RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The history and traditions of Arkansas Tech athletics are rich and plentiful. From countless all-conference honors to numerous championship trophies won across all levels, including a trio of national championships, there is no doubt that there have been some remarkable achievements associated with ATU Athletics in its history.
And now beginning in Fall 2022, those achievements previously attained, as well as the ones that are sure to follow, will have a new home to be forever celebrated as Arkansas Tech has announced the start of their ATU Athletic Hall of Fame.
"An Arkansas Tech Athletic Hall of Fame is something that has been a long time coming and we are excited to get it off the ground this coming year," noted ATU interim director of athletics
Abby Davis. "There have been so many amazing achievements over the history of our athletic department, and it will be great to recognize those in an elegant and first-class way through our Athletic Hall of Fame. We are excited to have this be an annual event and look forward to continuing to honor our past as we move forward with our future."
The ATU Athletic Hall of Fame will be officially christened during Family Day weekend this coming September 16-17. A formal induction ceremony of the inaugural class will take place at 5:00 p.m. with a social hour followed by the ceremony on Friday, September 16 inside Tucker Coliseum.
Ticket information for the general public will be announced at a later date.
The following day, inductees from the inaugural class are invited to take part in a special on-field recognition at halftime of the Wonder Boys' football against Ouachita, which is slated for a 6:00 p.m. kick-off.
With this being the start of the ATU Athletic Hall of Fame, there are more than 100 years of history to be considered for such an honor and the inaugural class is intended to be a significant encompassing collection of former student-athletes, coaches, staff and community members who have already been honored with induction into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and/or induction into the ATU Hall of Distinction, either under the Distinction in Intercollegiate Athletics category that was established in 2008 or previous to that if their ATU Hall of Distinction induction was based primarily upon their achievements in athletics.
As such, the inaugural class will feature over 80 inductees. Included among that list are members of the 1991-92 and 1992-93 NAIA National Championship Golden Suns basketball teams as well as the "Original" Wonder Boy, John Tucker.
In the subsequent years to follow, ATU Athletic Hall of Fame classes will be comprised of nominated candidates that will have been selected by a 10-person selection committee.
The following is a list of the inaugural Arkansas Tech Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2022:
|
First Name |
Last Name |
Sport |
HOF Category |
| # |
Don |
Dempsey |
Football |
Coach |
| *# |
Joe |
Foley |
Women's Basketball |
Coach |
| *# |
Sam |
Hindsman |
MBB/Football/Bowling |
Coach |
| * |
John |
Widner |
Men's Basketball |
Coach |
|
|
|
|
|
| # |
Colonel Carl Franklin |
Baswell |
|
Service Award |
| # |
Hal |
Cooper |
|
Service Award |
| # |
Shirley |
Dodd |
|
Service Award |
| # |
Jeanice |
Falls |
|
Service Award |
| # |
Truman |
Hill |
|
Service Award |
| # |
Gene |
Witherspoon |
|
Service Award |
|
|
|
|
|
| # |
Bill |
Lemley |
Faculty Athletic Representative |
Staff |
| # |
Don |
Sevier |
Athletic Director |
Staff |
| # |
Jim |
Staggs |
Sports Information Director |
Staff |
|
|
|
|
|
| # |
Louis |
Besancon |
Track & Field |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Gene |
Brown |
Track & Field |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Donna |
Brunson |
Track & Field |
Student-Athlete |
|
L.L. "Doc" |
Bryan |
Football/Track |
Student-Athlete |
| *# |
Raymond |
Burnett |
Football/Coach |
Student-Athlete |
| *# |
Firman |
Bynum |
Football |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Randy |
Campbell |
Track & Field |
Student-Athlete |
| *# |
Charles Baxter "Foots" |
Clement |
Football/4 Sports Overall |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Alan |
Cozart |
Men's Basketball |
Student-Athlete |
| *# |
Bill "Sleepy" |
Curtis |
Football |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Alison |
(Setliff) Curtis |
Women's Basketball |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Kelly |
Davis |
Football |
Student-Athlete |
| *# |
Deward |
Dopson |
Men's Basketball/Coach |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
David |
Dyer |
Men's Golf |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Lanell |
(Dawson) Evans |
Women's Basketball |
Student-Athlete |
| * |
Aubrey "Cobb" |
Fowler |
Football |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Danny |
Gilbert |
Football |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
John |
Gross |
Men's Basketball |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Robert |
Gunter |
Track & Field |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Terry |
Hankton |
Men's Basketball |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Amanda |
Hill |
Women's Basketball |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Joe |
Hoing |
Football |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Donovan |
Horn |
Men's Basketball |
Student-Athlete |
| *# |
Clyde |
Horton |
Football/Track |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Kevin |
Johnson |
Football |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Ronnie |
Kennett |
Men's Basketball |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Roger |
Lee |
Football |
Student-Athlete |
| *# |
J.P. |
Lovelady |
Men's Basketball |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Tommy |
Maddox |
Track & Field |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Stacey |
(Burnett) Mallett |
Volleyball |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Maxie |
Mathis |
Men's Basketball |
Student-Athlete |
| * |
Stephanie |
(Strack) Mathis |
Women's Basketball |
Student-Athlete |
| *# |
Wilson |
Matthews |
Football |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Powell "Tiger" |
McLellan |
Football |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Carin |
(Pinion) McNabb |
Women's Basketball |
Student-Athlete |
| *# |
Eddie |
Meador |
Football/AD |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Cindi |
(Patton) Michael |
Women's Basketball/Volleyball |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Jim |
Murphy |
Football |
Student-Athlete |
| * |
Billy Joe |
Murray |
Men's Basketball |
Student-Athlete |
| * |
Wyn |
Norwood |
Men's Golf |
Student-Athlete |
| *# |
E.C. |
O'Neal |
Men's Basketball |
Student-Athlete |
| * |
W. Howard |
Pearce |
Football |
Student-Athlete |
| * |
Raymond |
Peters |
Football |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Kala |
(Cooley) Purviance |
Women's Basketball |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Dawn |
(Grell) Roberts |
Women's Basketball |
Student-Athlete |
| *# |
Kenny |
Saylors |
Men's Basketball |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Mike |
Smith |
Track & Field |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Todd |
Smithhart |
Track & Field |
Student-Athlete |
| * |
Bill |
Stancil |
Football |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Stanley |
Teeter |
Football/Track |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Rick |
Thone |
Football |
Student-Athlete |
| * |
John |
Tucker |
Football/Coach/AD |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Noel |
Tugwell |
Football |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Chad |
Walker |
Football |
Student-Athlete |
| *# |
Sherry |
(Raney) White |
Women's Basketball |
Student-Athlete |
| # |
Paul |
White |
Track & Field |
Student-Athlete |
|
|
|
|
|
| * |
1991-92 Women's Basketball Team |
| * |
1992-93 Women's Basketball Team |
