Carthage College Athletics

Former Carthage football coach Tim Rucks died on March 10, 2015.  All who had the pleasure of knowing and working with Coach Rucks felt the depth of his commitment to Carthage. Coach Rucks led the Carthage football program during a wonderful 18-year career as Carthage's head coach. His mentoring and leadership impacted thousands of our students over the years, and his presence on our campus will be greatly missed.
 
Carthage College director of athletics Bob Bonn remembered his colleague and friend by saying, "I spoke with Tim Rucks almost every day since January 16, 1995, the day that I hired him as the Carthage's head football coach. Tim gave every ounce of his energy, talent and enthusiasm to the football program, the athletics department and most importantly to the students, over his 20-year Carthage career. He taught us all how to be compassionate, how to treat people and how to care about others. He was one of the kindest people I have or will ever know."

Coach Rucks was named American Football Coaches Association North Region "Coach of the Year," as well as College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin "Bob Reade Football Coach of the Year" in 2004 with an 11-2 conference-championship team that reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III Football Championship. He was also named Wisconsin Private College "Football Coach of the Year" in 2009. From 1990 to 1994, he was the head coach at North Park University, also in the College Conference of Illinois Wisconsin. In five years at North Park, he increased the size of the football squad from 21 to 91 players, and his 1993 team's 4-4-1 record was North Park's best finish in 25 years.

Coach Rucks was a native of Waukegan, Ill., attended Waukegan West High School, and played four years of football at Carthage under head coach Art Keller. As a senior in 1982, he was named first-team All-CCIW offensive tackle. He graduated in 1983 with a double major in English and political science. Coach Rucks was selected in the third round by the Denver Gold in the inaugural United States Football League draft before signing as a free agent with the National Football League's New York Jets.