Celebration of Life: Dan Runkle | University of Dubuque

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https://tinyurl.com/danrunkle

The University of Dubuque Spartans mourn the passing of former Director of Athletics Dan W. Runkle on Friday, January 16, 2026 after a longstanding illness. Runkle was named the Director of Athletics at the University of Dubuque in 2002. Under his leadership, UD won 16 conference championships and 10 conference tournament championships.

In addition, every athletic facility saw updates and state-of-the-art improvements to offer student-athletes the ability to be competitive on a national level. Honoring Runkle's contributions to UD Athletics, the baseball field was renamed and dedicated in October 2017 as the Dan W. Runkle Baseball Field. Runkle retired as Athletic Director in 2022 and he continued to serve as assistant to the president for special projects at the University of Dubuque.

Runkle coached college football for a total of 32 years. He graduated from Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois in 1968 and earned a combined 10 athletic letters in baseball, basketball and football, and was named to the Blue Boys Hall of Fame in 1993. After graduation, he earned a master's degree in education with an emphasis in sports administration from Western Illinois University. He made coaching stops at several Division I institutions, including University of Utah, University of South Dakota, Northern Arizona University and University of Minnesota. He guided the Minnesota State University Maverick football program for 21 years (1981-2001) with 108 wins and was inducted into the MSU Hall of Fame in 2005. His 108 career wins stood as the most in program history at the time of his departure from the program.

Runkle led MSU to its first NCAA postseason appearance when the Mavericks captured the North Central Conference title in 1987. MSU went 9-3 that fall, including 8-1 in conference play. In 1991, he helped the Mavericks make their second postseason appearance and finished with an 8-4 record. Runkle's team defeated North Dakota State, 27-7 in the NCAA first round for the school's first-ever postseason victory.

MSU captured its second NCC title and gained a third national tournament appearance in 1993, establishing a school record of 10-3 overall. Forty-four players were named All-NCC First Team and 30 garnered All-America honors during his tenure. Two (Jamie Pass and Josh Nelson) were Harlon Hill award finalists. Runkle was named Football Gazette Division II National Coach of the Year in 1991 and his mentorship of student-athletes helped them achieve a team GPA of 3.0 and a 93-percent graduation rate.

Runkle is a member of the Hall of Fame at Illinois College where he won 10 varsity letters in baseball, basketball, and football, North Central Conference, and Minnesota State University-Mankato. Additionally, he was part of five team Hall of Fame honors: at University of South Dakota (assistant coach), Northern Arizona University (assistant coach), and Minnesota State (head coach).
We are grateful for Dan's life, for his friendship, and for his leadership at the University of Dubuque—especially his dedication to teaching and mentoring our student-athletes. His impact will be felt for generations to come.

Please keep Dan's spouse, Deb, and their family in your prayers.