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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 1998)
Dellinger says he will retire after 1998 season ™---—..:1 NICK MEDLEY/Emerald Bill Dellinger has led the men's track and field team to one NCAA title and the men s cross country team to Jour NCAA titles. He has compiled a track andfield dual meet record of 129-28 in 25 seasons' Bill Dellinger said be is currently undergoing radiation treatment for prostate cancer By Alex Pond Sports Reporter As if trying to replace one would not be tough enough, Ore gon athletic director Bill Moos now has the task of replacing two legendary coaches. First it was wrestling head coach Ron Finley, who an nounced last month he will retire at the end of the current season af ter 28 years at the school. Now, Oregon men’s track and field and crosscountry head coach Bill Dellinger has told The Regis ter-Guard he will retire at the end of the 1998 track and field season, the newspaper reported Saturday. The 1998 season begins next month and will be Dellinger’s 28th leading the Ducks. The 63-year-old Dellinger’s rea son for retiring is due partly to the fact he is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, according to The Register-Guard. “Cancer certainly opens your eyes to your vulnerability," he said in the Feb. 14 issue of The Register-Guard. "[Cancer] makes you think about the years you have left and other things that you might like to do.” The Register-Guard reported Dellinger learned of his cancerous condition late last summer. “I'd felt really good and hadn’t had a physical in about five years,” he said. "But I went in last summer because I wanted to get a mole un der my eye removed. I decided to have a physical since I was going in, and the blood test revealed the possibility of prostate cancer. “They didn’t do anything about the mole. It just went away by it self." Dellinger told the Emerald last year he would probably retire af ter the 2000 season. "At one time I was going to coach through 2000, then it was 1999," he told The Register Guard. "I still think I'm a good coach, but I also know that with a lot of modern trends that I some times don't go along with, espe cially in the areas of rules and reg ulations and the bureaucracy of the NCAA, it would be good for the University to have a new, younger, more vigorous person in charge of the program.” Quite simply, the changing of head coaches in the men’s track and field program at Oregon just doesn’t happen often. Dellinger, who took over in 1973, is just the third head coach in the 94-year history of the pro gram. Bill Hayward led the pro gram through its first 44 years, fol lowed by Bill Bowerman’s 24-year reign. Under Dellinger, the Ducks have won one national champi onship (1984) and three Pacific-10 Conference titles in men’s track and field. His teams have com piled a 129-28 dual meet record. His crosscountry teams have won four NCAA titles. Kon hnley won t soon be forgotten Iwas over at the Casanova Center last week shooting some photos of the wrestling team. 1 was just trying to stay out of the way, so as to not draw too much attention to myself. Ron Finley, Oregon’s head coach of 28 seasons who had re cently announced his retire ment, was watching his wrestlers work out, throwing each other around in the 90-de gree room. The head coach seemed intent on not saying too much, looking more like an observer than a coach. Me crouched next to one of the wrestlers, and I snapped a cou ple of photos of him, the last two on my roll. I wanted to approach him to congratulate him on a great ca reer and tell him how much I re spected what he had accom plished, but I didn’t think it was the time nor the place. I grabbed my coat and made my way out of the room as quickly and as silently as possi ble. By the time I made it halfway down the hall, I heard the door open and close. It was Finley. I kept walking, thinking he was on his way to his office or someplace impor tant like that. Nope. It was just Finley being Finley. He called to me, “They sent the top guy today,” or something to that effect. I had never met the guy be fore, and here he is leaving his team’s practice just to talk to me, a lowly college reporter whom he had never met. But to him, I was important. I’ve worked for this newspa per for three years and have cov ered just about every varsity and dub sport there is to cover, and never has any head coach, assis tant coach or player done any thing remotely like that. It was a rare moment for me and a revealing incident into the life of Ron Finley. There has been much written about him in the few weeks since his announcement of his upcom ing retirement: How he saved the sport at Oregon, how he led Oregon to national pres tige and how he blazed a trail that had never been thought of blazing before. It is all true, but what was missed is the kind of man he is. After he had called out to me, I turned around and talked to him for a couple of minutes. I told him what I had wanted to before: that I thought what he had accomplished at Oregon was impressive and that I re spected it. In classic Finley style, taking no credit for himself, he said he was thankful to have a “great group of kids to work with.’’ We talked for a few more min utes about nothing in particular. I congratulated him again; then he returned to his practice, and I went on my way. I'm sure Finley doesn’t re member much of the incident, but I won’t forget it. For anyone who was at Fri day’s Oregon-Oregon State match, it was a fitting way for Finley to end his career, a 22-15 win over the in-state rival. But it wasn’t just the win that Ryan Frank NICK MEDLEY/Emerald Finley celebrates following’ the Ducks’win oner Oregon State. was fitting. About 30 minutes at the start of the meet was spent as a tribute to him. Always uncom fortable with attention, Finely handled it well. He addressed the crowd, thanking the 2,483 in attendance for their support. As far back as Finley’s mind could retrace, it was largest crowd in his 28 sea sons. But in truth, it shouldn’t have been Finley thanking the crowd, rather it probably should have been everyone in attendance thanking Finley for his time and devotion to the sport and the University. On my behalf, thanks for everything you have given, Ron Finley. You won’t soon be for gotten. Ryan Frank is the sfx>rts editor for the Emerald r PIZZA! One Large single topping only $9.95! FREE DELIVERY! Find out why our customers say it's “The best pizza in Lane County" call 334-5000 CHECK IT OUT!! No. valid with any other 2310 W. 11TH (NEAR ClTYVIEW) offer. Expires ^|20|’)S v > v0 16 years of age or older? v* Diagnosis of asthma? ^ Using asthma medication daily? ^ A non-smoker with limited smoking history? 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