Hall of Fame
Bill grew up in a small borough, Sayreville, NJ, just east of New Brunswick. He was a three-sport athlete competing in wrestling, track & field and cross country at Sayreville War Memorial High School.
After high school, Bill enrolled at Denison University in Granville, OH, where he competed in both wrestling and cross country. Bill earned the most improved runner award in 1966. After graduating from Denison in the spring of 1969 with a chemistry degree, he moved to Madison, WI, to pursue his master’s degree in organic chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In the spring of 1972, he was hired to teach chemistry at Madison College.
In the fall of 1984, he became an assistant cross country coach under Fred Williams, allowing him he combine his passion for running with his passion for teaching.
“Bill did an excellent job relating to the kids he coached and taught. He was dedicated to help his runners improve”, commented former head cross country coach and 1998 Hall of Fame inductee, Fred Williams. “I was definitely privileged to have had the chance to work with him. “
Bill served as assistant cross country coach until the fall of 1993 when he took over as head coach. In his first season as head coach, he led the men’s and women’s teams to a co-ed state title while qualifying four runners to the national championships. Over his ten year head coaching career, Coach Hausler’s teams earned a combined eleven state titles, had 35 national qualifiers, four All-Americans and two fourth place national finishes. Bill received recognition from his coaching peers earning Wisconsin Junior College Athletic Association coach-of-the-year honors in 1993 and 1995. Bill retired from coaching after 19 years in 2002. He retired from teaching five years later having taught at the college for 35 years.
“If you have an excellent teacher who has a passion for coaching you are going to have an excellent coach”, said Director of Athletics, Steve Hauser. “If you have a great person on top of this - you are blessed. Bill touched thousands of student lives’ in the classroom and as a Madison College coach. Bill surely impacted and made a difference in each one of those lives. Great teacher, great coach, great person... that’s Bill Hausler.”
In addition to his coaching success, Bill earned Distinguished Teacher of the Year honors in 1982 and was presented with the Doug Redsten Athletic Service Award in 2003. To this day, Bill continues to support our department as he helps with the Madison College Turkey Trot 5K & 5M Run/Walk held every fall. He continues to tutor chemistry, lives in Madison and loves to spend time with his wife Susan, his daughters, Amy and Lisa, and his five grandchildren.
