In 1957, he set a world age-group record in the mile run with a time of 4:14.6 for 17-year-olds. Despite his accomplishment, now SIUC men’s track and field coach Bill Cornell, was more interested in playing soccer at the time.

I was elated that I did that (set world record), but I wasn’t particularly enjoying track and field, Cornell said. In 1958, I had influenza three times and tried to make it back into track and field too fast.

There were some newspaper articles saying, Bill Cornell a failure, Bill Cornell a flop,’ he said.

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I didn’t enjoy it (track and field) much anyway, I enjoyed soccer a lot more, so I quit running and started playing for two soccer teams in a Saturday league and a Sunday league.

The 1980 SIUC Sports Hall of Fame inductee would soon gain back interest in running when in 1961 he received a call from SIUC men’s track and field coach Lew Hartzog, offering him the chance to compete for the Salukis.

Back in 1961, he (Hartzog) had read about me in some magazine, and heard about me through some friends who were visiting England at that time, Cornell explained.

He (Hartzog) just called and offered me a four year scholarship, Cornell said. I told him I hadn’t run for two-and-a-half years, but if he was willing to take the gamble, I would start running again.

Cornell, three weeks after his decision to leave his town of Chelmsford, England, married his wife, Rose, left England the next day, and two days later, was sitting in a classroom at SIUC two weeks into the spring quarter which had started in late March.

Cornell said the trip to the United States had been traumatic for his new bride of 17.

I wouldn’t have lasted over here with out her, he said.

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Cornell proved his running talents were still with him over 2000 miles later when he arrived at SIUC.

I had one month’s training and ran a 1:51.9 800-meter time trial, Cornell said. About two weeks after that, I ran my first mile. I ran 4:10.5, so they were both personal bests for me, and I only had a little over a month’s training. Obviously the talent was still there and Lew (Hartzog) was happy.

Amid Cornell’s success for the Salukis, he never got the chance to compete in the Olympic Games.

In 1964, Cornell had European records in the 600-yard, 880-yard, and 1,000-yard runs indoors.

It looked like things were going great for me to make the British team in either the mile or 880-yard run, when I had a foot injury that I had to have operated on and couldn’t quite make it back, Cornell said. I did (regret missing the Olympics), but I didn’t think I could stick with running for another four years. As soon as I got my degree in 1965, I more or less quit running and put my force on coaching.

Cornell continued his education at SIUC, earning a master’s degree in physical education in 1966. While he was getting his master’s degree, he had been job hunting for over a year, and said he was ready to coach anywhere.

I ended up going home to England in the summer of 1967, figuring I would never come back, Cornell said. I had not been home a month and Lew Hartzog again called me and said, how would you like to be head track coach at Murray State University’? I said, well, that’s a division one school and it’s not very likely I’m going to get that’. He said, well I think the job’s yours if you come over (to Murray State).’

Cornell spent 15 years as head coach at Murray State producing seven Olympians, and 24 All-Americans.

While in his first year with Murray State, Cornell said he did not have the opportunity to recruit for his first year. Murray State then followed Cornell’s lead his second and third years, and collected two Ohio Valley Conference championships.

We were in the OVC, of course, and Western Kentucky and Eastern Tennessee State University were there also, Cornell said. WKU had a bunch of Englishmen and ETSU had a bunch of Irishmen, and they started beating us. The rest of the coaches around started saying, Bill how come those guys have got the English and the Irish, and yet you’re from England. If you’re going to beat them, you’re going to have to join them.’

Cornell currently has seven international athletes on the men’s track and field and cross country teams.

One of Cornell’s international recruits from England, freshman Andrew Fooks, said he feels his coach is aware of an individual’s expectations and needs regarding training and performances.

Because he (Cornell) has been in coaching so long, he recognizes an individual’s disciplines, Fooks said. If one, he sees, has got more experience, then he’ll let them get on with what they want to do more often than not, and if there’s someone less experienced, he’ll take more authority.

Cornell said he has one goal he still hopes to attain before his coaching days are done.

I would like to have enough NCAA qualifiers one year to be able to be in the top five teams in the nation, he said.