. National title and a World silver medal in 1989 and to a World Bronze medal in 1990. - Tiffany ChinTiffany ChinTiffany Chin is an American figure skater who grew up in San Diego, California. She dominated the junior circuit in ice skating prior to her Olympic career, winning the US Junior National title as well as the World Junior title...
. Coached her to two World bronze medals. - Ellie KawamuraEllie KawamuraEllie Kawamura is an American ladies figure skater. She is 2009 U.S. Junior National silver medalist.-Career:Kawamura began skating at age 4 because her parents thought it would be good exercise and balance training for little kids....
. - Mark CockerellMark CockerellMark Cockerell is a former American figure skater. He won the World Junior Figure Skating Championships in 1976, its inaugural year. He won a bronze medals at US Nationals in 1983 and in 1984, and came in second in 1985. He placed 13th at the 1984 Winter Olympics.-Results:-Navigation:...
. - Silvia FontanaSilvia FontanaSilvia Fontana is a figure skater who represented Italy at the two Olympics. She was born on Staten Island, New York, raised in Rome, and trained during her career in Hackensack, New Jersey.-Career:...
- Linda FratianneLinda FratianneLinda Sue Fratianne is a former American Olympic figure skater who won four consecutive U.S. Championships .-Early career:...
. Coached her to two World Championships and to an Olympic silver medal in 1980. - Timothy GoebelTimothy GoebelTimothy Richard Goebel is an American retired figure skater. He is the 2002 Olympic bronze medalist. He was the first person to land a quadruple salchow in competition and the first person to land three quadruple jumps in one program...
. Coached him to the 2002 and 2003 World silver medals and the 2002 Olympic bronze medal. Carroll ended his coaching relationship with Goebel in November 2004 following the 2004 NHK Trophy2004 NHK TrophyThe NHK Trophy is an international, senior-level invitation-only figure skating competition. Elite figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. The location changes yearly.... - Kristiene GongKristiene Gong-Programs:-Competitive highlights:* Ju = Juvenile level; J = Junior level.-Detailed results:* SP= Short program; FS= Free skate.-External links:...
. - Danielle KahleDanielle KahleDanielle "Dani" Kahle is an American figure skater.In 2002, Danielle Kahle was the United States National Champion at the novice level.Kahle is coached by Frank Carroll and Cindy Bortz-Gould...
. - Jennifer KirkJennifer KirkJennifer Anne "Jenny" Kirk is an American retired competitive figure skater. She is the 2000 World Junior Champion and the 2002 Four Continents Champion.- Biography :...
. - Carolina KostnerCarolina KostnerCarolina Kostner is an Italian figure skater. She is a three-time World medalist , a three-time European champion , a three-time Grand Prix Final medalist , the 2003 World Junior bronze medalist, and a six-time Italian Champion.-Personal life:Carolina Kostner was born...
. - Karen KwanKaren KwanKaren Wingyan Kwan Oppegard is best known as the older sister of figure skater Michelle Kwan. Karen is two years older than Michelle and was an elite figure skater herself....
. - Michelle KwanMichelle KwanMichelle Wingshan Kwan is an American figure skater. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, a five-time World champion and a nine-time U.S...
. He coached her to four World Championships and to an Olympic silver medal in 1998. In the fall of 2001, Kwan and Carroll decided to end their coaching relationship. In interviews, Kwan said she needed to "take responsibility" for her skating. - Beatrisa LiangBeatrisa LiangBeatrisa "Bebe" Liang is an American figure skater. She is the 2006 Four Continents bronze medalist and 2007 U.S...
. - Evan LysacekEvan LysacekEvan Frank Lysacek is an American figure skater. He is the 2010 Olympic champion, the 2009 World champion, the 2005 & 2007 Four Continents champion, the 2007 & 2008 U.S. national champion, and the 2009/2010 Grand Prix Final champion....
. He coached him to a World Championship in 2009 and an Olympic gold medal in 2010. - Ye Bin Mok
- Daisuke Murakami.
- Mirai NagasuMirai NagasuMirai Aileen Nagasu , born April 16, 1993 is an American figure skater. She is the 2008 U.S. national champion, 2010 U.S. silver medalist, 2011 Four Continents bronze medalist, and 2007–2008 Junior Grand Prix Final champion....
. - Angela NikodinovAngela NikodinovAngela Nikodinov , is an American figure skater. She is the 2000 Four Continents Champion.-Biography:Nikodinov is the daughter of Bulgarian immigrants and speaks Bulgarian fluently...
. - Denis TenDenis TenDenis Yurievich Ten is a Kazakhstani figure skater. He is the 2011 Asian Winter Games champion and 2006 Kazakhstan national champion. At the 2008-2009 ISU Junior Grand Prix event in Belarus, he became the first skater from Kazakhstan to win an International Skating Union competition...
.
He has coached skaters to win the World Figure Skating Championships
World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
during the era of compulsory figures
Compulsory figures
Compulsory figures or school figures were formerly an aspect of the sport of figure skating, from which the sport derives its name. Carving specific patterns or figures into the ice was the original focus of the sport. The patterns of compulsory figures all derive from the basic figure eight...
(Fratianne), after compulsory figures (Kwan), and under the ISU Judging System
ISU Judging System
The ISU Judging System , is the scoring system on the event and on the level of competition. At the senior international level, single and pairs short programs contain eight technical elements. The actual eight elements are detailed for single skaters in ISU rule 310...
(Lysacek). He also coached Lysacek to an Olympic gold medal.
Carroll was inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame
United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame
The United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame serves as a repository for the sport of figure skating. The United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame is where the greatest names in the history of the sport are honored. To be inducted into the Hall of Fame is considered the highest achievement an...
in 1996. He is the first figure skating coach to be named the Olympic Coach of the Year
USOC Coach of the Year
The USOC Coach of the Year awards are given annually by the United States Olympic Committee to the top coaches in Olympic and Paralympic sports. One award is given in each of five categories:*National Coach*Developmental Coach*Paralympic Coach...
, which happened in 1997.
On March 6, 2007, it was announced that he was elected to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame
World Figure Skating Hall of Fame
The World Figure Skating Hall of Fame serves as a repository for the sport of figure skating. The World Figure Skating Hall of Fame is where the greatest names in the history of the sport are honored...
. He was inducted on March 22, 2007 during the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships
2007 World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion. This event is considered the most prestigious of the ISU Championships. Skaters compete in the...
, between the original dance and the men's free skate.