Eastern Illinois University is a public university in Charleston, Illinois. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradually expanded into a comprehensive university with a broad curriculum, including

bachelor's A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ye ...

and master's degrees in education, business, arts, sciences, and humanities.

History

Eastern Illinois Normal School was established by the Illinois State Legislature in 1895 "to train teachers for the schools of East Central Illinois." A 40-acre campus was acquired in Charleston and the first building was commissioned. When the school began classes in 1899, there were 125 students and an 18-member faculty.

The first building was finished in 1899 and is called Old Main, though it is formally named the

Livingston C. Lord Livingston Chester Lord (August 27, 1851 – May 15, 1933) was the second president of Eastern Illinois University, serving from 1898 to 1933. Life before Eastern Lord was born in Killingworth, Connecticut. He was the first son of Benjamin a ...

Administration Building in honor of EIU's first president, who served from 1899 to 1933. Built of Indiana limestone in a heavy

Gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

style with turrets, towers, and battlements, its distinctive outline is the official symbol of the school. Old Main is one of " Altgeld's castles", five buildings built in the 1890s at the major Illinois state colleges. Governor

John Peter Altgeld John Peter Altgeld (December 30, 1847 – March 12, 1902) was an American politician and the 20th Governor of Illinois, serving from 1893 until 1897. He was the first Democrat to govern that state since the 1850s. A leading figure of the Progr ...

was instrumental in funding the Illinois university system, and he was especially fond of the Gothic style. Eastern's "Old Main" and Illinois State University's Cook Hall are the only schools where the "castle" is not named after Altgeld. Other original

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

buildings include Booth Library and Blair Hall. Blair Hall was restored after a disastrous fire in 2004. In fall 2008, the university opened the newly constructed Doudna Fine Arts Center, designed by international architect Antoine Predock. The complex houses the music, theatre, and visual arts departments. Through the twentieth century, the school changed its name several times in order to reflect its transition from a teachers college into a multi-purpose institution that could be of wider service to Illinois. Thus, Eastern Illinois State Normal School became Eastern Illinois State Teachers College in 1921, which then became Eastern Illinois State College in 1947. In 1957, the Illinois General Assembly changed the name of the institution to Eastern Illinois University.

Presidents

*Samuel M. Inglis (appointed in 1898 but died before officially assuming office) *

(1899 to 1933) *Robert G. Buzzard (1933 to 1956) * Quincy Doudna (1956 to 1971) *

Gilbert C. Fite Gilbert C. Fite (May 14, 1918 – July 13, 2010) was an American historian best known for his numerous works on American agricultural history. Fite's lengthy catalog included works that focused heavily on how farmers affected the political enviro ...

(1971 to 1976) *Daniel E. Marvin (1977 to 1983) *Stanley G. Rives (1983 to 1992) *David L. Jorns (1992 to 1999) *Carol D. Surles (1999 to 2001) *Louis V. Hencken (2001 to 2007) *William L. Perry (2007 to 2015) *David M. Glassman (2017 to 2023)

Institution

Eastern Illinois University has roughly 8,600 students. Undergraduate admissions are selective. Tuition is approximately $8,880 per year for residents of Illinois and other bordering states, while it is $11,110 for non-residents. Additional fees amount to $2,923.48. The university estimates its average cost-of-attendance to be approximately $24,640 per academic year. There are prominent Communication Disorders and Sciences and Biological Sciences programs, though the College of Education remains the largest department. The university has an endowment of approximately $82 million. The current president is David Glassman.

Rankings

In the '' U.S. News & World Report'' college rankings, EIU is classified as a regional public university and fits into one of four regions: the Midwest Region. In the publication's 2019 rankings, EIU ranks No. 5 among its peers in that region. EIU's Business Program is ranked No. 405 as Best Undergraduate Business Programs.

Colleges and schools

Eastern Illinois University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. Eastern Illinois also offers 51 undergraduate degree programs; 32 graduate degree programs; and 10 post-baccalaureate certificate programs. Eastern is divided into four colleges: * College of Liberal Arts and Sciences * Lumpkin College of Business and Technology * College of Education * College of Health and Human Services Other academic divisions include The Graduate School, Sandra and Jack Pine Honors College, and the School of Extended Learning. The Graduate School was founded in 1951 and has an enrollment of approximately 1,800 full and part-time students with more than 300 faculty holding graduate faculty status. The university also includes the Center for Academic Support and Achievement, the Office of Inclusion and Academic Engagement, the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, and the Office of Study Abroad. The university's Booth Library hosts yearly exhibits, the Ballenger Teachers Center, and numerous digital collections. The main university art museum, the Tarble Arts Center, maintains a 1,000-piece permanent collection, including a 500-piece collection of late 20th-century Illinois folk arts and related archival information. A majority of the holdings are concentrated on art from the state of Illinois and the Midwest region. Eighty-eight percent of graduates find work in a field related to their major within six months after graduation.

Campus life

Organizations

Eastern Illinois University offers over 170 student organizations, ranging from religious, multicultural, service, academic, Greek, honorary, governing, social, athletic and political organizations.

Media

Newspaper

The school's daily newspaper is ''

The Daily Eastern News ''The Daily Eastern News'' is the student-run newspaper published on the grounds of Eastern Illinois University serving the campus and community of Charleston, Illinois. The newspaper was founded on Nov. 5, 1915 and publishes on weekdays durin ...

'', which was founded on November 5, 1915 and thus gives Eastern Illinois the distinction of being one of only three universities in the United States to run its own newspaper printing press; EIU is also one of the smallest universities in the country to have a daily newspaper.

Radio

Eastern Illinois also has a student-run radio station, Hit-Mix 88.9 WEIU, WEIU (FM). The radio station can be heard across Coles County and surrounding counties on 88.9 FM, as well as online through their website.

Television

WEIU-TV is a PBS station on the campus of Eastern Illinois University. WEIU-TV airs adult and kids PBS programming as well as a student-produced 30 minute nightly newscast. WEIU covers Champaign, Christian, Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Jasper, Macon, Moultrie, Piatt, Sangamon, Shelby, and Vermilion counties in Illinois and Vigo County in Indiana.

Residences

Eleven on-campus residence halls include seven co-ed, three female-only, and one male-only. Throughout the year the residence halls participate in competitions and various community service activities. *Andrews Hall (all female) *Powell-Norton Hall (formerly Douglas Hall, all male) *Ford Hall (co-ed) *Lawson Hall (co-ed) *Lincoln Hall (all female) *McKinney Hall (co-ed) * Pemberton Hall (all female) *Stevenson Hall (co-ed) *Taylor Hall (co-ed) *Thomas Hall (co-ed) *Weller Hall (co-ed)

Former residences

Ruth Carman Hall was a former residence. It was named after Ruth Carman, an EIU alumni. Carman Hall opened on September 4, 1970, but wasn't officially completed until November 14, 1971. Initially, the housing office was unable to fill the upper two floors of the building, but by 1977 the entire building was in use. From August 2011, only eight floors were occupied due to reduced enrollment. Carman Hall was closed after May 30, 2013, to allow for an assessment of the condition of the building and for future renovation. In 2014, the university stated that it would remain closed as a cost-saving measure due to low enrollment. Since closure, the building has been used for training purposes by the Reserve Officers' Training Corps.

Dining services

Eastern Illinois University features three residence hall dining centers (Taylor, Thomas, and Stevenson), the University Food Court with five fast food locations, Java Beanery & Bakery (Java B & B),

Chick-fil-A Chick-fil-A ( , a Word play, play on the American English pronunciation of "wikt:filet#Pronunciation, filet") is an American fast food restaurant chain which is the country's largest which specializes in chicken sandwiches. Headquartered in Coll ...

, Charleston Market, Panther Grille, Freschetta Pizza,

Subway Subway, Subways, The Subway, or The Subways may refer to: Transportation * Subway, a term for underground rapid transit rail systems * Subway (underpass), a type of walkway that passes underneath an obstacle * Subway (George Bush Interconti ...

and two Marketplace Convenience Centers. They also operate a restaurant-style option (Reservation-Only Dining) on the weekends.

Greek life

Fraternities on campus: *

Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. () is the oldest intercollegiate historically African American fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the 1905–1906 school year at Cornell University but later evolved int ...

* Lambda Chi Alpha *

Omega Psi Phi Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African-American fraternity. The fraternity was founded on November 17, 1911, by three Howard University juniors Edgar Amos Love, Oscar James Cooper and Frank Coleman, and their faculty advi ...

* Sigma Alpha Epsilon * Sigma Phi Epsilon *

Sigma Nu Sigma Nu () is an undergraduate Fraternities and sororities in North America, college fraternity founded at the Virginia Military Institute on January 1, 1869. The fraternity was founded by James Frank Hopkins, Greenfield Quarles and James McIlva ...

* Delta Chi Fraternities with privately owned housing: *

Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Alpha (), commonly known as PIKE, is a college fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1868. The fraternity has over 225 chapters and colonies across the United States and abroad with over 15,500 undergraduate members over 30 ...

Sigma Pi Sigma Pi () is a collegiate fraternity with 233 chapters at American universities. As of 2021, the fraternity had more than 5,000 undergraduate members and over 110,000 alumni. Sigma Pi headquarters are in Nashville, Tennessee. The fraternity ...

*Sigma Chi * Phi Kappa Theta Sororities on campus: * Alpha Gamma Delta * Alpha Phi * Alpha Sigma Alpha *

Alpha Sigma Tau Alpha Sigma Tau (known as or Alpha Tau) is a national sorority founded on November 4, 1899, at Eastern Michigan University (formerly Michigan State Normal College). A member of the National Panhellenic Conference, the sorority has 83 active colleg ...

* Delta Delta Delta *

Delta Sigma Theta Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. The organization was founded by college-educated women dedicated to public service with an emphasis on programs that assist the African American community. Delta ...

* Delta Zeta * Kappa Delta *

Sigma Gamma Rho Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority, international collegiate, and non-profit community service organization that was founded on November 12, 1922, by seven educators on the Irvington campus (1875–1 ...

* Sigma Kappa * Sigma Sigma Sigma * Zeta Phi Beta

Athletics

Eastern Illinois University's colors are blue and grey; the sports teams' mascot is the Panther. The teams participate in NCAA Division I (I-AA FCS for

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

) in the Ohio Valley Conference. The football team is coached by

Chris Wilkerson Chris Wilkerson is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach at Eastern Illinois University a position he assumed in 2022, succeeding Adam Cushing. He served as the head football coach at the University of Chicago from 2013 ...

and competes at home in O’Brien Field. Eastern Illinois University was a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1912 to 1970. Current National Football League head coach,

Sean Payton Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; anglici ...

of the New Orleans Saints, is an alumnus of Eastern Illinois.

Brad Childress Bradley Childress (born June 27, 1956) is a former American football coach. He worked for over 40 years as a coach for various college programs and National Football League (NFL) franchises. He was the offensive coordinator for Wisconsin from 19 ...

, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2006 to 2010, is also a graduate, preceding Sean Payton at Eastern Illinois. Additionally, Tony Romo, the former starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, and Jimmy Garoppolo, starting quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, are alumni of the university. Eastern Illinois is also the host of the IHSA Boys and Girls State Track and Field Finals, which have been held at O'Brien Field since the 1970s. They also host the IHSA Girls State Badminton Finals and the State Journalism Finals.

Alma mater

Simply referred to as the "EIU Alma Mater," the song itself was composed by Friederich Koch during his tenure as a music teacher at Eastern. The lyrics were composed as a poem titled "For Us Arose Thy Walls and Towers" by Isabel McKinney, a professor of English at Eastern from 1911 to 1945. These lyrics were originally set to the German folk tune Die Wacht am Rhein (The Watch on the Rhine), but were changed around the time of World War I due to anti-German sentiments at the time.

Notable alumni

Authors

* Glen Gabbard, psychiatrist and author of 20 books *

Jan Spivey Gilchrist Jan Spivey Gilchrist is an African-American author, illustrator, and fine artist from Chicago, Illinois. She is most well known for her work in children's literature, especially illustrations in '' The Great Migration: Journey to the North'', ''N ...

, children's book author and illustrator * Lee Martin, novelist

Entertainment

* Joan Allen, actress * Burl Ives, singer/actor who has the Burl Ives Studio on campus named after him (dropped out his junior year) *

Gary Forrester Gary Jeshel Forrester (born 3 July 1946) is a musician,Latta, David, ''Australian Country Music'' (Random House Australia, 1991) ."Capital love letter: Renaissance man Gary Forrester turns back to the novel", ''FishHead: Wellington's Magazine'' ...

, writer and composer * Mike Genovese, actor *

Rob Kleiner Robert Francis "Rob" Kleiner II is an American songwriter and producer. Kleiner received degrees in music composition and philosophy at Eastern Illinois University. He went on to direct and score the film ''Andalusian Doug: Academic Freedom vs. ...

, songwriter and producer * John Malkovich, actor *

Charlotte Martin Charlotte Ann Martin (born October 31, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter and voice coach, who performs predominantly on the piano. She has written several studio albums, two of which have received mainstream commercial releases, 2004's '' ...

, singer-songwriter * LisaRaye McCoy, actress, notably from the sitcom '' All of Us'' * William Edward Phipps, actor *

Matthew Polenzani Matthew Polenzani (born 1968) is an American lyric tenor. He has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, Royal Opera House, Bayerische Staatsoper, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Vienna State Opera, and San Francisco Opera, among others. He h ...

, opera singer *

Craig Titley Craig Titley is an American writer for film. His work includes ''Cheaper by the Dozen'', ''Scooby-Doo'', and '' Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief''. He graduated from Mattoon High School, Eastern Illinois University, and Universi ...

, American film writer *

Jerry Van Dyke Jerry McCord Van Dyke (July 27, 1931 – January 5, 2018) was an American actor and comedian. He was the younger brother of Dick Van Dyke. Van Dyke had a long and successful career mostly as a character actor in supporting and guest roles on pop ...

, actor *

Ron Westray Ronald Kenneth Westray, Jr. (born June 13, 1970 in Columbia, South Carolina) is an American jazz trombonist, composer, and educator. He holds a B.A. from South Carolina State University and a Master of Arts degree from Eastern Illinois University ...

, jazz trombonist, member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and the Mingus Big Band

Politics

* Tim Butler, member of the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...

Chuck Curran Charles J. Curran (born June 1, 1939 in Galion, Ohio) is an American politician. He was born in 1939 in Galion, Ohio, the son of a railroad construction worker. He graduated from Bellefontaine High School in Bellefontaine, Ohio in 1958. Afte ...

, member of the

Ohio Senate The Ohio Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly. The State Senate, which meets in the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, first convened in 1803. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such that half of the se ...

from the 6th district from 1979 to 1982 * Jim Edgar, Governor of Illinois from 1991 to 1999 * Joe Knollenberg, representative of the Ninth District of Michigan, United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 2009 * Mary Miller, member of the United States House of Representatives * Bill Mitchell, member of the

* Brandon Phelps, member of the

Dennis Reboletti Dennis Reboletti is a former Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 46th district since 2007. He was elected State Representative on November 7, 2006, defeating Democratic candidate Joe Vosicky. Reboletti is ...

, member of

Marilyn Skoglund Marilyn Skoglund (born August 15, 1946) is a former Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court. She is well known for having attained admission to the bar and appointment to the bench despite not having gone to law school. Life and career Mar ...

B.A. 1971,

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The Court ...

Justice, notable for becoming lawyer and judge without attending law school *

Andy Skoog Andy Skoog was a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives representing the 76th district from his appointment in December 2015 to replace Frank Mautino until his loss in the 2016 election to Jerry Lee Long. The 76th district i ...

, member of the

Larry Stuffle Larry Ray Stuffle was an American politician and lobbyist who served as a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the east-central area of the state from 1977 to 1985. Biography Stuffle was born January 8, 1949 Charlesto ...

, member of the

from 1977 to 1985. He was born in Charleston and represented the area in the Illinois House of Representatives.

Scientists

Ronald W. Davis Ronald Wayne "Ron" Davis (born July 17, 1941) is Professor of Biochemistry & Genetics, and Director of the Stanford Genome Technology Center at Stanford University. Davis is a researcher in biotechnology and molecular genetics, particularly activ ...

, biochemist and genetics researcher at Stanford's Genome Technology Center, with patents on over 30 biochemical devices. *

Darrell L. Judge Darrell Lynn Judge (November 2, 1934, Albion, Illinois – August 26, 2014, Temecula, California) was an American physicist, known for his research in solar physics, spectroscopy, and space science. Biography His father was Virgil H. Judge, the fi ...

(1934–2014), physicist and Fellow of the

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of k ...

Miscellaneous

Christine Korsgaard Christine Marion Korsgaard, (; born April 9, 1952) is an American philosopher who is the Arthur Kingsley Porter Professor of Philosophy Emerita at Harvard University. Her main scholarly interests are in moral philosophy and its history; the relat ...

, philosopher * Jimmy John Liautaud, Founder of

Jimmy Johns Jimmy John's is an American sandwich chain headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. The business was founded by Jimmy John Liautaud in 1983. After Liautaud graduated from high school, his father gave him a choice to either join the military or star ...

Athletes

Athletics

Dave Huxtable Dave Huxtable (born December 20, 1956) is an American football coach who is the senior defensive assistant for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He served as the defensive coordinator at the North Carolina State University ...

, analyst for the Texas Longhorns football team *

Ryan Pace Ryan Pace (born February 17, 1977) is an American sports executive in the National Football League (NFL). He served as the general manager of the Chicago Bears from 2015 to 2021. Before that, he worked in the New Orleans Saints' front office for ...

, former general manager of NFL's

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

Dave Slifer David Slifer is an American college women's basketball coach at the University of Central Missouri. During his 14 seasons at Central Missouri, Slifer has led the Jennies to one national championship, four conference regular season championships ...

, current head women's basketball coach for the

Central Missouri Jennies basketball The Central Missouri Jennies basketball team represents the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri, in the NCAA Division II women's basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players ...

program * Kirby Wilson, running backs coach for Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League

Baseball

* Tim Bogar, retired Major League Baseball

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...

* Zach Borenstein, professional baseball player * Randy Myers, former American Major League Baseball pitcher with the New York Mets,

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

, San Diego Padres,

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

, Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays between 1985 and 1998. 4x MLB All-Star. *

Marty Pattin Martin William Pattin (April 6, 1943 – October 3, 2018) was an American professional baseball player who appeared in 475 games in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher. He pitched for the California Angels (1968), Seattle Pilots / Mi ...

, MLB All-Star pitcher * Stan Royer, MLB baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox *

Kevin Seitzer Kevin Lee Seitzer (; born March 26, 1962) is an American former third baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, and Cleveland Indians. He is currently the hitting coach for the Atl ...

, retired all-star Major League Baseball player

Basketball

Henry Domercant Henry Domercant (born December 30, 1980) is an American and Bosnian-Herzegovinian professional basketball coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of the Windy City Bulls in the NBA G League, the development team for the Chicago Bull ...

, former

professional basketball In professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, participants receive payment for their performance. Professionalism in sport has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larg ...

player in Europe * Kevin Duckworth, former National Basketball Association all-star center *

Kyle Hill Kyle Eric Hill (born April 7, 1979) is an American retired professional basketball player. He was picked by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2001 NBA draft with the 44th overall draft pick. Hill's National Basketball Association, NBA rights were then ...

, former professional basketball player * Jay Taylor, former NBA player for the New Jersey Nets

Football

, former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League * Ray Fisher, former lineman for

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

and Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League * Jimmy Garoppolo, quarterback for San Francisco 49ers *

Kamu Grugier-Hill Caelan Kamuela “Kamu” Grugier-Hill (born May 16, 1994) is an American football linebacker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Eastern Illinois, and was drafted by the New England Pa ...

, NFL linebacker for the Miami Dolphins *

Jeff Gossett All American D2 Baseball at Eastern Illinois. All American punter 1977 D2 at Eastern Illinois. Jeffrey Alan Gossett (born January 25, 1957) is a former American football punter who played in the National Football League (NFL) and the United Sta ...

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

Pro Bowl punter * Mike Heimerdinger, former

Offensive Coordinator An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of an American football or Canadian football team who is in charge of the team's offense. Generally, along with the defensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator, this coach re ...

with the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

, Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans, died 2011 *

Alexander Hollins Alexander Hollins (born November 24, 1996) is an American gridiron football wide receiver for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for Eastern Illinois. Hollins has also been a member of the Minnesota Vik ...

, wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings * Otis Hudson,

offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...

with the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

John Jurkovic Ivan "John" Jurkovic (born August 18, 1967) is a former American football player currently employed as a broadcaster. He grew up in Calumet City, Illinois. Jurkovic played professionally as a defensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers, Jack ...

, former

defensive lineman *

Tim Kelly Tim or Timothy Kelly may refer to: * Tim Kelly (Alaska politician) (1944–2009), Alaska state legislator * Tim Kelly (Minnesota politician) (born 1964), Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives * Tim Kelly (Mich ...

offensive coordinator for the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...

* Ray McElroy, NFL defensive back for

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

and

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

, head coach of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League *

Ted Petersen Ted Petersen (born February 7, 1955) is a former professional American football offensive lineman. He played for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cleveland Browns, and the Indianapolis Colts ...

, former lineman for

, Cleveland Browns and

of the National Football League * Tony Romo, former quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League * Mike Shanahan, former head coach of the Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League *

Chris Szarka Chris "Canuck Truck" Szarka (born February 12, 1975) is a former Canadian Football League fullback. He spent his entire professional football career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He also served as a member of the Regina City Council. High ...

fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to: Sports * A position in various kinds of football, including: ** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position ** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...

for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League *

Pierre Walters Pierre Walters (born March 25, 1986) is a former American football defensive end and active mixed martial artist. Previously, he was an American football linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was signed by the C ...

, linebacker, Kansas City Chiefs, of the National Football League *

, head coach of the University of Chicago Maroons football

Handball

Tim Dykstra Timothy Joseph Dykstra (born November 4, 1961 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American former handball player who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Ange ...

, former

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...

player who competed in the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the secon ...

MMA

Brian Ebersole Brian Keith Ebersole (born November 27, 1980) is an American retired mixed martial artist who competed in the UFC's Welterweight division, and holds a record of 5-3 with the organization. In addition to the UFC, Ebersole has competed in Shooto, ...

, Panther wrestler; professional

MMA Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

fighter formerly with the UFC * Matt Hughes, NCAA All-American wrestler; retired professional

fighter, former 2-time UFC Welterweight Champion, UFC Hall of Fame member *

Kenny Robertson Kenneth Duane Robertson (born February 14, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist. A professional mixed martial artist since 2008, he has also competed for the UFC and Bellator. Before MMA In high school he wrestled for Metamora Township H ...

, four-time NCAA Division I qualifier for wrestling; professional mixed martial artist formerly with UFC and

Bellator Bellator, warrior in Latin, may refer to: * Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States * Bishop Bellator of Archaeological site of Sbeitla, Sufetula (5th century) Taxonomy * Bellator (fish), ''Bellator'' (fish), a fis ...

Fighting Championships * Mike Russow, former wrestler; current mixed martial artist once for

Pride Fighting Championships PRIDE Fighting Championships (Pride or Pride FC, founded as KRS-Pride) was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion company. Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997. Pride held more than sixty mixed martial arts even ...

and the UFC * Louis Taylor, wrestler; current professional

fighter * Ryan Thomas, wrestler; current professional mixed martial arts fighter for American Top Team * James Warring, boxing world champion,

kickboxing Kickboxing is a combat sports, combat sport focused on kicking and punch (strike), punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is pract ...

world champion, boxing referee *

Matt Veach Matt Alan Veach (born May 31, 1981) is a retired American mixed martial arts fighter who most recently competed in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2006, he has competed for the UFC, BAMMA, the MFC, and Cage Warriors. ...

, current mixed martial artist, formerly for the UFC

Rugby

Lauren Doyle Lauren Doyle (born February 23, 1991) is an American rugby sevens player. She won a silver medal at the 2015 Pan American Games as a member of the United States women's national rugby sevens team and represented the United States in Rugby seven ...

, represented the United States of America for Rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Soccer

John Baretta John Baretta (born May 6, 1955) is a Canadian retired soccer goalkeeper who played in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and American Soccer League. Baretta attended Eastern Illinois University where he was a 1978 ...

, former

North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League may refer to: *North American Soccer League (1968–1984), a former Division I league *North American Soccer League (2011–2017) The North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional men's soccer league b ...

goalkeeper * Matt Bobo, former

player *

George Gorleku George Gorleku is a retired soccer defender (football), defender from Ghana. He played professionally in the American Soccer League (1933-1983), American Soccer League and Major Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League. Gorleku attended Eastern ...

, former Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–92) player *

LeBaron Hollimon LeBaron Hollimon (born August 13, 1969) is an American soccer coach who is currently on the staff of FC Wichita. Hollimon serves as the Director of Coaching for the FC Wichita Academy and also coaches with the men's USL League Two and women's Un ...

, former National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) player *

Schellas Hyndman Schellas Hyndman (born November 4, 1951) is a retired soccer coach. He was previously head coach of FC Dallas in Major League Soccer. Despite having a limited career as a professional athlete, Hyndman is one of the most successful college socc ...

, former head coach of soccer's FC Dallas * Damien Kelly, former National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) player * Mark Simpson, former goalkeeper and assistant coach for

D.C. United D.C. United is a professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. that competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer, the top tier of American soccer. Domestically, the club has won four MLS Cups (league championships), four Suppo ...

* Jason Thompson, former player for

Glen Tourville Glen Tourville is a retired American soccer player and former coach. Player Tourville attended the Eastern Illinois University where he played on the men's soccer team in 1978 and 1979. In 1979, the Panthers went to the NCAA Men's Division II ...

, former Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–92) player

Track

* John Craft, placed fifth in the Men's triple jump at the

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...

* Sandy Osei-Agyemang, advanced to the second round in the Men's 100 metres and Men's 4 × 100 metres relay at the

* Dan Steele, track All-American, 400-meter national champion, and bronze medalist at the 2002 Salt Lake City

Olympics The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

* Darrin Steele, competed at the

1998 Winter Olympics The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nagano 1998 ( ja, 長野1998), was a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Japan, with some events taking place in the ...

and the

2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), was an internation ...

References

External links

*
EIU Athletics website
{{Authority control State universities in Illinois Public universities and colleges in Illinois Educational institutions established in 1895 Education in Coles County, Illinois Buildings and structures in Coles County, Illinois Tourist attractions in Coles County, Illinois 1895 establishments in Illinois Charleston, Illinois