Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2008
- Class:
- 1953
Credited with being a main force behind the success of the track & field and cross country programs, Bill Jordan's career as a student-athlete, coach and administrator has spanned nearly 40 years at the University of Richmond. As a student-athlete from 1948-53, he won awards in both cross-country and track, setting the UR cross-country course record, and earning a state championship in the Two Mile and Cross Country events. He was part of a group affectionately known as "Lumpkin's Lopers" - the 1949 cross-country team coached by William Lumpkin that is the only unbeaten cross-country squad in school history.
After a ten-year stint as head track coach at Wake Forest (1956-66), he returned to his alma mater, working for 19 years directly with his lifetime friend and Hall of Fame coach Fred Hardy. Under their guidance, the Richmond program grew to one of the premier programs in the NCAA. During their tenure, 10 National Champions were crowned, 65 All-Americans were honored, and they coached three Olympians. In 1976, Jordan '53 established the University of Richmond Women's Track & Field program as a varsity sport. His former student-athletes honored him with a plaque naming the Head Women's Track Coach's office for him. A commemorative plaque is currently on display outside the office in the Robins Center.
