Former Minnesota State University football coach Dan Runkle died Friday at 79.
Runkle guided the Maverick football program for 21 years (1981-2001) 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.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Coach Runkle,” Minnesota State Director of Athletics Kevin Buisma said. “And although I never had the chance to work directly with Dan, he was one of the first people I met in Mankato. It was always good to catch up with him at the NCAA Convention and he continued to remain interested in Maverick Athletics. He was a great man who will be missed by many. We will keep his family in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”
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.
MSU captured its second NCC title and gained a third national tournament appearance in 1993, establishing a school record of 10-3 overall. Runkle’s team defeated Missouri Southern in the NCAA first round for the school’s first-ever postseason victory. 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 moved to Iowa and served as the Director of Athletics at the University of Dubuque beginning in 2002. Under his leadership, Dubuque won eight conference tournament championships and six conference championships. He improved the student-athlete experience and oversaw numerous program and facility improvements. UD honored Runkle’s contributions by renaming the school’s baseball field after him in 2017. In 2016, the Debra Runkle Center was dedicated with lockers for 125 football student-athletes.
Runkle retired as Athletic Director in 2022 after nearly 20 years and he continued to serve as assistant to the president for special projects at the University of Dubuque. He is a member of the Hall of Fames at Minnesota State (2005), Illinois College, and the North Central Conference.
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.
Runkle and his wife Deb resided in Dubuque. They have two children, Tad and Sara.