Memorial Service Held for Coach Bill Welch

A memorial service was held for Bill Welch, retired Rose-Hulman cross country and track and field coach, on Friday, October 8, 2021 at the Indiana Track & Field Hall of Fame Museum.

Coach Welch passed away on Tuesday, December 22, 2020, at the age of 96.

Welch led the Fightin' Engineer men's cross country program from 1982-2003; the men's track and field program from 1987-2002; the women's cross country program through its inaugural year; and the women's track and field program from 1996-2004. He was inducted into the Indiana Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Rose-Hulman Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996. 

Bill Welch Career Highlights
* Coached the Rose-Hulman men's cross country team from 1982-03, and took over as the head track coach in 1987
* Coached the school's inaugural women's cross country and track programs
* Former Terre Haute North and Gerstmeyer High School coach was inducted in the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1977
* Inducted in the Indiana Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1989
* National Track and Field Coach of the Year in 1970
* Indiana Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1972
* Indiana Track Coach of the Year in 1968
* Special coach for the U.S. Olympic Training Camp in 1970, and was the National Track Coach of Iran in 1968
* Coached four individual track All-Americans at Rose-Hulman and 22 conference track champions