Dr. John Willson—He retired in 2005 after 30 years of teaching history at Hillsdale College but still coaches the football team’s kickers. Willson was a college kicker himself at Hobart College and first joined the football team’s coaching staff in 1975. He also was the founder and coach of Hillsdale’s women’s cross country and track teams.

Milo “Mike” Lude, ’44—A Marine Corps veteran, Lude spent two years coaching the school’s highly successful baseball team, including the 1949 baseball team, a 2002 Hall of Fame inductee. He went on to serve as athletic director at Auburn University as well as the University of Washington. Last year, he published his autobiography, Walking the Line.

Dr. Leo Phillips—A professor of philosophy and religion at Hillsdale, Phillips coached cross-country at the College from 1950-67, helping the team to a high level of success during a time when scholarship money was scarce for such sports. In his later years, Phillips won more than 50 swimming medals in the Senior Olympic and Masters competitions and participated in three National Senior Olympic events.