Biography
Mike Lude's involvement with college athletics, and particularly with college football, stretches more than half-a-century, back to the 1940s when he was a star and captain of both the football and baseball teams at Hillsdale College (MI). But playing was just the beginning of a long and accomplished college career that extended to coaching and athletic administration; a career that this year is recognized with his selection to receive the National Football Foundation's John L.Toner Award.
This award honors an athletics director who has demonstrated superior administrative abilities and shown outstanding dedication to college athletics, particularly college football.
"Mike has contributed immensely to collegiate athletics as a football coach, and athletics director," said Jon F. Hanson, NFF chairman. "He gained national recognition as one of the leading and most respected administrators in the country."
It was his 15 years as director of intercollegiate athletics at the University of Washington that brought Lude his greatest recognition as a leader in his field. But there was a lot of walking before he stepped into that role.
An All-Southwestern Michigan high school football player, as well as being a student leader, Lude opted to enlist in the United States Marine Corps right after graduation. College would come later. He served in the Marines from 1943-46 and, aside from his regular duties (company commander, 5th Battalion, First Amphibian Group, USMCR Fleet Marine Force, Pacific), Lude also functioned as his company's head football and baseball coach.
After the Marines he enrolled at Hillsdale, where, he was captain in two sports. He was All-Conference in football. After he received his bachelor's degree, he was hired to be the school's physical education instructor and head baseball coach. Even better than his degree and his coaching job, Lude married Rena Pifer, an elementary school teacher, in 1947. They have three daughters.
In 1949 the University of Maine, hired Lude as head baseball coach. The next year, 1950, he landed the conference championship for Maine. It turned out to be a farewell present.
From 1951-1962, Lude honed his coaching and administrative skills at the University of Delaware as assistant to the director of admissions, assistant professor of physical education and assistant football coach. While coaching at Delaware, Lude continued his education taking graduate courses at Michigan State University. He received his master's degree in 1953. While at Delaware, Lude also published a number of papers pertaining to the Delaware Winged T formation, especially line play, and a paper on "Academic Guidance for Athletics," which brought him recognition in both the football and administration fields.
Lude also did some very interesting athletic moonlighting during Delaware down time. From 1956-60, he loaded up his car and spent the month of July scouting the Alabama Florida League for the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1958, he was invited to assist Hall of Fame coach Frank Broyles during Arkansas' spring football practice.
In 1962, Lude moved to the Rockies and became head football coach at Colorado State. Off the gridiron, Lude became somewhat of a media celebrity with his own daily radio show. On TV, he made both Saturday and Sunday TV appearances. "Mike's Last Word" was aired from the field just prior to State game kickoffs and the "Mike Lude Show" would air the Sunday following the game. The shows were a natural fit for Lude who, during his career, earned a considerable reputation as a public speaker.
In 1970, after 23 years of coaching, Lude went full-time into athletics administration. He became director of athletics at Kent State University, where he spent six years. Then came the University of Washington where, over the course of the next 15 years, Lude would establish himself as one of the great leaders and influences in collegiate athletics. During Lude's stewardship, Washington's athletic department had unprecedented financial growth. Lude instituted creative ways to attract money for new building projects. He also increased Huskie revenues for broadcasting rights.
Lude was also a major influence on the sport while chairing the NCAA Postseason Football Committee, the NCAA Football Rules Committee, the Pac-10 Television Committee and the Pac-10 Budget Committee. He retired from Washington effective June 1, 1991. That same day, he assumed duties as executive director of the Blockbuster Bowl and executive vice president of Raycom Sports in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
Auburn University called and in June, 1992, Lude was made director of intercollegiate athletics. He remained for two years, then once again retired. Since 1994, Lude has been a consultant to many major athletic programs countrywide as well as making use of those public speaking skills developed over decades.
His career has brought Lude many honors and citations including 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 and Rena now live in Tucson, AZ.
