Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame

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The Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame is a sports hall of fame for the U.S. state of Kentucky established in 1963.[1] Individuals are inducted annually at a banquet in Louisville and receive a bronze plaque inside Louisville's Freedom Hall.[2] The Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame other wise known as the Kentucky Sports Hall of fame, is a non-profit organization funded by the Kentucky Lottery and owned and operated by the Louisville Sports Commission.[3]

Notable inductees[edit]

Honorees have included Louisville native Muhammad Ali.[a] A three-time world champion and six-time Golden Glove recipient, he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics (at age eighteen) and turned professional later that year.[4][5] Also included is American football player and coach Bo McMillin (who played for Centre College in Danville, Kentucky);[6] and basketball player and coach Pat Riley, who played in college for the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team.[7] While at the University of Kentucky, Riley managed to average a double double during his entire career there. He is also a ten-time NBA champion, winning one ring as a player with the Los Angeles Lakers and the rest as a coach and an owner in the NBA. Coach Riley was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005. Bob Baffert an American racehorse trainer who trained the 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify. Baffert's horses have won a record seven Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakness Stakes, three Belmont Stakes, and three Kentucky Oaks. Most recently inducted.[citation needed] A more recent inductee Dwane Casey inducted in the 2021 class who is the head coach for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association. He is a former NCAA basketball player and coach, having played and coached there for over a decade before moving on to the NBA.[citation needed]

The 2013 class included people such as Jerry Carroll who was a golf professional, Donna Bender a student-athlete/athletic director at Sacred Heart Academy, University of Louisville basketball player Pervis Ellison, Calvin Borel who was a Kentucky horse racer, Pro football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers Dwayne D. Woodruff, and Tennis player Julie Ditty.[8]

Inducted in the 2015 class were tennis player Mel Purcell,( he captured the 1980 NCAA doubles title with Rodney harmon and was named an all-American.) women's basketball coach Paul Sanderford, basketball player Sharon Garland, college basketball manager and King of the Bluegrass Men's Basketball Tournament founder and director Lloyd Gardner, Major League Baseball umpire Randy Marsh, track and field athlete Boyd Smith, and Lexington's Keeneland Race Course.[9] Scott Davenport, the current men's basketball coach at Bellarmine University was also inducted.

The 2016 class included American football player Shaun Alexander, basketball player Darel Carrier, college basketball coach Scott Davenport, basketball player Kyra Elzy, high school basketball coach Philip Haywood, Kentucky Wesleyan basketball play-by-play announcer Joel Utley, and the Lakeside Swim Club.[2] Kyra Elzy is a Kentucky native and currently holds the position as the University of Kentucky's Women's Basketball Head Coach. She also played basketball for the University of Tennessee and assisted for their team after her career.

Class Year Inductions & Names
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Calvin Borel Susan Bradley-Cox Lloyd Gardner Shaun Alexander Mike Battaglia Bob Baffert Derek Anderson Pete Browning
Jerry Carroll Charles "Red" Crabtree Sharon Garland Darel Carrier Howard Beth Sam Ball Deion Branch Anna May Hutchison
Julie Ditty Stan Hardin Randy Marsh Scott Davenport Rodger Bird Bob Beatty William Exum Clarence "Cave" Wilson
Pervis Ellison Bill Miller Mel Purcell Kyra Elzy Rob Bromley Bernie Bickerstaff Ralph Hacker
Alvin "Bo" McMillin Paul Rogers Paul Sanderford Phillip Haywood Swag Hartel Nick Hayden Willis Augustus Lee
Donna Bender Moir Rudell Stitch Shandelier Boyd Smith Joel Utley Kenny Klein Ken Ramsey Nate Northington
Judge Dwayne D. Woodruff Valhalla Golf Club Keeneland Race Course Lakeside Swim Club Dennis Lampley Sarah Ramsey
Marion Miley

Selection committee[edit]

The 2021 Selection Committee has the following members:[10]

  • Jeff Bidwell, WPSD-TV
  • Drew Deener, ESPN Radio
  • Jody Demling, iHeart Media
  • Mike Fields, retired Lexington Herald Leader staff writer
  • Jason Frakes, Courier Journal
  • Kendrick Haskins, WAVE 3
  • Reina Kempt, Courier Journal
  • Zack Klemme, The Daily Independent
  • Mark Mathis, Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer
  • Marques Maybin, ESPN Radio
  • Brian Milam, WKYT-TV
  • Steve Moss, WKYT-TV
  • Kevin Patton, The Gleaner
  • Kent Spencer, WHAS-TV
  • Mark Story, Lexington Herald-Leader

Inductees[edit]

The Hall of fame has been honoring athletes for the past 58 years. These are some of the athletes inducted in the past 6 years. Here is the link to the full list of inductees.

2021[edit]

  • John Asher – Kentucky Derby ambassador. He is known as the voice and face of horseracing in Kentucky.[11]
  • Dwane Casey – American Professional basketball coach who attended Union County High School in Morganfield, Kentucky and played four years at the University of Kentucky winning a National Championship in 1977–78. He began His coaching career at the Western Kentucky University before becoming the first African American assistant coach at The University of Kentucky, before moving to the NBA.[12]
  • Romeo Crennel – American football coach. Before becoming a defensive coordinator, he was a star at Western Kentucky, where he was a four-year starter and a team captain as a senior in 1969. He then embarked on his coaching career that spanned six decades and included five Super Bowl rings as an assistant.[13]
  • Rachel Komisarz Baugh – American swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, and former world record-holder. She swam at the University of Kentucky and became a seven-time All American swimmer and three-time SEC Champion by the end of her four years at the university.[14]
  • Keith Madison – Head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats baseball team from 1979 to 2003. He remains the most winningest baseball coach in program history with 735 wins.[14]
  • Elmore Smith – Former American professional basketball player. Played at Kentucky State University and went on to play in the NBA for the Buffalo Braves.[15]

2020[edit]

2019[edit]

  • Derek Anderson – American former professional basketball player. In 1996, Anderson helped the University of Kentucky win the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship as part of a team that featured nine future NBA players under their coach Rick Pitino, known as the “untouchables”[18]
  • Deion Branch – is a former American football player for the NFL. He played college football as a wide receiver at Louisville under coach John L. Smith. Branch was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXXIX.[19]
  • William Exum was the head of the Kentucky State University Physical Education Department and later head of the Athletics Department. He coached the KSU men's cross country team to an NCAA Division II championship in 1964. He was also the manager of the United States Track and Field teams at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics.[20]
  • Ralph Hacker spent 34 years on the UK Radio Network. He served as the men's basketball analyst for many years with broadcaster Cawood Ledford[21]
  • Willis Augustus Lee was a Kentucky native and a skilled sport shooter that won seven medals in the 1920 Olympics shooting events, including five gold medals. He was tied with teammate Lloyd Spooner for the most anyone had ever received in a single Olympics. Their record stood for 60 years.[22]
  • Nate Northington – He was the first African-American to play in a college football SEC game with the Kentucky Wildcats.[23]

2018[edit]

2017[edit]

2016[edit]

Inductees Year of Induction Hometown College Relevant Sport(s)
Dwane Casey 2021 Morganfield, KY University of Kentucky Basketball
Elmore Smith 2021 Macon, GA Kentucky State University Basketball
John Asher 2021 Leitchfield, KY Western Kentucky University Horseracing
Keith Madison 2021 Brownsville, KY Western Kentucky University Baseball
Rachel Komisarz Baugh 2021 Warren, MI University of Kentucky Swim
Romeo Crennel 2021 Lynchburg, VA Western Kentucky University Football
Anna May Hutchison 2020 Louisville, KY University of Wisconsin-Parkville Baseball
Clarence "Cave" Wilson 2020 Horse Cave, KY Tennessee State University Basketball
Pete Browning 2020 Louisville, KY – Baseball
Derek Anderson 2019 Louisville, KY University of Kentucky Basketball
Deion Branch 2019 Albany, GA University of Louisville Football
Nate Northington 2019 Bowling Green, KY University of Kentucky Football
Ralph Hacker 2019 Richmond, KY University of Kentucky Football
Willis Augustus Lee 2019 Natlee, KY Naval War College Sport Shooter
William Exum 2019 Rock Island, IL Kentucky State University Track
Bernie Bickerstaff 2018 Benham, KY University of Rio Grande Basketball
Bob Baffert 2018 Nogales, AZ University of Arizona Horse Training
Bob Beatty 2018 Butler, MO Missouri Southern State University Football
Ken and Sarah Ramsey 2018 – – Horse Training
Nicky Hayden 2018
Sam Ball 2018
Dennis Lampley 2017
Howard Beth 2017
Kenny Klein 2017
Marion Miley 2017
Mike Battaglia 2017
Rob Bromley 2017
Rodger Bird 2017
Swag Hartel 2017
Darrell Carrier 2016
Joel Utley 2016
Kyra Elzy 2016
Lakeside Swim Club 2016
Philip Haywood 2016
Scott Davenport 2016
Shaun Alexander 2016
Keeneland Race Course 2015
Lloyd Gardner 2015
Mel Purcell 2015
Paul Sanderford 2015
Randy Marsh 2015
Shandelier Boyd Smith 2015
Sharon Garland 2015
Bill Miller 2014
Charles "Redd" Crabtree 2014
Paul Rogers 2014
Rudell Stitch 2014
Stan Hardin 2014
Susan Bradley-Cox 2014
Valhalla Golf Course 2014
Alvin "Bo" McMillin 2013
Calvin Borel 2013
Donna Bender Moir 2013
Judge Dwayne D. Woodruff 2013
Jerry Carroll 2013
Julie Ditty 2013
Pervis Ellison 2013
Angel McCoughtry 2012
Booby Watson 2012
Churchill Downs 2012
Homer Rice 2012
Hugh Durham 2012
Lee Corso 2012
Ricky Robey 2012
Seth Hancock 2012
Artis Gilmore 2011
Bunny Daugherty 2011
Ed Kallay 2011
George Tinsley 2011
Jerry May 2011
Phil Roof 2011
Rex Chapman 2011
Cornelius "Buddy" Demling 2010
Dan Neal 2010
Donna Wise 2010
Jeff Brohm 2010
Lillie Mason (Stockton) 2010
Michael Waltip 2010
Mike Praff 2010
Wilbur Hackett 2010
Booby Keith 2009
Dan Ulmer 2009
Marty O'Toole 2009
Mary Jean Wall 2009
Mike Casey 2009
Patti Jo Hedges-Ward 2009
Travis "The Machine" Grant 2009
Bob White 2008
Dale Kindsey 2008
Jaime Walz-Richey 2008
Jamal Mashburn 2008
Joe Federspiel 2008
Joe Kendall 2008
Tubby Smith 2008
William S. Farish 2008
Bill "Mr. Wildcat" Keightley 2007
Chris Redman 2007
Clarence "Big House" Gaines 2007
DeJuan Wheat 2007
Jeff Mullins 2007
Kenny "Sky Walker" Walker 2007
Myra Van Hoose Blackwelder 2007
Ron Kordes 2007
Secretariat 2007
Tim Couch 2007
Allan Houston 2006
Bob Schneider 2006
Clemette Haskins 2006
Doug Flynn 2006
Elmore Just 2006
Hillerich and Bradsby 2006
Jenny Hansen 2006
Pat Riley 2006
TOm Jurich 2006
Adrian Smith 2005
Art Still 2005
Dr. Bob Davis 2005
Darrell Wayne Luckus 2005
Greg Page 2005
Woodie Fryman 2005
1974–75 Kentucky Colonels 2005
Bill Spivey 2004
Don Lane 2004
Doug Buffone 2004
Howard Crittenden 2004
Jim McDaniels 2004
Jimmy Feix 2004
Tamara McKinney 2004
Tom Meeker 2004
Ukari Figgs Moore 2004
Anne Combs 2003
Dermontti Dawson 2003
Jack Harbaugh 2003
Johnny Meihaus 2003
Kenny Davis 2003
Roy. Bowling 2003
Van Vance 2003
Will Wolford 2003
Alfred "Sonny" Collins 2002
Danny Sullivan 2002
Guy Strong 2002
John Owens 2002
Mo Moorman 2002
Patricia Joen "Patti" Cooksey 2002
Richie Farmer 2002
Rodney McCray 2002
Wes Strader 2002
Bill Gatti 2001
Billy Reed 2001
Charles Ruter 2001
Johnny Cox 2001
Lee Rose 2001
Lisa Harrison 2001
Tom Hammond 2001
Vernon Hatton 2001
Wesley Cox 2001
Bobby Nichols 2000
Bud Olson 2000
Gay Brewer 2000
Jim Host 2000
King Kelly Coleman 2000
Lou Johnson 2000
Pat Day 2000
Torri Murden-McClure 2000
Charles "Jock" Sutherland 1999
Darrell Waltrip 1999
Derrick Ramsey 1999
Dwight Gahm 1999
Joe Jacoby 1999
Lea Wise Prewitt 1999
Steve Cauthen 1999
Wade Houston 1999
Bill Olsen 1998
Ellie Brown Moore 1998
Frank Minnifield 1998
George Blanda 1998
John Tong 1998
Larry Gilbert 1998
Jim Bolus 1998
John Y Brown 1998
Susan Sloane-Lundy 1998
Denny Crum 1997
Derek Smith 1997
Don Brumfield 1997
Earl Cox 1997
Gene Rhodes 1997
Jim Green 1997
Larry Conley 1997
Phil Simms 1997
Darrell Griffith 1996
Don Fightmaster 1996
Jim Reid 1996
Kyle Macy 1996
Paulie Miller 1996
Steve Meilinger 1996
Valerie Still 1996
William T. Young 1996
Bill Arnsparger 1995
Cliff Barker 1995
Donna Murphy 1995
James Edward (Ted) Bassett, III 1995
Karl Schmitt Sr. 1995
Kenny Rollins 1995
Otto Knop 1995
Phil Rollins 1995
Tom Thacker 1995
Dicky Lyons 1994
Frank Selvy 1994
Geri Grigsby 1994
Howard Schnellenberger 1994
Ralph Kurcheval 1994
Dr. Rudy Ellis 1994
Tom Jackson 1994
Bob Gain 1993
Charles "Cotton" Nash 1993
John Dromo 1993
Lou Michaels 1993
Mack Miller 1993
Mary Terstegge Meagher 1993
Ron King 1993
Sam English 1993
Alex Groza 1992
Bobby Laughlin 1992
Jeff Van Note 1992
John Gaines 1992
Mike Barry 1992
Roy Kidd 1992
Susie Shields White 1992
Ulysses "Junior" Bridgeman 1992
Charles Martin Newton 1991
Dave Cowens 1991
Don Gullett 1991
Jack Givens 1991
Johnny Unitas 1991
Keene Daingerfield 1991
Steve Hamilton 1991
Vito "Babe" Parilli 1991
Amos Martin 1990
Clem Haskins 1990
Dan Issel 1990
Jack Ryan 1990
Jerry Claiborne 1990
Louie Dampier 1990
Louise Wilson 1990
Warner L. Jones Jr. 1990
Arthur Boyd "Bull" Hancock Jr. 1989
Garnis Martin 1989
Jimmy Ellis 1989
Joe B. Hall 1989
Joe Fulks 1989
John Turner 1989
Sherman Lewis 1989
Alfred "Butch" Beard 1988
Betty Rowland Probasco 1988
Billy Evans 1988
David Russell "Gus" Bell 1988
Letcher Norton 1988
Mike Silliman 1988
Paul "Bear" Bryant 1988
Ralph Carlisle 1988
Sanford T. Roach 1988
Cawood Ledford 1987
Charles Tyra 1987
Clint Thomas 1987
Eddie Arcaro 1987
Harry Lancaster 1987
Ted Hornback 1987
William H. King 1987
Jack Coleman 1986
Jim Bunning 1986
Joe Guyon 1986
John Oldham 1986
Paul McBrayer 1986
Stella Gilb 1986
Tommy Bell 1986
Woody Stephens 1986
Ben Allyn Jones 1985
Frank Beard 1985
Muhammad Ali 1985
Ralph Beard 1985
Westley Unseld 1985
Bernard (Peck) Hickman 1975***
Bernie Shively 1975
Blanton Collier 1975
Charles Talton "Turkey" Hughes 1975
Claude Sullivan 1975
Cliff Hagan 1975
Earl Ruby 1975
Frank Camp 1975
Frank Ramsey Jr. 1975
Leonard Lyles 1975
Lou Tsioropoulos 1975
Nick Denes 1975
Paul Hornung 1975
Theodore A. Sanford 1975
Wathen R. Knebelkamp 1975
William L. Kean 1975
Eros Bolivar "Cy" Barger 1966**
Raymond T. Baer 1966
Adolph Frederick Rupp 1964*
Edgar Allen Diddle 1964
Samuel Paul Derringer 1964
Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler 1963
Charles "Uncle Charley" Moran 1963
Colonel "Matt" Winn 1963
Earle Combs 1963
Ellis Johnson 1963
Forrest Sale 1963
Harold Reese 1963
John Simms Kelly 1963
Nathaniel John Cartmell 1963
Roscoe Goose 1963
Wallace Clayton "Wah Wah" Jones 1963
William Anderson Alexander 1963

*Selection on hiatus 1965

**Selection on hiatus 1967–1974

**Selection on hiatus 1976–1984

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Hall of Fame Inducts Reese And Cartmell". The Courier-Journal. December 18, 1963. p. 24. Retrieved April 12, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. (subscription required)
  2. ^ a b "Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame inducts 2016 class Thursday". Lexington Herald-Leader. June 1, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  3. ^ "Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame". Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  4. ^ Muhammad Ali. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  5. ^ Boeck, Greg (June 8, 2016). "What I learned about Muhammad Ali over 50 years". USA Today. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  6. ^ "Bo McMillin '22 inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame". Centre College. June 20, 2013. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  7. ^ Cox, Earl (December 12, 2007). "Pat Riley able to attend Kron wake". The Mountain Eagle. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  8. ^ "Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame inducts Class of 2013". McClatchy – Tribune Business News. 28 June 2013. ProQuest 1372184318.
  9. ^ Osborne, Glenn (May 12, 2015). "Sports Notes: Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2015 features WKU's red tint". Northern Kentucky Tribune. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  10. ^ "Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame".
  11. ^ "Churchill Downs unveils statues of John Asher, Col. Matt Winn". spectrumnews1.com. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  12. ^ "Casey, Dwane". nkaa.uky.edu. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  13. ^ "Romeo Crennel makes Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame | Daily Brew". www.houstontexans.com. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  14. ^ a b "SEC Champion Rachel Komisarz Baugh Elected To Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame". SwimSwam. 2021-07-16. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  15. ^ Steinmetz, Phillip. "Kentucky State legend Elmore Smith thankful to still be remembered with Hall of Fame honor". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  16. ^ admin. "Pete Browning – Society for American Baseball Research". Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  17. ^ "Wilson, Clarence "Cave", Sr. · Notable Kentucky African Americans Database". nkaa.uky.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  18. ^ "Kentucky basketball: Derek Anderson passionate to coach UK, fix mess NOW". Wildcat Blue Nation. 2021-02-09. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  19. ^ "Former Louisville football player Deion Branch now an assistant coach with Carmel football". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  20. ^ "Exum, William · Notable Kentucky African Americans Database". nkaa.uky.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  21. ^ "Ralph Hacker (2017) – UK Athletics Hall of Fame". University of Kentucky Athletics. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  22. ^ "Admiral Willis A. Lee | USA Shooting". www.usashooting.org. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  23. ^ "Nate Northington (2015) – UK Athletics Hall of Fame". University of Kentucky Athletics. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 2021-12-01.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kentucky_Athletic_Hall_of_Fame&oldid=1207431323"