(Written: June 2012)
Mike Farley revived a proud football tradition at UW-River Falls as the team's head coach from 1970-88. Five years after his arrival, he led the Falcons to their first conference championship since 1958. Farley coached the 1979 team to the NAIA national playoffs, the first time a Falcon football team had ever competed at the national level.
Farley coached the Falcons to eight WIAC championships, including four in a row from 1984-87. He finished his career with a 117-70-3 overall record, which stands as the fifth-highest win total in WIAC history.
Farley was named the WIAC Coach of the Year after the 1986 season, the American Football Coaches Association Region 6 Coach of the Year in 1979 and 1986 and the NAIA District 14 Coach of the Year in 1975, 1979 and 1985. He coached 91 players to All-WIAC honors and three Falcons earned WIAC Player of the Year recognition under Farley's tutelage. He has been inducted into the UW-River Falls and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association halls of fame.
Farley earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Illinois. He resides in Mesa, Ariz.