Hall of Fame
Throughout his 42-year career at Lewis University, including 25 years as athletics director, the one constant for Paul Ruddy was success.
Ruddy guided Lewis Athletics through the most prolific transformation in its history, and by the end of his tenure, Lewis had emerged from a program of relative obscurity into a nationally recognized athletics program.
The athletic department's path to national recognition began almost as soon as Ruddy acquired the title of athletics director.
After serving two years as Lewis' assistant athletics director, during which time he played a key role in strengthening existing programs and initiating new programs in women's athletics, Ruddy was promoted to athletics director in 1978.
In 1980, Ruddy guided Lewis' historic move from the NAIA to NCAA Division II and the University's entry into the prestigious Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).
During his time as athletics director, Lewis was a model of success. The Flyers captured the GLVC All-Sports Trophy 12 of a possible 21 times, winning the award for the first time in 1983-84, just three years after entering the conference. Lewis held on to the trophy each of the next seven years, a streak which no other league school has equaled since.
After relinquishing the All-Sports Trophy to Bellarmine in 1990-91,Lewis won it back four times over the next six years. To date, no other school in the conference has won the All-Sports Trophy more than Lewis.
On the field of play, Lewis teams won 69 GLVC titles and made more than 100 NCAA postseason appearances during Ruddy's years as athletics director. The Flyers had at least one team qualify for NCAA postseason play in 23 of Ruddy's 25 years as athletics director.
Ruddy founded the Lewis University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1979. He was instrumental in the formation of the Lewis University Varsity Club, the department's fundraising arm, in 19983. in 1981, Ruddy and Chuck Schwarz, who then was Lewis' head men's basketball coach, intiated the annual Lewis Alumni Golf Outing that serves as a main fundraiser for the athletics department. The golf outing, which annually raises thousands of dollars, celebrated its 28th year in June 2008.
As a member of the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Committee from the 1993-94 season through the 1999-2000 season, Ruddy assisted in the administration of the Division II national tournament. He was chairperson of the Great Lakes Region Men's Basketball Committee during that time.
Ruddy began his Lewis career in 1961 as a physical education instructor, assistant men's basketball coach and assistant baseball coach.
He became head men's basketball coach in 1965 and posted a 111-75 record in seven seasons, which today ranks fourth all-time on the program's head coaching wins list. Six of his seven teams registered winning records, including a 19-8 mark in 1965-66 and a 19-7 ledger in 1966-67.
Ruddy was chairperson of the physical education department from 1972 until his appointment as athletics director in 1978. He also served as men's golf coach.
A 1960 DePaul University graduate, Ruddy ws a three-year starter for legendary basketball coach Ray Meyer and helped lead the Blue Demons to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in 1959 and 1960
