RIVER FALLS, Wis. (uwrfsports.com) - The UW-River Falls Athletic community has learned of the passing of legendary football coach Mike Farley. Farley coached the UW-River Falls football team from 1970-88, compiling a 117-71-3 overall record. He is fifth on the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) all-time wins list, having led the Falcons to eight WIAC team championships. The 1979 team earned the Falcons' their first post-season playoff spot in football team history when they secured a berth in the NAIA Division I National Playoffs. Farley was named the WIAC Coach of the Year in 1985 and coached 95 players to All-WIAC honors, including three WIAC Players of the Year.

All of the victories, celebrations and excitement are fond memories for Farley and Falcon fans, but Farley's influence on his players went beyond football. His genuine love for his players was obvious from the first time he stepped foot on campus. He challenged them to be the best they could be not only on the gridiron, but also in the classroom. He continually reminded his recruits that what they did in their four or five years at the University would affect how the next 40 years of their lives unfolded. "I talk to our current team a lot about the rich tradition of our program and Coach Farley is always at the center of all of it," said current head football coach Matt Walker. "I feel blessed I got to know him. I have the fortune of being around a lot of Falcon football alums and I'm reminded constantly of the impact this man had on the lives of his players."

Farley was inducted in the UWRF Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989, the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1994 and the WIAC Hall of Fame in 2012.