Alumni invited to reunion with Coach Lee Insko

Lee Insko trained hundreds of student-athletes during his 14 years as an Eastern coach and continued to serve the university in leadership roles, including dean of continuing education and regional programs. 

Reunion honoring coach’s legacy highlight of Homecoming

News contact: Laura Hancock | University Advancement
541-962-3585 | lhancock@eou.edu

August 7, 2013

EOU file photo / Insko circa 1971.

LA GRANDE, Ore. (EOU) ⎯ An event honoring the longtime career of a dedicated coach will be the grand finale of Eastern Oregon University’s 2013 Homecoming celebration, Oct. 4-5.

Athletic alumni from 1968-82 are invited to attend “An Evening with Lee Insko” at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 in the Gilbert Center at EOU.

The reunion follows the Mountaineer football game vs. the University of Montana-Western at Community Stadium. It also coincides with a milestone in EOU’s athletic history. This year is the 40th anniversary of when an Eastern team led by Insko tied for the district football championship.

“We had a very good team at the time and it was a big thing for us,” Insko recalled.

The tie occurred in 1973 in the middle of Insko’s term as head football coach from 1968-77. He later switched to men’s basketball and his teams won a total of 56 games between 1978-82.

The reunion is an opportunity for Insko to connect with many of these former student-athletes and their families.

“The blessing for me was getting to coach all those students,” he said. “Whether they excelled at the sport or not, each one was just as important as the other and went on to make a difference in their communities.”

Insko was inducted into the Mountaineer Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994, a year after he retired as dean of continuing education and regional programs.

“It was wonderful to be able to do something you love all of your life,” he said.

Prior to coming to EOU, he coached football, track and volleyball at Springfield High School.

Tickets to the EOU Foundation sponsored event are $25 per person and include a buffet dinner. Register online at www.eou.edu/alumni/insko or call University Advancement at 541-962-3740.