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Dick Michaels joined the Oberlin Department of Physical Education as an instructor in 1970, retiring in 2006 after 36 years. During his time at Oberlin, he was promoted to the academic rank of full professor on the Oberlin faculty. He coached men's swimming for all 36 of his years, women's swimming for 11 years, men's cross country for 19 years. Additionally, Michaels was responsible for starting women's cross country in the early 1970s in defiance of the existing Ohio Athletic Conference rules which specifically forbade women from competition.
He also was assistant coach of men's and women's soccer as well as track and field. Michaels' swimmers and divers won 41 individual conference championships and were named to the All-America squad 72 times, including six NCAA national championship titles. Thirteen swimmers placed third or better in the NCAA Championships.
In 1984, his women's cross country team won the first team championship awarded by the North Coast Athletic Conference. Currently, 13 of his athletes have been elected to the Oberlin College Athletics Heisman Hall of Fame. He was Director of Physical Education and published over 20 articles in professional journals, as well as a book entitled Swimming Workouts for Fitness and Training.
As a swimmer at The Ohio State University, Michaels was named to the All-American team three times in the backstroke and competed in the 1964 Olympic Trials in the 100-meter backstroke. After graduating from OSU in 1967 with a BS in physical education, he went on to earn his master's degree from Western Michigan University while serving as assistant swimming coach.
Upon entering the U.S. Army in 1968 as a second lieutenant, he was named to the United States Modern Pentathlon Team. He competed in a number of national and international competitions, finishing eighth in the 1969 United States National Championships.
Upon his retirement in 2006, he and his wife Jan moved to Three Rivers, Michigan, where they have spent their summers since 1974.
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