Mike Lude

Milo Ralph Lude (June 30, 1922 – March 14, 2024) was an American college football and college baseball coach and athletics administrator. He played football and baseball at Hillsdale College, where he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. He served as the head coach at Colorado State University from 1962 to 1969, compiling a record of 29–51–1. Lude was the head baseball coach at Hillsdale College from 1948 to 1949 and at the University of Maine from 1950 to 1951. He served as the athletic director at Kent State University (1970–1976), the University of Washington (1976–1991), and Auburn University (1992–1994).

Born(1922-06-30)June 30, 1922^[1][2]
Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S.

DiedMarch 14, 2024(2024-03-14) (aged 101)
Tucson, Arizona, U.S.

1946Hillsdale

1945–1947Hillsdale

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Mike Lude

Biographical details
Born	(1922-06-30)June 30, 1922[1][2] Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S.
Died	March 14, 2024(2024-03-14) (aged 101) Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1946	Hillsdale
Baseball
1945–1947	Hillsdale
Position	Catcher (baseball)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1948	Hillsdale (line)
1949–1950	Maine (assistant)
1951–1961	Delaware (line)
1962–1969	Colorado State
Baseball
1948–1949	Hillsdale
1950–1951	Maine
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1970–1976	Kent State
1976–1991	Washington
1992–1994	Auburn
Head coaching record
Overall	29–51–1 (football) 43–26 (baseball)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Baseball 2 MIAA (1948–1949)

Close

As athletic director at Kent State, Lude offered Don James his first head coaching job in 1971; the two later worked together for fifteen years at Washington.

Lude went skydiving for the first time at the age of 93. In 2021, Lude stated that he planned to do the same for his 100th birthday.^[3] He died in Tucson, Arizona, on March 14, 2024, at the age of 101.^[4]