Kansas Sports Hall inductee: Lonnie Kruse

Lonnie Kruse admits he had a dream or two about what it would be like to coach a Division I program.

But looking back on his 33-year career as the women’s basketball coach at Sterling College, where the Holyrood native compiled a 706-244 record – the most coaching wins in Kansas women’s basketball history – Kruse is glad he never left his alma mater.

Kruse is one of 11 inductees in the 2015 class of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame that will be recognized Sunday.

“Winning was never the most important thing to me, that’s not why I got into coaching,” Kruse said. “I got into coaching for the people, all of the relationships with the people around you. The assistant coaches, the players, the administration, the parents, the other coaches... those are the really important things in life.”

Kruse was also an accomplished player himself, setting the Sterling men’s program record for career scoring with 1,540 points. He returned to coach the women’s basketball team 10 years later and a dynasty began.

Under Kruse, Sterling won 12 KCAC championships and made 16 NAIA tournament appearances, including 10 Sweet 16 appearances, two Elite Eight appearances, and one Final Four appearance. Kruse was named KCAC Coach of the Year 12 times.

The news of his induction is still surprising to Kruse, who thought the Hall of Fame was reserved for those Division I-type coaches he once thought about becoming.

“It’s totally shocked me,” Kruse said. “I guess I’ve never really thought about it much. I thought it was for other people who went on to larger colleges and larger places. It’s such a great honor and I’m thrilled by it.”

Since retiring in 2014, Kruse has stayed busy with his wife, Carol, keeping up with the sporting events of their 13 grandchildren from their four daughters. Kruse is also an avid outdoorsman and keeps a garden at his Sterling residence and maintains around 100 cattle on the farm he grew up on in Holyrood.

Kruse hopes his coaching won’t solely be remembered by the wins it produced.

“Athletics are the greatest teacher in life and I’ve found it to be very true to life,” Kruse said. “You’re never going to succeed 100 percent of the time and you have to learn how to deal with all aspects of that, just like in life.”

This story was originally published October 3, 2015 at 3:00 AM with the headline "Kansas Sports Hall inductee: Lonnie Kruse."