Last Monday family, friends and colleagues of Dick Sloan gathered at the Drake Union shelter house in honor of his retirement as the special assistant to the director of athletics.The event began at Drake Union when Vicki Chorman, superintendent of St. John arena presented Sloan with a container of glue and said “Dick was the glue that held us all together. He’s always willing to listen and learn from everyone. We all love Dick Sloan.”Ken Kaiser, assistant director of recreational sports presented Sloan with a wooden plaque in the shape of Ohio which read, “Exceptional gentleman, outstanding diplomat and valued friend – happy retirement. Sloan then took center stage and said “I will always have special memories with the swimming teams I coached. To be able to work with young people and see them mature is truly special. I will miss the people I work with the most.”Sloan came to Ohio State in 1975 as the head coach of men’s swimming. He retired as swimming coach in 1989 and became the special assistant to the director of athletics. While a coach at OSU, Sloan produced four All-Americans, eight Big Ten champions and two U.S. swimming national champions.His duties in the athletic department included facility and event management. This included scheduling of OSU athletic events and practices, Ohio High School athletic events, concerts and other outside events on or in OSU athletic facilities. He also coordinated all sports camps and clinics held at OSU.A native of Evanston, Ill. and a 1959 graduate of Monmouth College, Sloan received his master’s degree from the University of Illinois in 1966. From 1966-68 Sloan was athletic director and swimming coach at Lakewood High School near Cleveland. He then became head coach of swimming at Kenyon College and also coached tennis and football.Sloan and his wife Diane will now reside in South Carolina.”We will all miss this guy,” said Mike Dolan, athletics and facilities superintendent. ” A lot of people will find out the hard way after he leaves.”