SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Ron Clinton lost his battle to illness on Thursday but influences of the Eastern Illinois wrestling coach certain lives.

“When we had all our gatherings and started talking about all the guys in coaching, it was because of him,” Ralph McCausland said. “It was 82 guys right away we could count coaching in the high schools, just in the suburbs. Then we started counting the guys in college. And why? It was because of the passion he gave us and the opportunities.”

McCausland, a former NCAA Division II national champion when Clinton was coaching Eastern and then his successor as the Panthers coach, was among those who went to Springfield this week to see their mentor before he died at the age of 69.

“He had both families there, his wrestling family and his biological family,” McCausland said.

Also at the Springfield hospital was Charleston's Renny Garshelis, who became an NCAA championships official.

“He was a dear friend of mine,” Garshelis said. “When I was in high school he was an idol of mine. Ron was very instrumental in opening the doors nationally for me (as an NCAA official). I was very fortunate for that. He had the clout. It was an easier transition for me because of Ron. His friendship was very dear to me.”

A 1962 NCAA Division I champion when wrestling for Oklahoma State, Clinton then as a coach built Eastern's wrestling program into a NCAA Division II power during his 1975-83 coaching tenure before moving to Illinois.

The Panthers were national runners-up in 1979 and '81, falling one-quarter of a point short of a championship in 1979, during a string of five straight top five national finishes.

Clinton coached six individual NCAA champions and 45 All-Americans.

“There was no question about all the lives he touched,” said former EIU national champion Dave Klemm, now the coach at Lincoln College. “Certainly he made a big difference in my life not only as a wrestler and a student but then I was able to go back as an assistant coach for him. He was a great friend and would do anything for you.

“Other than just moves, anybody can teach you moves, he taught me self-discipline and a lot of patience. He was an extremely patient man. He would let things work out themselves before he would step in. I learned a lot from that.”

McCausland said: “I just think of this dynamic character of a coach who just created an atmosphere and opportunity for us to be successful. He challenged each one of us a little bit differently. I've never been around a coach who could draw so much out of an individual.

“He was my teacher. He was a mentor. I was like a sponge. Anything he said we would try, we would work on. He was the guy to go to.”

Former Charleston High School wrestling coach Lew Hankenson saw Clinton coach in town at Eastern and sent his son Steve Hankenson to Illinois when Clinton coached the Illini.

Even before that Hankenson as an Illinois wrestler who competed against Clinton.

“Oklahoma State still considers him one of their finest,” Hankenson said. “I know he had a very deep impact on the people that wrestled for him which showed with the number of calls we got at the hospital. Besides a coach, he was a great friend and we're going to miss him very much.”

Clinton was inducted into Eastern's Hall of Fame last year.

Visitation is scheduled for 5-8 p.m. Sunday at Savoy's Morgan Memorial with the funeral planned for Monday with the time to be determined.