NCAA DII Gold Award Nominees Announcement Press Release
As a part of the NCAA Division II 50th anniversary celebration, the NCAA released its final list of nominations for the Division II Gold Award on Monday afternoon, with over 100 nominees.
Among those under consideration for the award is former Hillsdale College cross country and track and field coach Bill Lundberg, who was the Chargers' nomination for the honor, which will recognize one male and one female who have made a positive impact on Division II. Nominees may be a current or former student-athlete, coach, faculty, or administrator who have made a long-lasting impact on the institution in the areas of athletics, professional development, service, and leadership. Each Division II institution as well as conference were afforded the opportunity to nominate one male and one female they feel is most-deserving of the award.
A legendary coach, teacher, administrator, competitor and an even better man, Lundberg had a massive impact on Hillsdale College and encapsulated the best of what NCAA DII athletics had to offer during his 27 years as a head coach, and has continued to give back to his program and community as a professor and head of the Hillsdale College Wellness Initiative in the 13 years since his retirement from coaching.
During his tenure as a men's track and field and cross country head coach at Hillsdale, Lundberg led the Chargers to an unprecedented 25 GLIAC championships, guided the careers of 17 NAIA or NCAA DII national champions, and coached more than 200 athletic or Academic All-Americans. Early in his career during Hillsdale's time in the NAIA, he helped coach the Chargers men's cross country team to two runner-up finishes and a third-place finish at the NAIA National Championships in 1992, 1993 and 1994. As Hillsdale left the NAIA for NCAA Division II competition, Lundberg oversaw a smooth and successful transition for the Hillsdale College program from one classification to the next, keeping Hillsdale among the national elite.
Over his tenure, Lundberg was named the 1994 NAIA National Coach of the Year and earned 22 GLIAC Coach of the Year honors. As head of Hillsdale College's track and field program, he was primarily responsible for helping grow Hillsdale's annual outdoor track and field invitational, the GINA Relays, into one of the most important track and field events on the calendar in the Midwest and a nationally recognized event in the running world, pulling in top Division I, Division II and professional athletes from across the nation to compete.
More than just success on the track, however, Lundberg also was passionate and driven about helping his student-athletes thrive outside of competition. For 27 years, in every season of every sport he coached at Hillsdale, every one of Lundberg's team's posted a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or better. A man of deep faith, Lundberg has dedicated his life to giving back to his community, working closely with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and also with several other charitable organizations doing good work in the community he lives in.
It would be difficult to generate a complete list of all the ways Lundberg has worked to help those around him in need, but one measure of it at Hillsdale College is that the award handed out yearly by the school to the student-athlete that makes the biggest positive impact in the community is named the "Wild" Bill Lundberg award in his honor.
Lundberg's enthusiasm for life, and for working to help everyone around him succeed is both legendary and infectious. To this day, more than a decade after his coaching career ended, he is still supporting student-athletes through his work with Hillsdale College's Wellness Program, and is a regular fixture at Chargers sporting events, where he cheers on all the participating student-athletes to success.
A 1972 graduate of Jackson Lumen Christi, Lundberg competed collegiately at the University of Kansas, where he was one of the nation's top steeplechasers. He competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1976 and 1980, and was on track to make the 1980 Olympic team before rupturing his Achilles tendon in the trials steeplechase final. His elite racing career over, Lundberg got into coaching, first at Jackson Community College, then at Hillsdale beginning in 1985.
He has shared his life with his wife, Sharon, and has raised three children, Steven ('08), Kate ('10) and Tommy ('13), all of whom have graduated from Hillsdale College and gone on to live successful and meaningful lives of their own.
Conference offices will review the nominated individuals for the NCAA DII Gold Award and select two conference winners, one male and one female, by Nov. 6. The NCAA Division II Management Council Identity Subcommittee will review the finalists and select the two overall winners, who will be recognized at the 2024 NCAA Convention in Phoenix.