Hall of Fame
Position: Coach
Years: Illinois Benedictine (1970-74), Elmhurst [MI] (1976-83), Grand Valley State [MI] (1985-90)
Place of Birth: Chicago, IL
Date of Birth: Dec 21, 1940
For nearly 20 years, Tom Beck coached on the Division II and Division III levels at three different schools. The common thread running between all three coaching stops was his ability to take slumping programs to new heights. Prior to his arrival, Illinois Benedictine had recorded 18 consecutive losing seasons. In his five years, the Eagles went 37-12-1, were twice ranked in the nation's top ten and led the nation in total offense two times. He moved to Elmhurst where the Bluejays had only two winning seasons in their last 23. There Beck went 50-22, won two conference titles and appeared among the nation's top 15 teams five times. After a year as an assistant coach in the USFL, he returned to the college game at Grand Valley State. The Lakers were coming off an 0-10 season. In six years Beck went 50-18, with two conference crowns and two playoff appearances. Overall, Beck had a 137-52-1 record with four conference titles and four conference Coach-of- the-Year-Awards. In 1989, GVSU finished the regular season undefeated and was ranked third nationally.
