Illinois State Athletics Mourns The Passing of Track & Field Assistant Coach Steve Luke

NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State Athletics is mourning the loss of Redbird track & field assistant coach Steve Luke, who passed away on Monday with his wife Linda by his side and surrounded by his family.

"This is a devastating loss for the Illinois State track & field program and for so many other student-athletes he's worked with during his decorated career," ISU Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Jeff Bovee said. "Steve is someone you can't replace. His whit, humor, love and passion for the sport brought so much joy to everyone around him. He truly cared about each and every student-athlete, past and present, that he worked with and we are all going to miss him."

A 2026 Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee, Luke brought over 30 years of coaching experience to Illinois State when he was hired in January 2024, after previously working on the collegiate level at Purdue, Illinois, and Wabash College.

"We are heartbroken about the passing of Steve Luke," Illinois State Director of Athletics Dr. Jeri Beggs stated. "Steve brought a wealth of experience and knowledge to our track & field program and was a big part of its success in recent years. Our condolences go out to Steve's family, friends and former athletes who will miss him dearly, and our thoughts are with Coach Jeff Bovee, our coaching staff and student-athletes who are going through a very difficult time right now. We will be here to support them in any way that we can moving forward."

The Redbird pole vaulters thrived under Luke's guidance, as the 2026 indoor campaign saw all-time program-record holder Seth Nelson clear 5.30m in the men's pole vault to win an individual indoor Missouri Valley Conference title. Nelson would also go on to place second at the 2026 MVC Outdoor Championships with a mark of 5.12m, helping him earn All-MVC honors. On the women's side, Isabelle Hemmen recorded her personal-best mark of 3.99m during the outdoor season. The two vaulters were among the four student-athletes that gathered Top 10 program records during the 2026 season. 

Luke, a Danville, Illinois, native also mentored vaulter Windsor Roberts, who set a school record and secured the 2024 MVC Indoor Pole Vault title with a mark of 4.09m (13' 5"). He also helped Charles Cruse win the prestigious Drake Relays title with a vault of 5.27m (17' 3.5"), set a new school record at the time, earn All-MVC honors and qualify for the NCAA West Regionals.

Prior to jumping to the collegiate level, Luke built an illustrious career as a high school coach. His coaching career began at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, Illinois, where he led the program for 17 years. He later returned to his hometown of Danville, Illinois to lead the Danville High School program for 13 seasons. Throughout his time at the high school level, Luke coached five individual state champions, a relay state title winner, and 57 All-State honorees. Luke was also at the helm for numerous conference and regional championship-winning teams and state qualifiers. Many of his prep student-athletes went on to have successful careers at the NCAA Division I level and claimed Big Ten, MAC, Big East, and OVC conference titles. 

Luke attended Augustana College and competed in the pole vault while also playing football. He qualified for the NCAA Division III national championships in both 1979 and 1980 and earned All-CCIW accolades. Luke's collegiate career began at Western Illinois University, where he set the school pole vault record booth indoors and outdoors and made the NCAA Division II national meet as a sophomore. 

GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.