Dupage Policy Journal

Legendary North Central College cross country and track & field coach Allen B. "Al" Carius H'06 has died at the age of 83 after a long battle with cancer. Carius, who began coaching at North Central in 1966, led the college's programs for over fifty years and was known for his "Run for Fun and Personal Bests" philosophy.

North Central College President Abiodun Goke-Pariola commented on Carius's influence: "The impact that Al Carius had during his more than half a century at North Central College cannot be overstated. While his success as a coach was unparalleled, it was never the trophies or recognition that motivated him. Al was a true believer in the NCAA Division III student-athlete experience and the role that athletics plays in helping young men and women develop the habits and skills they need to be successful in life. This is a difficult time for our Cardinal community as we mourn the loss of a campus icon, and yet we are forever grateful that Al's legacy and commitment to students has become part of who we are and what we do at North Central College."

Carius, originally from Morton, Illinois, graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign before coming to North Central. Over his career, he guided cross country teams to 19 NCAA Division III national titles and 16 runner-up finishes. His teams finished fourth place or better in 42 out of 47 NCAA Division III championship appearances. Athletes under his leadership earned 127 All-America awards and eight individual national championships in cross country.

In track & field, Carius helped secure 12 NCAA Division III team national championships—six outdoor and six indoor—as either head coach or assistant alongside Frank Gramarosso. His athletes achieved 536 All-America honors along with 63 individual and relay national championships.

"It's easy to marvel at the long list of accolades when you reflect on Al's coaching career," said '86, senior director of athletics at North Central College. "But that's not what motivated Al. What got him out of bed in the morning was the opportunity to influence others through the teaching of life lessons and values that transcend sport. He had a unique ability to unite people around a shared vision of success and a commitment to one another – not to times, trophies or places. Across all of our athletics programs here at North Central, we will continue to honor Al's legacy by always putting the athlete before the sport, and by using sport as a teacher of life's great lessons."

Carius received several honors from North Central College during his tenure: he became an honorary alumnus in 2006, received an honorary degree in 2016, had the college’s track named after him in 2009, served as director of athletics twice (1971-1977; 1980-1993), taught courses including health education and leadership ethics, delivered student lectures such as Last Lecture (2013), and spoke at commencement events like Cardinal First Pinning Ceremony (2024).

Nationally recognized for his achievements, Carius was named "Coach of the Century" by United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) in 2000 after earning National Cross Country Coach of the Year twelve times and National Track & Field Coach twice. The USTFCCCA established an award named after him—the Al Carius Program of the Year—in 2008 for top-performing NCAA Division III men's programs across cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field seasons; he won this award four times.

He is also a member of multiple halls of fame including those at North Central College (inaugural class), Illinois Track & Cross Country Coaches (1988), USTFCCCA (2006), Chicagoland Sports (2013), Drake Relays Coaches (2006), and Greater Peoria Sports (2012).

Carius’s coaching philosophy is detailed in his book “Run for Fun and Personal Bests” published in 2021; it emphasizes personal growth over winning or losing. A documentary about this approach was produced by North Central College in 2022.

In his book he wrote: "I'm so proud to have had so many young men and women pass through our North Central College athletic program and go on to spread our message of 'Run for Fun and Personal Bests' to other high school and college programs. I pray that I have set a good example for them for how to be a coach and a guide to the young people who are entrusted to their care."

His approach continues to shape coaches nationwide who were influenced by their time with him at North Central.