(Written: June 2012)
Phil Esten served as head coach of the men’s cross country program at UW-La Crosse for 28 years from 1970 until his retirement after the 1997 season. Esten led the Eagles to an NCAA Division III cross country title in 1996 and was named the Division III Co-Coach of the Year.
The Eagles finished runner-up in either the NAIA or NCAA Division III eight times under Esten. His squads finished in the top-10 nationally in 26 consecutive years and appeared in a national championship in 27 of his 28 cross country seasons.
UW-La Crosse won 20 league titles during Esten’s tenure and never finished lower than third. He was selected the conference coach of the year four times. He also served as an assistant track & field coach at UW-La Crosse for 34 seasons.
Esten has been inducted into the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, the NAIA District 14, the NAIA Cross Country, the Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association and the UW-La Crosse halls of fame.
In 2012, he was selected as the WIAC All-Time Coach in men’s cross country in conjunction with the WIAC Centennial Celebration.
A resident of La Crosse, Wis., Esten earned an undergraduate degree from UW-La Crosse, where he majored in physical education with a health education minor. He earned a master’s degree and Ed.D. from the University of Northern Colorado.