For 27 years, the Hillsdale College Athletic Department has honored its best and greatest with induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame.

Even though the Hall is already filled with some of the greatest athletes, coaches, and administrators that Hillsdale has seen in over 135 years of intercollegiate athletics, every new class finds a way to match those accomplishments and greatness with a group that's just as decorated and worthy as the ones that came before.

Such is the case with the 27^th induction class, set to join the Hall of Fame during a ceremony this fall. Hillsdale is adding six individuals – two legendary coaches and four impressive student-athletes – in this upcoming class, a group that either earned or coached others to well over 200 athletic and academic All-American honors.

On Oct. 9, 2026, these six new inductees will join 102 individuals and 17 teams already in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame Ceremony will take place in the Searle Center on the Hillsdale College campus. The event begins at 5 p.m. with a cocktail hour, with dinner and the ceremony to follow.

Hillsdale College selects a Hall of Fame class annually from a pool of worthy nominated individuals. If there is a former Hillsdale College Charger legend you believe deserves recognition in the Hall of Fame, please complete this form and return it to the Hillsdale College Athletic Office or by email at [email protected]. You can find the full list of members of the Hillsdale College Athletic Hall of Fame here.

This year's inductees are:
 
Bill Lundberg, Cross Country/Track and Field Coach
In 27 years leading the men's cross country and track and field programs, "Wild" Bill became a legend in national track and field circles and his enthusiasm, dedication and spirituality made him indispensable to the culture of Hillsdale College athletics. One of the greatest coaches in Chargers history, Lundberg led Hillsdale to 25 GLIAC championships in cross country and track and field, guided the careers of 17 NAIA or NCAA DII National Champions, and coached athletes that earned over 200 athletic and Academic All-American honors. From 1992 to 1994 his men's cross country teams earned two NAIA national runner-up finishes and a third-place finish, a stretch of accomplishment that saw him named the 1994 NAIA National Coach of the Year. Lundberg also helped make Hillsdale a central location in collegiate track and field by growing the GINA Relays into one of the largest meets of its kind in the Midwest in the 1990s and 2000s. Committed to academic excellence, every single one of Lundberg's teams posted a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or better during his years in charge.
 
Dave Dye, Football Coach
A long-time assistant under current Hall of Famer Dick Lowry, and head football coach of the Chargers from 1997 to 2001, Dye constructed several of the most dominant defenses in all of college football in the 1980s and 1990s and coached 20 All-Americans. Dye was the architect of defenses that helped Hillsdale win six conference titles, make the NAIA playoffs five times, reach the NAIA semifinals four times, and capture the 1985 NAIA National Title. In that championship season, Dye's unit gave up more than 21 points just once, held opponents to single digits in eight of 13 contests, and pitched three shutouts; in 1982, the Charger defense forced a school record 56 turnovers on the way to 12 wins, a school record that still stands. During his head coaching tenure, Dye was named the 1999 GTE/AFCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year. A culture-builder deeply respected and beloved by his players, he originated the team's Lift-A-Thon Fundraiser, now in its 46^th year, and devised the "Great 8" training regimen that fueled the program's success in the trenches during his tenure.
 
Larry Covey '65, Football, Basketball, Wrestling, Track and Field
A Hillsdale native who was a high school All-American athlete at Hillsdale High before matriculating at Hillsdale College, Covey was one of the most impressive all-around athletes of his era, lettering in four sports. He excelled in football under Hall of Fame coach Muddy Waters, earning four letters and being named Hillsdale's Outstanding Defensive Back in 1962, and also participated in basketball and wrestling. Covey's best sport, however, was track and field, where he co-captained the undefeated 1965 squad and set program records in six events, including the discus with a throw of 135'10". He earned the Kimball Medal awarded to Hillsdale's most outstanding all-around athlete in both 1963 and 1964, becoming just the third Hillsdale student to win the award twice. After graduation, Covey earned a tryout with the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, but an injury cut his professional career short. He coached and taught for several years, including at Hillsdale College for eight seasons, before moving to Arizona and running his own self-built construction company until retirement in 2013.
 
Danielle (Butler) Cole '95, Track and Field
One of the greatest female sprinters in Hillsdale College history, Danielle Cole, nee Butler, rewrote the record books during her time with the Chargers. A seven-time NAIA All-American who was a part of Hillsdale's NAIA national championship-winning distance medley relay in 1994, Cole also won GLIAC Indoor Track Athlete of the Meet honors that season with a title and then-GLIAC record of 7.21 seconds in the 55-meter dash. She also won the GLIAC title in the outdoor long jump in 1995. During her time at Hillsdale, Cole set new school records in the 55, 60, 100, 200 and 400 meter dashes that stood for a decade or more. A native of Pontiac, Illinois, Cole was a huge recruiting coup for head coach Diane Philipp, playing a major role in five GLIAC Track and Field team titles and three runner-up finishes for the Chargers from 1992 to 1995. More than 30 years after her final meet, Cole still ranks in the top 10 all-time at Hillsdale in five events, including second in the outdoor 400m dash (54.93). After graduating from Hillsdale, Cole has made a successful career in finance, and currently works for Comerica Bank.
 
Scott Elwer '97, Football, Basketball
A standout athlete in multiple sports in an era of specialization, Elwer made a huge impact on the Chargers in the mid-1990s. As a football player, Elwer was one of the greatest defensive backs in the history of the program. He earned MIFC Defensive Back of the Year and All-American honors in both 1994 and 1995, and set a program record that still stands with 24 career interceptions. His 10 interceptions in the 1994 season rank as the second-most in a single season by a Chargers player as well. Along with his football career, Elwer also starred on the hardwood for Hillsdale for two seasons, finishing second on the team in scoring in 1996-97 with 14.1 points per game. He also ranks in the top 10 all-time at Hillsdale for single-season steals (57) and 3-pointers made (70) from that campaign. An excellent student, Elwer won the Howard "Champ" Messenger Award in 1994 for his achievements on the field and in the classroom, as well as football Team MVP honors in 1995. After graduation, Elwer went on to a successful teaching and coaching career in Ohio, most recently at Delphos St. John's High School.
 
Kyle Cooper '16, Basketball
A dominant player at forward who excelled as a three-year starter under legendary head coach John Tharp, Cooper brought national attention to the Chargers with his exploits. An athletic forward who was nearly impossible to guard and excelled at both ends of the floor, Cooper was one of the top players in the country as a senior in 2015-16, earning Hillsdale's first GLIAC Player of the Year honor since 1984 and the program's first-ever D2CCA Midwest Region Player of the Year honor. He also was a second-team All-American while averaging 22.6 points and 9.8 rebounds a game. A two-time first team All-GLIAC honoree who led the conference in rebounding in 2014-15 and scoring in 2015-16, Cooper also was an excellent student, earning two CoSIDA Academic All-American honors and becoming one of just two athletes in Hillsdale College history to be named the CoSIDA Academic All-American Player of the Year in 2016. A decade after his career ended, Cooper is still all over the Chargers record books, ranking 12^th in program history in career points scored (1,520) and in the top 10 in four other career categories and three single season categories. After graduation, Cooper played professionally overseas in Spain before returning home to Michigan and becoming an accountant.