Courtesy of MLC Athletics

NEW ULM — Martin Luther College Director of Athletics Jim Unke died Saturday, July 30, after suffering a fatal brain injury caused by a stroke on July 15.

Unke served as athletic director at MLC for 25 years from 1997-2022. He also served as men’s basketball coach for 19 seasons from 1997-2016.

During his tenure as athletic director, Unke led the Knights’ athletic department across 16 varsity sports and played a crucial role in the expansion of the school’s athletic facilities, including the fund raising and construction of the Betty Kohn Fieldhouse, as well as the school’s soccer facility and baseball field.

Unke was also an instrumental leader in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC), volunteering his time as the league’s commissioner prior to the conference becoming an NCAA Division III member conference in 2008. In 2019, Unke was awarded a UMAC 10-Year Service Award for his contributions as part of the league’s 10-year anniversary.

Unke finished his 40th year as a member of the public gospel ministry in 2022. He started his teaching career at East Fork Lutheran High School (White River, AZ) as an emergency instructor and basketball coach in 1980. He also served as eighth-grade teacher, basketball coach, and athletic director at St. Paul’s Lutheran School (New Ulm, MN) from 1983-87, and then served 10 years as athletic director and men’s basketball coach at Lakeside Lutheran High School (Lake Mills, WI) from 1987-97.

Please keep Jim’s wife, Lori, along with his three children (Dan, Angie, and Jake) and 10 grandchildren in your prayers.

A message was sent to the campus family by MLC President Rich Gurgel on Saturday that read as followed.

“Today (Saturday, July 30), in wisdom far beyond our own, and in boundless love for us in Christ that is also at times hard for us to fully understand, God has seen fit to call to himself in heaven the soul of our brother, Jim Unke.

After the stroke Jim suffered on Friday, July 15, it became clear, as last week drew to a close, that the fatal brain injury the stroke caused would mean that God would soon be calling his faithful servant home to himself in heaven.

We will be sure to pass on information about Jim’s funeral service as soon as that is shared with us.

You may recall that just this April, Jim was among those on our campus who thanked God for completing a significant ministry milestone as he celebrated 40 years of public gospel ministry:

• 1 year as an emergency instructor at East Fork Lutheran High School, Whiteriver, AZ (1980-1981);

• 4 years as 8th grade teacher and athletic director at St. Paul’s Lutheran School in New Ulm, MN (1983-1987);

• 10 years as athletic director at Lakeside Lutheran High School in Lake Mills, WI (1987-1997); and

• 25 years as director of athletics at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN (1997-2022).

The seal of MLC where Jim served so faithfully for 25 years has the Latin word vivit (“he lives”) inscribed around the outside. Vivit is a reminder that, in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, we have the certainty that God has declared us not-guilty and that because Jesus lives, we too shall live (John 14:25).

On this day, Jim has begun to experience in a whole new glorious way that truth on our MLC seal under which he served for 25 years, Yes, even on this day of Jim’s death, this is true: Vivit!

Please remember to keep in your prayers Jim’s wife Lori, their children, grandchildren, and the rest of their extended families, as they mourn the earthly loss of a faithful and loving husband, father, and grandfather. Please keep our college of ministry in your prayers as our campus family feels the earthly loss of a friend, a co-worker, and a brother in Christ.

But, in Christ, while we do indeed grieve, we do not grieve without hope as the unbelieving world does (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We grieve in hope. Why? Vivit!

In Him,

Rich Gurgel

President, Martin Luther College”