View source for Bill Dellinger

{{Short description|American middle-distance runner (1934–2025)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| image = Harald Norpoth, Bob Schul, Bill Dellinger 1964.jpg
| caption = Bill Dellinger (right) at the 1964 Olympics
| fullname = William Solon Dellinger
| birth_date = {{birth date|1934|03|23}}
| birth_place = [[Grants Pass, Oregon]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2025|06|27|1934|03|23}}
| sport = [[Track and Field]]
| team = [[University of Oregon]]
| club = [[Oregon Track Club]]
| coach = [[Bill Bowerman]]
| event = 1500 m, 5000 m
| pb = 1500 m – 3:41.5 (1958)<br> 1 mile – 4:02.7 (1961)<br> 2 miles – 8:43.8 (1961)<br> 5000 m – 13:49.8 (1964)
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Athletics at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalBronze| [[1964 Summer Olympics|1964 Tokyo]] | [[Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics - Men's 5000 metres|5000 m]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Pan American Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1959 Pan American Games|1959 Chicago]] | [[Athletics at the 1959 Pan American Games|5000 m]]}}
}}

'''William Solon Dellinger''' (March 23, 1934 – June 27, 2025) was an American middle-distance runner and coach. He competed in the [[5000 metres at the Olympics|5,000 m]] at the [[1956 Summer Olympics|1956]], [[1960 Summer Olympics|1960]] and [[1964 Summer Olympics|1964 Olympics]] and won a bronze medal in 1964, setting his personal record.<ref name=sr>[https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/de/bill-dellinger-1.html Bill Dellinger] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701155056/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/de/bill-dellinger-1.html |date=2015-07-01 }}. sports-reference.com</ref><ref name="oregonian">{{cite news|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1219202709243040.xml&coll=7&thispage=1|title=Bill Dellinger surged to '64 Olympic bronze and helped put Oregon on track map|last=Binder|first=Doug|date=August 20, 2008|work=The Oregonian|access-date=2008-08-20}}</ref> He lettered in track at the [[University of Oregon]] in 1954, 1955, and 1956.

==Coaching career==
Upon retirement from competition, Dellinger took a position as the assistant coach to [[Bill Bowerman]] for the [[Oregon Ducks track and field]] team. After Bowerman's retirement in 1972,<ref name="oregonian"/> Dellinger succeeded him as head coach. In his 25 years of coaching, Dellinger's men won five [[NCAA]] titles, achieved 108 [[All-America|All American honors]], and had a 134–29 meet record. He&nbsp;was the [[Pac-10]] coach of the year multiple times.<ref name=coyesks>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ANpVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5912%2C5087410 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |agency=Associated Press |title=Dellinger voted Pac-10's award as coach of year |date=June 20, 1986 |page=3C}}</ref>

Dellinger was instrumental in the development and coaching of Oregon and American great distance star [[Steve Prefontaine]] in conjunction with Bowerman, and their experience was made into a 1997 film ''[[Prefontaine (film)|Prefontaine]]'', in which Bill Dellinger was played by [[Ed O'Neill]].

In Co-Operation with [[Adidas]], Dellinger developed the so-called "Dellinger Web", a Cushioning Technology used on various Shoes throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.

Dellinger also coached many post-collegians including Olympians [[Mary Decker]], [[Bill McChesney (athlete)|Bill McChesney]], [[Alberto Salazar]], [[Matt Centrowitz]], [[Don Clary]], and many others.<ref name=sr/>

==After retiring from coaching==
Dellinger retired from the University of Oregon in 1998 <ref>{{cite web|url= http://sportshistory.uoregon.edu/topics/the-track-and-field-legacy/famous-coaches/bill-dellinger/|title= Bill Dellinger's Retirement from the University of Oregon}}</ref> and would later join his mentor, Bill Bowerman, as an inductee in the [[National Track and Field Hall of Fame]] in 2001. He retired after he had a stroke in 2000.

From his retirement on, he stayed out of the [[Track and Field|track and field]] world except for a few appearances at meets named in his honor.

In 2021, USA Track and Field awarded Dellinger their Legend Coach Award.<ref>{{cite web |title=LONGTIME UNIVERSITY OF OREGON COACH BILL DELLINGER TO RECEIVE 2021 USATF LEGEND COACH AWARD |url=https://www.usatf.org/news/2021/longtime-university-of-oregon-coach-bill-dellinger#:~:text=Already%20inducted%20into%20the%20Oregon%20Sports%2C%20USTFCCCA%2C%20USATF,Hayward%20Field%20during%20the%20U.S.%20Olympic%20Team%20Trials. |publisher=United States Track and Field |access-date=26 June 2022 |date=June 22, 2021}}</ref>

Dellinger was inducted into the [[U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association|USTFCCCA]] Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 22, 2024 |title=Introducing the Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame Class of 2024 |url=https://www.ustfccca.org/2024/03/featured/collegiate-track-field-cross-country-athlete-hall-of-fame-class-of-2024 |access-date=March 25, 2024}}</ref>

== Death ==
Dellinger died on June 27, 2025, at the age of 91.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DyeStat.com - News - Oregon Hall of Fame Coach And Three-Time Olympian Bill Dellinger Dies |url=https://www.runnerspace.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=44531&do=news&news_id=672232 |access-date=2025-06-27 |website=www.runnerspace.com}}</ref>

== Records ==
Records set by Dellinger:<ref>[http://www.goducks.com/pdf1/4205.pdf?ATCLID=30960&SPID=243&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPSID=4592 Duck Record Holders] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709132941/http://www.goducks.com/pdf1/4205.pdf?ATCLID=30960&SPID=243&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPSID=4592 |date=2011-07-09 }}. goducks.com</ref>

*1956 American Record holder: 5000 meters 14:16.2
*1958 American Record holder: 1500 meters 3:41.5
*1959 World Record holder (indoors): 2 miles 8:49.9
*1959 World Record holder (indoors): 3 miles 13:37.0
*1960 American record holder: 2 miles 8:43.8

==See also==
*''[[Prefontaine (film)|Prefontaine]]''
*[[List of teachers portrayed in films|Inspirational/motivational instructors/mentors portrayed in films]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category-inline}}
* {{USATF Hall of Fame|id=42}}

{{2001 National Distance Running Hall of Fame inductees}}
{{Footer Pan American Champions 5000m Men}}
{{Footer US NC 5000m Men}}
{{Footer US NC Indoor 3000 meters Men}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1956 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1960 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1964 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer Collegiate Track Field Cross Country Athlete Hall of Fame}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dellinger, Bill}}
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:2025 deaths]]
[[Category:American male middle-distance runners]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1956 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1959 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1960 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1964 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Oregon Ducks men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Oregon Ducks track and field coaches]]
[[Category:American track and field coaches]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Grants Pass, Oregon]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Oregon]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1959 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]

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