Frank Gagliano , the famed middle-distance and distance coach who guided more than 40 sub-4:00 milers, 15 Olympians, and a world championship medalist, has died. Gags, as he was affectionately known, was 89.

Gagliano is survived by his wife, Roberta, and four children, along with multiple grandchildren.

One of track and field and distance running’s most prolific coaches, Gagliano never officially retired, coaching athletes until around 2023. Gagliano influenced the sport at the scholastic, collegiate, and professional levels. He coached an NCAA championship team at Manhattan College, then made stops at Rutgers and Georgetown before working with pro groups in Washington, D.C.; Palo Alto, California; Eugene, Oregon; and New York. He forged deep connections with athletes at each stop.

“He made you feel like you were the only athlete he cared about,” said Diljeet Taylor , who ran with Gagliano in Palo Alto and is currently the women’s coach at Brigham Young University.…