Bill Lawson (2003) - Hall of Fame

Bill Lawson

Induction:
2003
Class:
1980

Coaching champions comes easy to Bill Lawson - maybe because he was a champion himself.

During his time as a student-athlete at UNI from 1975-80, he was a three-time conference decathlon champion and a four-time NCAA Decathlon All-American. He was an outstanding 12-time NCAA qualifier in the pole vault, triple jump and decathlon, competing in each event four times. He broke numerous school records in the pole vault, triple jump and decathlon. At one point he ranked fourth all-time on UNI's triple jump indoor and outdoor performance list and second all-time in the decathlon. He earned four varsity letters and twice was selected team captain. After graduating with a degree in physical education, Lawson went on to receive his master's degree in physical education in 1986 and continued to compete, winning the Master's National Decathlon title four times between 1987 and 1997.

Lawson began his coaching career at the high school level, serving as head boys cross country coach at Northern University High School in Cedar Falls for one season. From 1982-84, he was boys track and field coach, as well as ninth grade girls basketball coach, at John Marshall High School in Rochester, Minn. In 1984, he returned to UNI as assistant track and field/cross country coach, as well as instructing physical education. He later was promoted to UNI's associate head coach for track and field.

During his tenure with the Panthers, he helped recruit and coach 40 individual conference champions and 25 NCAA qualifiers. He helped UNI athletes to 18 all-America honors and 15 team titles combined in cross country (seven), indoor (six) and outdoor track (two). Five male athletes were named conference Athletes of the Year.

In 1999, Lawson left UNI to become the assistant track and field coach at the University of Oregon, emphasizing in his specialty of field events and the decathlon. He has coached numerous NCAA national qualifiers and multiple national champions in Eugene.