Lon Boike - Hall of Fame Class 2018
Lon Boike
Coach/Director of Athletics
Clara City, Minn., native Lon Boike was a member of Clarke’s athletic program from 1989 to 2000. During that period, he spent time as athletic director, coach and instructor.
Boike served as Clarke’s athletic director from 1993 to 2000, providing leadership for NAIA and NCAA Division III programs. He increased fundraising efforts and improved the development of the college’s intercollegiate athletic program, and increased intramural offerings. Boike created, developed and taught in the kinesiology program. He was a contributing member of the Student Affairs staff.
Boike guided Clarke’s women’s basketball program for seven years. His 1990-91 team posted a then school record 17 wins and his 1991-92 team equaled that mark.
Boike spent two seasons as Clarke’s head softball coach. His 1994 team went 24-14, setting a then school record for wins in a season.
Boike served as Clarke’s head women’s volleyball coach for six years, from 1989 to 1992 and again in 1996 and 1997. His 1991 team posted a then school record 27 wins, a mark that stood until 2012.
Prior to joining the Clarke staff, Boike served as athletic director, instructor and head women’s basketball and volleyball coach at College of St. Teresa, Winona, Minnesota. His women’s basketball team made a national tournament appearance. Boike had also served as a teacher and coach at Audubon Public Schools, Audubon, Minnesota.
Since 2005, Boike has been employed with the Crookston Public School District, Crookston, Minn., as a teacher and coach. He implemented a new health/physical education curriculum and has served on numerous wellness committees. Boike has served as a successful head girls’ volleyball coach and was the former head girls’ basketball coach. He has also held assistant coaching roles in football, softball and track.
Boike served as athletic director at the University of Minnesota-Crookston from 2000 to 2003. He provided leadership for an NCAA Division II program, improved wellness promotion and athletic compliance, served as an advisor to recruiting, increased intramural offerings and fundraising, and increased budget oversight.
Boike received his associate of arts degree from Ridgewater College, Willmar, Minn., his bachelor of science degree in health, physical education and coaching from Southwest Minnesota State University, and his master’s degree in health, kinesiology and recreation from Northern State University, Aberdeen, South Dakota. He is pursuing a specialists license from Minnesota State-Moorhead for K-12 principal/superintendent.
Lon and his wife, Chris, reside in Crookston. They have three children, Alec, Sydney, and Caden.
In his Hall of Fame inductee form, Boike said “I would like the Clarke Community to remember 1) I provided a positive atmosphere and gave the student-athletes a great experience! 2) That I was able to introduce and sustain a winning tradition to Clarke Athletics. 3) I was part of new and exciting growth for the university (athletically, academically and recreationally). 4) I want everyone to know how much the student-athletes meant to me and how much I appreciated their time and effort, and 5) I would like everyone to know how much Clarke University meant to myself and my family (two of my children were baptized at Clarke).