In many ways, he was Steve Prefontaine before Pre and Bill Bowerman after Bowerman, and his own man throughout his time in Eugene.
- Doug Binder, Dyestat
“Coach Bill Dellinger was one of the greatest coaches ever…He gave us so much more than guidance on the track; he gave us his heart. Bill was deeply loved, and he will be profoundly missed by his athletes, the Eugene-Springfield community, and the entire world of track and field.” – Rudy Chapa
Originally titled this eulogy THE GREAT BILL DELLINGER because I do not think this man EVER got the credit he so richly deserved. Earned.
Turns out he wasn’t just a hard worker, he was a bit of a wizard.
I thought this note from Larry Eder, RunBlogRun, might set the tone.
“Bill Dellinger was in the U.S. Air Force, stationed in Alaska. During that time, Bill trained alone. He did his repeats on a beach counting his steps, and noted his increases in pace and decreases in pace. His training methods were a combination of his experiences with Coach Bill Bowerman at Oregon, his own experiences and a incredible focus on detail and common sense.”
You do not coach young athletes for decades without making a difference in this world.
Ken Martin
I was only a Duck for two years, so I don’t think I’m the best source for Dellinger comments. However, a few things stand out to me about Bill. He was kind of a shade tree mechanic for runners, not minding, I think actually enjoying, a kid showing up asking if he’d take a look at them. Runner’s like that weren’t a nuisance to him. He got plenty of showroom talent, too, but his willingness to look in the backlot I think all of us respected. Those walk-on’s he’d start out in group 2 or 3, and they’d improve, plenty of times up to group 1, earn a varsity letter, and conference or NCAA points. I doubt any of that is allowed these days, what a shame. Plenty of thanks to Bill for that, I’m sure.
What I liked about Bill was his quiet demeanor, and that arguably could have been a flaw of his back then. He wasn’t a screamer like some coaches, which I never liked as an athlete in any sport. Show up, do the work, and don’t screw around – you’d improve and earn his respect.
Last, I never saw any runner beat him in indian leg wrestling and I’ve never heard of anyone doing it either. I don’t know if it was his shorter legs or strong hips and hamstrings, but Bill would flip every cocky young runner right over and then laugh like a kid afterwards.
Ben Andrews
I ran for Bill Dellinger in the 90’s. I’m remembering Bill Dellinger—not just as a legendary coach, but as a man who shaped the trajectory of my life through quiet belief, relentless wisdom, and unwavering loyalty.
“They’re all good days, Ben. All of them. Life will always choose the race. You get to choose how you run it.”
Coach said that to me once, and it’s never left me.
When I was dealing with social anxiety—avoiding parties and sitting alone in my dorm—he didn’t try to fix me. He took me to the bar and taught me how to play darts. When I was unknowingly burning out from walking miles around campus just to avoid the silence of my dorm room, he invited me to ride along in his golf cart a couple days each week. I thought it was recovery time. He knew it was quality time.
That’s the kind of coach he was. That’s the kind of man he was.
After the race of my life: 
“You might have woken up this morning a basketball player, but you’re going to bed tonight as a runner. Great race. I look forward to being in touch with you.”
Before I even got to Eugene, during one of the hardest seasons of my life—when running was an afterthought and I was facing a potential 5-to-15-year prison sentence—he stood by me when it would’ve been easier not to. He held my scholarship. He chose to believe in me. That belief didn’t just keep a door open—it reminded me who I was. And who I was meant to become.
And when I finally arrived in Eugene, emotionally broken and unsure of everything ahead:
“Ben, you’re in Eugene because of your heart. I’ll teach you to run.”
Some of the lessons he gave me still guide me today:
“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”
“You need to decide if you like the wind hitting your face, or if you like creating the motion that has your face hitting the air… I’m not talking about running. I’m talking about life.”
“Maybe in time, you’ll learn to be an activist for yourself. An activist for your thoughts.”
“I’m disappointed that you, Ben the Person, hasn’t pushed Ben the Runner to get everything out of the gift that’s in you.”
“Let’s get you fit to get fit. It’s never too late.”
“As soon as you start experiencing success, there’ll be someone who doesn’t have the success you have—or doesn’t want you to be successful—and they may talk negatively about you. The faster you learn to pay zero attention to those people, the farther you’ll be on your own path.”
Coach didn’t demand loyalty—he earned it. His athletes didn’t run hard out of fear. They ran hard out of respect.
You saw something in me before I knew it was there. That kind of belief doesn’t fade. It lives on.
Rest easy. You didn’t just build runners. You built men.
Go, Ducks!!!
More Ben Andrews
I remember [Coach Dellinger] having me take a pause in the middle of a tough workout where I was to do 10 x 400 in 60 seconds with a 100 jog in between – it was the week of one of the biggest races of the year, and I was nervous. I hit 61, 62 on my first two.
“Coach, why are we stopping?”
He walked me across the track to watch my decathlete friend do a hurdle drill.
“Do you see it?,” he asked.
“No. What am I looking for?,” I said.
“Well, if you can’t see it, I don’t know what to say.”
“Well, I’m not a hurdler.”
With a crooked little smile, he said “Nothing technical here. I’d loosen up and find a way to keep turning left a little faster. so you can hit your splits.”
We both laughed and I hit 59/60 for the remaining eight.
He was a magician!
https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a64958007/bill-dellinger-dies-at-age-91
https://www.runnerspace.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=44531&do=news&news_id=672232