UWEC Athletics Hall of Fame
Jim Van Gorden is an Eau Claire native who graduated from what is now Eau Claire Memorial High School. At the time of his induction, Van Gorden was a physical education instructor and football and baseball coach at Bloomer High School. Van Gorden was a Blugold All-American in football, being named to the NAIA First Team at quarterback in 1964. He guided the Blugolds to conference championships in 1963 and 1964. He led the NAIA in passing in 1964, averaging 256.3 yards per game. During his four years at Eau Claire, the Blugolds posted a 23-10 record. Van Gorden held many school passing, total offense and scoring records although some have been eclipsed. As a passer, he is probably unequalled in school history. He held 10 school records and was runner-up in 10 more. Among his most notable records are most yards passing in a game (334), most yards total offense in a game (434), most TD passes in a game (5), most yards passing in a season (1,950) and most yards total offense in a season (2,311). As a senior, he enjoyed such an outstanding season that he had five of the top six total offense games in school history when his career ended. He played in one of the most memorable games in school history when he brought the Blugolds from a 33-19 fourth quarter deficit to a 37-33 triumph over Whitewater that led to the 1964 conference title. That was the game in which he had 434 yards total offense and passed for five touchdowns. Following the season, Van Gorden was named team MVP and All-Conference for the third straight year. No Blugold football player had ever been named team MVP more than once and no Blugold had ever been selected to the All-Conference team more than twice.
Because of his brilliant performance as a senior, Van Gorden was signed as a free agent with the Green Bay Packers. When he was one of the final players cut with the then world-champions, Van Gorden played a year of semi-pro ball with the Joliet, Illinois Explorers. He joined the staff at Bloomer High School in 1966 and has been there since, coaching football every season but also taking stints as basketball track and baseball coach. He also set up the school’s wrestling program. His football teams won three Heart O’North championships. He also was a WIAA basketballÂ
