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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives wish to congratulate Illinois Wesleyan | ||||||
| 4 | University football head coach, Norm Eash, on the occasion of | ||||||
| 5 | his retirement following the conclusion of the 2024 season; | ||||||
| 6 | and | ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, Norm Eash is the winningest coach in Illinois | ||||||
| 8 | Wesleyan University football history; he compiled a career | ||||||
| 9 | record of 233 wins, 132 losses, and one tie (.638) over the | ||||||
| 10 | course of his time leading the football program; his career | ||||||
| 11 | win total ranks 42nd all-time across NCAA Division I, II, and | ||||||
| 12 | III, while he is 13th all-time among the Division III; and | ||||||
| 13 | WHEREAS, Norm Eash, known as the "dean" of league coaches, | ||||||
| 14 | has been College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Coach of | ||||||
| 15 | the Year six times (2017, 2009, 2007, 2001, 1996 and 1992), and | ||||||
| 16 | his career CCIW mark is 171 wins, 102 losses, and one tie | ||||||
| 17 | (.626), surpassing the win total of his own college coach, Don | ||||||
| 18 | Larson, for most all-time victories in the league; and | ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, Norm Eash has coached nine CCIW championship | ||||||
| 20 | teams (1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2009, 2017, 2018), | ||||||
| 21 | six NCAA Division III playoff teams (1992, 1996, 2009, 2011, | ||||||
| 22 | 2013, 2017), 12 first team Division III All-Americans, nine | ||||||
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| 1 | Academic All-Americans, and one winner of the Gagliardi Trophy | ||||||
| 2 | honoring the nation's top Division III player; and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, Norm Eash was elected as an honorary member of | ||||||
| 4 | the American Football Coaches Association in 2011 for his | ||||||
| 5 | devotion, dedication, and distinguished service to the game of | ||||||
| 6 | football; and | ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, Norm Eash is a native of Chenoa, where he | ||||||
| 8 | captained his high school football and basketball teams and | ||||||
| 9 | was a Little All-State football selection in 1970; he | ||||||
| 10 | graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1975, where he | ||||||
| 11 | was a starting defensive lineman as a sophomore and a starting | ||||||
| 12 | offensive tackle his last two seasons, playing on an 8 and 1 | ||||||
| 13 | team in 1974 that tied for the CCIW title; and | ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, Norm Eash taught physical education and was an | ||||||
| 15 | assistant coach in football, basketball, and track at Streator | ||||||
| 16 | High School from 1975 to 1982; he was then head football coach | ||||||
| 17 | and athletic director at Dwight High School, where his teams | ||||||
| 18 | were 34 and 15 and qualified for the playoffs three times; he | ||||||
| 19 | reached the Class 2A quarterfinals in 1983 when he was voted | ||||||
| 20 | Kankakee Area Coach of the Year; and | ||||||
| 21 | WHEREAS, Norm Eash will transition into a new role as | ||||||
| 22 | senior advisor for Titan Traditions and Alumni Legacy; | ||||||
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| 1 | therefore, be it | ||||||
| 2 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 3 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 4 | we congratulate Illinois Wesleyan University football head | ||||||
| 5 | coach, Norm Eash, on his retirement following the conclusion | ||||||
| 6 | of the 2024 season, and we wish him the best in all his future | ||||||
| 7 | endeavors; and be it further | ||||||
| 8 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 9 | presented to Norm Eash as a symbol of our respect and esteem. | ||||||