Kent Finanger Endowed Chair for Women's Cross Country and Track and Field

Established in honor of Kent Finanger, professor emeritus and alumnus, class of 1954 by an anonymous patron. Kent embodied the spirit of Luther's mission as a coach, teacher, leader, and mentor for five sports at Luther from 1956-1996 and was instrumental in developing the women's cross country program. This chair ensures the financial stability and excellence for these two programs for generations to come, and heightens visibility,  prestige, and participation in Luther College's cross country and track and field camps and clinics, as well as providing significant recruiting advantage over peer institutions, expanding the footprint of these programs in a new market. The chair supports the salary and benefits for the person holding the position, as well as to support initiatives such as: educational enhancements for these programs, professional development opportunities, and release time to focus on student-athlete relationships essential to development and performance.