LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The late Bill Nault, the beloved former track and field coach at Bellarmine University and dedicated member of race management teams for many of Louisville's most prestigious events, will be honored at 3 p.m. (ET) on Friday, Oct. 3, at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park.
Coordinated by the Greater Louisville Sports Commission (GLSC) in conjunction with Bellarmine, the dedication ceremony will take place at "Bill's Corner," which is near the finish line of the cross country/walking path grounds after entering the park from the main parking lot. Attendees may gather at the finish line at 2:45 p.m. before moving over to "Bill's Corner" for the unveiling ceremony.
Nault passed away on Dec. 6 of 2013 following a brief illness. The honoring of Nault will take place at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park one day before Saturday's 13th Annual Greater Louisville Invitational, which is hosted by the GLSC. The tribute to Nault will include the unveiling of a marker that describes his "tireless commitment to the cross country meet management and officiating in the park he loved." Nault contributed to meet management for 13 Division I, D-II, D-III and NAIA regional and national championships.
"This area of the E.P. Tom Sawyer championship cross country course was overseen and supervised by Bill with great dedication, enthusiasm and passion for twelve years," the marker reads. "Over that time there were more than 40 collegiate cross country events, with over 25,000 student-athlete competitors receiving the benefit of his direction and management of this part of the course."
A 1970 graduate of Bellarmine, Nault was a cross country and distance runner as a collegian, competing under Bellarmine coaching legend Jim Spalding. He returned to his alma mater a decade later and helped found the women's cross country program, serving as the squad's first coach from 1982 to 1984.
After a time away from the university, Nault returned to the Bellarmine coaching ranks in 2003 when Jim Vargo, BU's director of track and field and cross country, asked him to assist in the training of high jumper Laura Eppstein, who went on to become Bellarmine's first All-American in women's track and field.
Once re-engaged in the Bellarmine athletics program, Nault quickly became one of the most popular coaches by students and staff alike. Known for his affable personality, he was a fixture at Bellarmine practices and was regularly seen at other Bellarmine sporting events. Vargo referred to Nault as a "utility" coach, but if he had a specialty it was coaching the jumpers and multi-sport athletes. In 2013, he helped coach Ben Kolb to the NCAA Championships in indoor track in the heptathlon.
"It's difficult to believe that at this time last year Bill and I were kidding with each other about him keeping 'all the riff-raff' out of his corner for the Greater Louisville race. Then a few short months later Bill had passed away," Vargo said. "Bill was never at loss for words. He loved to play practical jokes on others. He was always professional in his responsibilities as an official and coach, but he knew how to have fun doing it."
Nault also was an active and highly respected track and field official and worked at high-level meets throughout the United States, including working the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta in addition to officiating national collegiate championships at every level.
Professionally, Nault was a certified public accountant who worked as an auditor for the Commonwealth of Kentucky as well as operating his own private firm.
"Bill will be in his corner this weekend and every time a race is run at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park," Vargo said. "His spirit and love of the sport will be present. I know he will have the angels gathered together to cheer on his beloved Bellarmine Knights."