Dennis Pursley

[3] Pursley attended and graduated Trinity High School in Louisville Kentucky, where he was a state champion several years, a team captain and All American.

[2] Swimming for the University of Alabama, he earned All-Southeastern Conference honors and the 1969 SEC 200 breaststroke title.

[2][4] Pursley was an assistant to Crimson Tide Hall of Fame Coach Don Gambril and John Foster in the 1970s.

[7][circular reference] Prior to the 1984 Olympics, Pursley was named as the first head coach of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).

AIS athletes Pursley coached included Mark Stockwell and won half the medals for Australia in the 1984 Summer Olympics.