DECATUR, Ill. -- The Millikin Athletic Department sadly announces the passing of former Big Blue Head Football Coach Carl Poelker.
Carl Poelker is Millikin's all-time winningest football coach, going 88-39-1 with two College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) championships while leading the Big Blue from 1982-95. Prior to becoming head coach, Poelker served for 14 years as an assistant coach working under Skip Mathieson and Merle Chapman. He was the defensive coordinator for nine years during which the Big Blue defense ranked in the top two in the conference eight times. Poelker coached wrestling for five years and track and field for four years.
Coach Poelker was a 1968 graduate of Millikin, where he played on the defensive line and earned All-District honors. He was inducted into the Millikin Athletic Hall of Fame (Football, Basketball and Track and Field) in 1981.
More than the number of wins he posted, Coach Poelker will be remembered for the profound impact he made on all those who played for him and coached alongside him.
Millikin Athletics sends our condolences to Coach Poelker's family, friends and former players. Millikin will host a Celebration of Life ceremony honoring Coach Poelker in conjunction with the Big Blue Spring Football Game on May 2 at 11 a.m. at Frank M. Lindsay Field.
Poelker left Millikin in 1995 when he was hired to restart the football program at McKendree University after the program had not played a game in more than four decades. During his 17 years in purple and gold, Poelker led the Bearcats to seven conference championships and nine NAIA National Tournament appearances.
Coach Poelker is the all-time leader in wins and winning percentage in program history, with 117 victories and a 65.7% winning percentage. As a member of the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) Midwest League, McKendree collected seven league championships under Carl's watch.
He led the Bearcats to undefeated MSFA records in 2004 and again in 2009. Carl was a two-time MSFA Midwest League Coach of the Year honoree. Poelker was at the helm of the Bearcats' program as it began its transition towards NCAA Division II membership. He led McKendree through its first season of Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) play in 2012. He was inducted into the McKendree Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.
Upon his retirement in 2012, Coach Poelker remained connected to and supported the Millikin football program, attending numerous events and reuniting with former players. Current Millikin Head Football Coach Billy Riebock will host the Second Annual Carl Poelker Golf Outing on July 24 at South Side Country Club in Decatur, honoring Coach Poelker and supporting the Big Blue football program he helped to build.
The Weight Room in Millikin's new 12.3 million, 17,655-square-foot Rathje Athletic Center is named in honor of Coach Poelker.
In addition to Carl, five members of the Poelker family have graduated from Millikin, including his wife Peggy '91 and children Tim '86, Todd '89, Traci Eckenrod '90, and Trent '94.
