SEAN BOSTON
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Rusty Hilst, a revered teacher, broadcaster, and golfer who became a cornerstone of the Hutchinson community for more than five decades, has died after a long battle with ALS. He was 82.
Best known for his steady voice on the radio and his steady hand in the classroom, Hilst dedicated his life to education, athletics, and storytelling, leaving behind a legacy etched into generations of Hutchinson lives.
“Rusty was the most prepared person I’ve ever met when it came to his sports broadcasts,” said longtime broadcast partner Rob Dreher. “We were super early to any broadcast we ever did. I’ll miss the away games and car rides the most.”
Born on Dec. 29, 1942, in Pratt, Hilst overcame early adversity after contracting rheumatic fever in second grade. Confined to bed for eight months, he taught himself to read, a foreshadowing of the intellect and resilience that would define his life.
His family moved to Hutchinson in 1957, where Hilst soon became a standout golfer at Hutchinson High School. He helped lead the Salthawks to a 4-man state title in 1960 and remained deeply tied to local golf throughout his life, winning city championships and later earning a place in the Kansas Golf Hall of Fame in 2002.
After earning degrees from Valparaiso University and the University of Kansas, Hilst planned to pursue a PhD until a last-minute vacancy at Hutch High brought him home. What started as a one-semester teaching stint turned into a 53-year career shaping minds and mentoring students as beloved math teacher and golf coach. He taught calculus, trigonometry and college algebra and became chair of the HHS Math Department in 1978.
In 1969, Hilst added another title to his résumé: broadcaster. He began calling games for KWHK Radio, then joined KWBW in 1980, launching a decades-long career covering Hutchinson High School, Hutchinson Community College, and the NJCAA Tournament. He served as sports director at Eagle Communications from 1995 to 2019 and earned numerous honors, including the Hod Humiston Award from the Kansas Association of Broadcasters and Kansas Sportscaster of the Year in 2004.
“For 22 seasons, from September 1998 to March 2019, Rusty Hilst and I shared the road, the press box, and countless memories,” said former broadcast partner Glen Grunwald. “He was a dear friend, a mentor, and truly one of a kind.”
Grunwald described Hilst as the consummate professional, calm, thorough, and generous with his time. “Rusty had a passion for sports, but even more so for the people around him. He poured his heart into everything he did,” Grunwald said.
Grunwald, who partnered with Hilst for more than two decades on Salthawk broadcasts, remembered a man who was more than just a colleague, he was a friend and mentor whose wisdom carried into everyday life.
“A few days before Christmas 2022, Rusty told me he had been diagnosed with ALS,” longtime broadcast partner Dan Naccarato said. “He faced the most difficult ordeal imaginable with dignity, courage, wisdom and humor.”
In 2014, Hilst became the first non-player, coach or administrator inducted into the Hutchinson Community College Quarterback Club Hall of Fame, a recognition of his unmatched service to Blue Dragon athletics through broadcasting and advocacy.
In 2023, Hilst received one of the state’s highest honors in education when he was inducted into the Kansas Teachers’ Hall of Fame, a tribute to his extraordinary impact in the classroom over five decades.
Later that year, Hutchinson High School dedicated “Rusty’s Room,” a calm space for students to reset emotionally and mentally, fittingly located in the same hallway where he taught math for most of his 54-year teaching career.
“When I changed careers from the corporate world to teaching at HutchCC, Rusty was one of the first mentors I called,” Naccarato added. “His advice, to trust your intuition, build relationships with students, and learn to teach without using textbooks, still echoes in my mind today.”
From his early days teaching himself to read, to the late nights preparing for radio broadcasts, Hilst’s life was defined by a love for learning, a gift for connection, and a voice that guided, and comforted, thousands.
“Rusty leaves behind a legacy of excellence, kindness, and integrity,” Grunwald said. “He will be missed but never forgotten.”
Memorial services have not yet been announced but will be posted when available.