Illinois State University Athletics is mourning the death of ISU track and field assistant coach Steve Luke, who died on Monday.
Luke, who coached ISU's pole vaulters, was inducted into the Illinois Track and Cross-Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2026 after coaching for more than 30 years.
“Steve is someone you can’t replace. His whit, humor, love and passion for the sport brought so much joy to everyone around him." said ISU Director of Track & Field and Cross-Country Jeff Bovee. "He truly cared about each and every student-athlete, past and present, that he worked with and we are all going to miss him.”
ISU pole vaulters Isabelle Hemmen and Seth Nelson were among the student-athletes who thrived during the 2026 season under Luke’s guidance.
In women's competition, Hemmen recorded a personal best mark of 3.99 meters during the outdoor season while Nelson went on to set the all-time program record on the men's side, clearing 5.30 meters and winning an individual Missouri Valley Conference title.
Luke, a Danville native, coached at Danville High School for 13 seasons, where he coached a number of state qualifiers. He later worked at the collegiate level at Purdue, Illinois and Wabash College before coming to ISU in 2024.
"Steve brought a wealth of experience and knowledge to our track & field program and was a big part of its success in recent years," said ISU athletics director Jeri Beggs.
"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."
