The Hillsdale College Athletic Department is saddened by the news of the passing of Hillsdale College Athletics Hall of Fame honoree and one of the program's most accomplished alumnus, Milo R. "Mike" Lude, at the age of 101 last week.
Born on June 30, 1922 in Fulton, Michigan, Mike lived an incredible life, from attending a one-room schoolhouse as a child, to serving his country as a lieutenant in World War II, to incredible success in the world of collegiate athletics as a player, coach and athletic director for over 60 years before retiring to Arizona in the early 2000s.
Growing up in Kalamazoo, Michigan in the 30s, Lude became a star prep athlete, earning All-Southwestern Michigan honors in football while also standing out on the baseball field. He originally enrolled at Hillsdale College in 1940 and joined the baseball and football teams, but the advent of World War II and a desire to serve his country saw Lude put his education on hold to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. From 1943 to 1946 Lude served in the Marines 5th Battalion of the USMC First Amphibian Group in the Pacific theater rising to the rank of lieutenant. In addition to his service, Lude showcased his talents for what would later become his lifelong vocation by serving as his company's head football and baseball coach.
Returning to Hillsdale in 1946, Lude finished his Hillsdale College career by serving as captain of both the football and baseball teams, earning All-MIAA honors in football as a two-way player while helping Hillsdale to a 7-1 record and a MIAA title in the first year of head coach Davey Nelson, who would later go on to become a coaching legend at the University of Delaware. In another momentous turn, during his second stint at Hillsdale, Lude would also meet Rena Pifer, who he would marry in 1947 and spend the next 70 years of his life with.
Graduating from Hillsdale in 1947, Lude immediately got into collegiate coaching. Taking over the Dales baseball program he had been a part of as a player the previous year, Lude led Hillsdale to back-to-back MIAA Championships, the first two titles in the sport in Dales history, and compiled a 31-7 record over two seasons that would be a high-water mark for the program for the next 60-plus years. That success led Lude to a position as head baseball coach at the University of Maine, where he led the Black Bears to a conference title in 1950.
In 1951, Lude left Maine for Delaware, where he reconnected with his former football coach, Davey Nelson, who at that time was revolutionizing football with the Wing-T offense and guiding Delaware to national prominence. After 11 years as an assistant, Lude took over as head football coach at Colorado State, leading the Rams for eight seasons and guiding Colorado State's football transition into the Western Athletic Conference in 1968.
In 1970, after 23 years of coaching, Lude made the decision to move full-time into athletics administration, taking over as Director of Athletics at Kent State University. His success with the Golden Flashes led University of Washington to come calling, and Lude moved out to the Seattle area in 1976 to become the Huskies' athletic director.
During his time at Washington, Lude helped build a football juggernaut that took the Pac-10 and, eventually, the nation by storm. Working closely with legendary football coach Don James, whom Lude had given his first head coaching job at Kent State in 1971, Lude saw the Huskies win five PAC-12 titles, play in five Rose Bowls and an Orange Bowl with a 5-1 record, and compile a 135-52-2 record during his tenure. In 1991, shortly after Lude's retirement, the Huskies won the program's only consensus national championship in football with a perfect 12-0 record. Lude also oversaw a time of unprecedented financial growth and massive facilities upgrades for Washington athletics, including a complete renovation of Husky Stadium and huge increases in revenue for broadcasting rights. Lude played a critical role in that financial windfall while serving on the NCAA Postseason Football Committee, the Pac-10 Television Committee and Pac-10 Budget Committee.
Lude came out of retirement in 1992 to serve as Athletic Director at Auburn for two years, then retired for good from Athletics Administration in 1994, though he continued to work as a consultant to athletic departments and a public speaker for many years after that.
Among the many accolades won by Lude over the course of his career are the National Football Foundation's John L. Toner Award, the James Corbett Award, given to the Nation's Outstanding Athletics Director by NACDA, the Division I-A NCAA Athletics Directors Homer Rice Award, the United States Sports Academy's Carl Maddox Award for outstanding lifetime contribution to intercollegiate athletics, the Tony Gasparovich Memorial Coach Award, The Hillsdale College Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award and the Contribution to Amateur Football Award from the Seattle Chapter of the National Football Foundation. He's also been inducted into the Kent State, Colorado State, Washington and Hillsdale College Athletic Hall of Fames.
A successful and lengthy career never came at the expense of Lude's love for his family. With his wife, Rena, Lude raised three daughters who have gone on to have numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. An active, energetic and forceful personality throughout his life, Lude continued to remain active into his later years, marking his 93rd birthday with a tandem skydiving excursion.
There will be a memorial service for Mike Lude on May 9, 2024 at St Andrews Presbyterian Church, 750 W Chapala Dr., Tucson, AZ 85704 at 4 p.m.