Pacific University Athletics

Mike Steele, Distinguished University Professor of English and Peace Studies, founded the Pacific handball team in 1977 and has coached with the program since its inception. He retired as head coach in 2015 and currently serves as an assistant coach.

Steele developed 40 national champions and won back-to-back National team titles in 2013 and 2014 at Pacific. 

He also served as a coach at the Multnomah Athletic club from 2006-2010 and is still a member with the club and played with them, also. He also has served as a coach for cross country and football. 

Steele learned to play handball at Notre Dame in 1963 and has played ever since. He has won two state handball titles, one regional title and one national title at the Semper Fi tournament in San Diego. 

In 2006, Steele was elected President of the United States Handball Association after serving many years as the National Collegiate Commissioner. He was inducted into the American Youth Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., in 1998 and in 2019 was selected to the US Handball Association Hall of Fame. He also was honored with the Rockne's Society Heritage Award in 2019 for his various books on Notre Dame football history and biographies. 

Mike is one of only a dozen Level 5 Referees in the country.