Ron Guenther, Athletics Director • 1988, 1992-2011 / Football • 1964-66

Guenther played football for the Illini from 1964-66 as an offensive lineman, earning team MVP, Second-Team All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten honors in 1966. He was the offensive line coach at Boston College from 1971-74 and head football coach at North Central College from 1975-78, where he compiled a record of 22-12-2. Guenther was interim Athletics Director at Illinois in 1988, then named permanent AD from 1992 to 2011, when he retired from the University. He continued to work with the Big Ten Conference as a consultant after his AD career. Major projects under his watch included the Memorial Stadium Renaissance, Eichelberger Field for softball, the Bielfeldt Athletics Administration Building, the Demirjian Golf Facility, the Kahn Outdoor Tennis Complex, the Atkins Tennis Center, the UI Outdoor Track and Field Stadium, the Irwin Indoor Football Practice Facility, the Irwin Academic Center and the Ubben Basketball Practice Facility. During his tenure, Illinois captured 34 Big Ten Championships, made a men’s basketball Final Four and made six football bowl appearances, including the Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl. Guenther was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. He currently resides in Champaign.