Friends of Basketball

Rod Cardinal

Year Inducted: 2003

Category: Friends of Basketball

Schools / Organizations:

University of Illinois-Champaign

Biography: 

Rod Cardinal served the Illinois basketball staff for 46 years before retiring in May 2019. He served as men’s head athletic trainer for more than 30 years before stepping down from that position in 2003 and the Fighting Illini won nearly 600 games during his tenure. He taped thousands of ankles, mended hundreds of sprains and treated untold numbers of other injuries and illnesses through the years as a trusted aide to Illini players and coaches. He was on the bench as an athletic trainer as the Illini won four Big Ten Conference championships, advanced to 17 NCAA tournaments and went to the Final Four in 1989.

Cardinal also served as a teacher and researcher for his vocation and was inducted into the Illinois Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame in 1990. He earned an honorary Varsity “I” in 2002 and received the Alumni Achievement Award from his alma mater Southwest State University in 1995. After retiring as an athletic trainer, he spent five years as Director of Basketball Operations for Bruce Weber and was part of another Final Four team in 2005. His last 11 years with the Illini were as Director of Special Projects.

He is honored to be inducted in the same year as his son, Brian, who is entering in the Player category.