UWEC Athletics Hall of Fame
Gene Golden was All-Conference and All-District on the Blugold conference championship football teams of 1963 and 1964, earning the latter honor at the age of 28. He was a defensive end but also started some games at offensive end. Golden graduated from Regis High and received a Mortuary Science Degree in 1958.
At the time of his induction, he had been associated with the family funeral business, Golden Funeral Home, established by his father Christopher in 1942, for 32 years, most recently serving as owner and director. He has been actively involved in sports in the Eau Claire area on many levels. As an athlete, he played on state championship teams in fast-pitch softball, semi-pro baseball and volleyball. He was a WIAA football official for 18 years and spent years as a WIAA and WSUC baseball umpire. Golden spent 11 years as an assistant coach to Link Walker with the Blugold football team and at the time of his induction was in his second year as an assistant with Jim Lind. He coached football at Regis High for eight years and for six years in the YMCA football league and Sacred Heart grade school.
