Oct. 7, 2022 - A two-sport student-athlete in football and track and field, Kevin Coy '98 enjoyed a phenomenal career in both sports and finished his college tenure as a four-time All-American and two-time NCAA Division III national runner-up in track and field. One of the all-time greats in both sports, Coy's achievements earned him eternal recognition in the Loras College Athletics Hall of Fame and a member of the Class of 2022.

Coy didn't know he was going to be a dual-sport athlete until he got to high school and his assistant football coach, who was also the head track coach, told him to give it a try. At first, Coy wasn't overly excited about the idea but after his coach told him the name of someone who is regarded as the best running back in NFL history and regretted not running track, Coy's mindset changed and his focus turned towards chasing times on the track.

"The first team I ever watched was the Bears and I loved Walter Payton—my high school coach told me Walter Payton wished he had ran track and since that was my favorite player I figured I should give it a try," said Coy. "The head track coach was the assistant coach for football and when your football coach tells you to do something, you do that. [Track] became my next sport."

Coy enjoyed both sports and both had their unique components that also complimented the other. He began to see success and college coaches took notice, garnering Division I and II offers for both track and football. Coy considered having to make the choice between sports, but his experience getting to do both and excel at them in high school made him want to continue that in college and it turned out perhaps his least suspected offer would become the perfect fit.

"I was naive my senior year—I just saw it as I ran track and played football in high school so of course I'd go do it in college," he said. "I had a few Division II offers and looked at a few Division I teams but Loras was the first one that allowed me to do both. Coming from the Chicagoland area, I had never heard of Loras let alone Dubuque. Whenever I got anything from Loras, I told myself I wasn't going to take a look. But Coach Scott Ganshirt '86 would not leave me alone! I told him multiple times I wasn't interested and he kept reaching out, but looking back, I'm glad he did. I fell in love with it as soon as I came to campus."

On his visit, Coy connected with the coaches for both sports and felt confident he could call Loras his home for his college career. Head coach Bob Bierie was the discipline and influential leader Coy needed on the football field and Ganshirt was the energy he needed to feed off of to be competitive on the track. Coy also credits much of his success to Steve Helminiak '91, the current head coach for the Duhawks and his offensive coach at the time. All three coaches took a chance on Coy and put in the time and energy to help him be the best version of himself during his career.

Coy went from playing defensive back in high school to stepping into a running back spot in college, a move that came as little surprise given his speed that made him so memorable during the track season. It was an adjustment but it came full circle his junior season against William Penn University as Coy enjoyed a breakout game with 246 rushing yards, ranking him seventh in the single-game records to this day. It was almost as if that game was set up for Coy to make his move and it's one that he will never forget.

With teammates Ryan Lovins '98 and Shane Davis '98, Coy completed the talented trifecta at running back. Throughout the season, the three were noted as some of the best running backs in Division III, dubbed "natural born thrillers," and led much of the Duhawks offense. The William Penn game was going to be something different, however, as Davis and Lovins were both sidelined due to injury and that left Coy to carry much of the load.

"It's unbelievable, especially coming in and playing a position you've never played. It's hard to put it into words—I never imagined that would happen," said Coy on his notoriety from his football career. "I am blessed God gave me these abilities and that I had coaches and teammates who helped me reach my potential. Without the support and competitive edge from Shane and Ryan, I don't know if I would have had the career I had. The three of us were some of the most feared running backs in the conference and we did everything together!"

A force to be reckoned with on the gridiron, ranking ninth all-time in career rushing yards (2,059 yards) and scoring 20 touchdowns, Coy had the same impact and presence on the track. Coy remains ranked top-ten in five events in both indoor and outdoor track and field and finished second at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field National Championship in 1996 in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes. Coy had the talent to be the competitor he is known to be, but the coaching influence of track and field head coach Bob Tucker and Ganshirt helped him get to that next level he didn't know he could reach.

"Football has a lot of pressure with it—to get the outcome you want, the team has to all come together and perform together," said Coy. "Even though track is more individual, Coach Tucker told us all we needed to work together and it is a team sport. I think that culture helped us win the conference title my sophomore year. Coach Tucker was a structured coach and kept us on the straight and narrow mentally, physically, spiritually. He was the glue to the team."

"Coach Ganshirt had a lot of energy. He was a motivator and got me to believe in myself and saw things in me I would never have imagined. I will never forget when he told me I could be a conference champion and an All-American. I had no idea what that was—I just said, 'alright, whatever I have to do, Coach.' He pushed me to new levels and made sure I was competitive. I came into college more subdued but he brought the fire out of me!"

The fire still burns for Coy as he remains passionate about coaching and keep both sports near and dear to him. He and his wife, Theresa (Kelly) '01, who still holds two top-ten marks in the outdoor relays with the women's program, met at Loras and continue to be avid supporters of the Duhawks. The Coy's youngest son is the starting running back on his high school varsity football team and his older son is in his first semester at Loras, preparing to run for Coach Matt Jones '05 and the track team in the spring. Coy has earned multiple recognitions for his professional career as a high school counselor, paying it forward for the impact the coaches and mentors in his life had on his career.

"This moment means the world--I am still shocked and humbled," said Coy. "I did my damage but then had two years where I was injured and didn't get to do what I wanted to do. It is what it is and I didn't see it coming but to still get to this point means a lot. I think about it often—I got picked on as a kid for being unathletic and now I'm in the Hall of Fame. It speaks a lot of the work I put in, the time my coaches invested, my parents, and my God given abilities to put it all together."

"Although I am humbled to be inducted, all my teammates and coaches are coming with me. Without them, there is no way this was possible. I give so much thanks to the upperclassmen who gave me support when I started out and they helped me get here. It was a full group effort."

Coy and the rest of the Class of 2022 will be formally inducted into the Loras College Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 7 at the Grand River Center. A social hour starts at 5:30 P.M. with honors set to commence at 6:15 P.M. The link to attend can be found HERE. The inductees will also be recognized during halftime of the Homecoming football game against Buena Vista University on Saturday, Oct. 8 at approximately 1:45 P.M.