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Western Michigan University Athletics

Hall of Fame - D

*All inductee information current up to the year they were inducted. 

George Dales
Coach
Inducted 1984
Cleveland, Ohio
  • Served 18 years as head track and cross country coach, winning 1963 and 1964 NCAA championships in latter sport, the schools only national titles. Charter inductee in United States Track Coaches’ Hall of Fame (1995).
  • Had 79-1301 dual meet record in cross country besides winning eight Mid-American and six Central Collegiate Conference championships and recording 13 top-10 NCAA finishes.
  • Had a 113-35 dual mark in track, won eight MAC, six CCC indoor and two CCC outdoor titles. NCAA “coach of the year” for track in 1970.
  • Later served as CCC commissioner, first vice president of the International Track and Field Coaches Association, secretary-treasurer of the NCAA Division I Coaches Association and editor of Track and Field Quarterly.
  • Was member of Western Michigan University physical education staff (1953-87), retiring as full professor.

Tracy Daniel
Softball, 1983-86
Volleyball, 1983-86
Inducted 2014
Portage, Michigan
  • Member of the 1984 softball MAC championship team and All-MAC selection at second base that year
  • Fielding percentage of .946 with 159 putouts and 80 assists, was referred to by Coach Fran Ebert as a slick-fielding “second baseman and clutch hitter”
  • Three-time Academic All-MAC selection in 1984, 1985 and 1986
  • A member of the 1982 volleyball MAC championship team
  • Went on to become a MAC volleyball official
  • Physical education teacher in Comstock, MI, named Michigan Physical Education Teach of the Year and received Distinguished Service Award from the Wolverine Conference for 27 years of coaching, officiating, mentoring and leadership

Fred Decker
Baseball, 1962-64
Inducted 1993
Colon, Michigan
  • Second-team All-American and All-Region outfielder in 1963 and 1964.
  • Only Western Michigan University coach to accumulate over 600 career wins. Served as varsity assistant before taking over head position in 1976.
  • Career record 601-176-6 through 1996, giving him the most wins of any baseball coach while his school held Mid-American Conference membership.
  • Produced 17 winning teams in 21 seasons, 14 first-division MAC teams, league division champions in 1982 and 1983 and a MAC title in 1989.
  • Coached 10 All-Americans, eight Academic All-Americans and 54 players who signed professionally, including four who reached the major leagues.

Danny DeKeyser
Hockey | Defenseman | 2010-13
Inducted in 2023
Detroit, Mich.
- Two-time All-CCHA selection, earning a Second Team selection in 2012 and First Team in 2013.
- Helped WMU to the 2012 CCHA Tournament Championship, earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
- Twice named CCHA Defensive Defenseman of the Year (2012, '13)
- Helped lead WMU to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2011 and 2012.
- Two-time American Hockey Coaches Association CCM West Second Team All-American (2012, '13).
- Went on to play 11 seasons in the National Hockey League.

Charles “Bud” Donnelly
Tennis, 1954-56
Inducted 1995
Kalamazoo, Michigan
  • Compiled a 92-14 record for singles and doubles for the best winning percentage (.868) in school history.
  • Won six Mid-American Conference individual championships, including No. 1 singles in 1956 and the No. 1 doubles three times.
  • Named to five-man 1954 United States Jr. Davis Cup team and also reached doubles finals of the Eastern Intercollegiate championships.
  • Joined WMU staff in 1963 served the university for over 30 years, including positions as assistant (1967-72) and associate (1972-present) dean of students. Previously coached tennis at Kalamazoo College (1958) and coached and taught at Mattawan (1959-61) and Battle Creek Lakeview (1961-63) high schools.
  • Remained active in tennis, winning 10 state men’s open doubles championships, plus the 1956 Michigan men’s singles.

Bill Doolittle
Coach and Administrator
Inducted 1996
Mansfield, Ohio
  • Had four seven-win seasons enroute to a 58-49-2 football coaching record in 1964-74, which included a 1966 Mid-American Conference co-championship and recognition as “coach of the year.” Ten of his players went to perform in the National Football League.
  • Spent 14 years as the first full-time director of the Gary Athletic Fund, which was recognized as the top endeavor of its type in the MAC Starting in 1989, he continued work a Western as a consultant, working with the division of intercollegiate athletics and the WMU Foundation.
  • A 1948 graduate of The Ohio State University and two-time football letterwinner. Served with U.S. Marine Corps in the Pacific during World War II, winning a bronze star. Had duty with the Corps’ famed “raider” battalions.
  • Coached 13 years in high school ranks. This included a six-year record of 40-12-2 at Flint Central which included winning the mythical state Class A championship in 1948.
  • Coached collegiately for two years at Brown University and two as offensive coordinator at Army.

Dan Dorion
Hockey, 1983-86
Inducted 1998
Astoria, New York
  • Right wing, who still owns Western career hockey records for goals (115), points (292), plus the top two seasonal point figures with 104 in 1985-86 and 91 in 1983-84. Played in 156 career games and was WMU’s top scorer in each of his four years.
  • In 1986, he was runner-up for the Hobey Baker Award as the nation’s top collegiate player, a first-team All-American and “most valuable” player of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association as the Broncos won the league tournament.
  • Represented the United States at the 1985 World Championship tournament after being a member of the winning team at the National Sports Festival. Chosen for the 1986 United States team but bypassed that competition after signing a professional contract.
  • Spent three years in New Jersey organization with the American Hockey League Utica (NY) Devils. Scored 67 points over 65 games in 1987088 and picked up three points in four NHL appearances.
  • Played five years in Europe, four with Series A teams. Played in Italy, Switzerland and His Nottingham Panthers were runner-ups for the Wembley Cup as English national champions. Returned to New York in 1996 as a hockey instructor at the Skyrink, giving private lessons and working with youth hockey programs.

Tom Duits
Track and Field, 1975-87
Cross Country, 1975-78
Inducted 2001
Hastings, Michigan
  • The first Michigan native to run the mile under four minutes (3:59.2), accomplishing that feat at the 1978 Penn Relays
  • 1978 outdoor and indoor All-American in track
  • 1976 All-American is cross country after placing 38th in the nation
  • Established WMU records for the outdoor 1500 mile, indoor mile and 880
  • Mid-American Conference champion in the mile, 1500 and 5000
  • Won Central Collegiate Conference outdoor 1500 titles in 1976 and 1978
  • Athlete of the Meet at the 1978 CCC championship
  • Mile champion at the 1979 National Sports Festival

R.J. Dunkle
Tennis, 1982-85
Inducted 2003
Centerville, Ohio
  • WMU’s all-time winningest player (213-51 record, .807%)
  • Holds Bronco records for career singles wins (105) and doubles victories (108)
  • Three-time All-Mid-American Conference selection (1983-85)
  • Won three MAC singles titles (twice at No. 1, once at No. 2) and two doubles crowns
  • Owns school’s longest doubles win streak record
  • Four-year letterwinner
  • Currently a tennis teaching pro in South Wales, Australia

Sam Dunlap
Football, 1915-17, 19
Baseball, 1916, 18
Track, 1916-18
Inducted 1973
Benton Harbor, Michigan
  • Set Western football season touchdown record (19 in 1916), a figure that wasn’t equaled for 60 years; and game rushing mark of 247 yards that was unsurpassed for 42 years.
  • Scored 25 career touchdowns and 158 points and is perhaps the school’s greatest punter ever.
  • Army sergeant in World War I and saw duty as an interpreter.
  • Served as football coach at West Virginia State, played professional and semi-pro football until the age of 42 and was involved with YMCA work in Indianapolis
  • Named to 75th anniversary football team in 1980.

Dee Dustin-Cole
Field Hockey, 1964-67
Basketball, 1966-68
Volleyball, 1965-67
Bowling, 1964
Tennis, 1965
Inducted 1990
Kalamazoo, Michigan
  • Selected to three Great Lakes Sectional all-star hockey squads and was reserve member of 1966 U.S. national team.
  • Second-team Athletic & Recreation Federation for Michigan College women’s selection for basketball and honorable mention for volleyball.
  • Picked for 1973 United States and two other national field hockey squads, playing international matches against 11 other countries.
  • Won city individual or team championships in seven sports and was a national championship participant in softball, volleyball and paddleball.
  • Coached four sports at Parchment High School. Her basketball teams had a record of 108-7, won three district titles and reached 1973 state semifinals. Her 1976 volleyball team won state crown and three won districts.