2011 A&M-COMMERCE HALL OF FAME CLASS ANNOUNCED
COMMERCE, Texas – The Texas A&M University-Commerce Athletic Department has announced the five members of the 2011 Hall of Fame class, which will be inducted on Saturday, October 22. In addition three former graduates have been named as the 2011 Bobby Fox Coaching Award winners.
The five newest Hall of Fame inductees are Phil Andrews (men’s basketball), Patti Bean (women’s tennis), Dr. Dorothy Ingram (meritorious service), Mickey Martin (men’s tennis) and Eddie Vowell (football). The newest Lion Hall of Fame members have each played a vital role in helping East Texas State and A&M-Commerce establish a rich history of tradition and excellence.
The three Bobby Fox Coaching Award winners are Homer B. Johnson, long-time coach and athletic director at Garland Independent School District, Greg Priest, the head men’s golf coach at Baylor University and Greg Williams, the head men’s track and field coach at Lancaster High School. In addition, the late Dwight White will be honored as a member of the 2011 Lone Star Conference Hall of Honor.
As is customary, events related to the Hall of Fame will take place Homecoming weekend in Commerce, beginning with a Hall of Fame reception Friday, October 21 at The Club in the Sam Rayburn Student Center.
The following morning will be both a Hall of Fame Member’s Only brunch and a Sikes Boys brunch located in the Sam Rayburn Student Center. Following the brunch, a tailgate will be held in the east lot of Memorial Stadium honoring the Sikes Boys, leading up to the Homecoming football game against Angelo State at 2 p.m. The Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized at halftime, with the Sikes Boys and the 1991 football team being recognized following the first and third quarters, respectively.
Following the game, the Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony will be held the night of Saturday, Oct. 22, beginning with a reception at 6:15 p.m. at the Sam Rayburn Student Center. The banquet begins at 7:00 p.m. with the Hall of Fame selections being formally inducted. The cost of the Hall of Fame Banquet is $25 per person, with tickets available by contacting the A&M-Commerce Athletic Department at (903) 886-5558.
Full bios of the Hall of Fame inductees and Bobby Fox Award winners:
2011 A&M-COMMERCE HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Phil
Andrews
Men’s Basketball • 1963-66;
1968-69
Phil Andrews was a three-year letterwinner in basketball for East Texas State from 1964-66. Andrews was a three-time All-Lone Star Conference selection, including first team honors in 1964. As a sophomore, Andrews led the conference in scoring with an 18.2 average, finishing with a 16.1 career scoring average. As a senior, he set the Lions’ single-game record for points in a game with 57, doing it twice in the 1965-66 campaign. When his playing career was done, he either owned or shared four different school records, with his records for points in a single game (57) and career free throw percentage (86.6) still standing. Two years after graduation, he was appointed the head coach of East Texas State at just 24 years of age, posting a 9-18 mark in the 1968-69 season. Since leaving Commerce, Andrews has gone on to become a successful coach at numerous levels, including Canadaigua Academy from 1969 to 1983. He led the Braves to the Section V Class AA Championship in 1977 and was honored as the Finger Lakes Coach of the Year in 1982. Later this fall, Andrews will also be inducted into the Section V Basketball Hall of Fame in Pittsford, N.Y., both as a coach and as an all-star player at Middlesex Valley High School.
Patti Bean
Women’s Tennis •
1978-81
Patti Bean competed in women’s tennis for East Texas State
and was a four-time letterwinner. In Bean’s freshman year she
helped the Lions qualify for the AIAW Division II regionals,
winning first place in doubles with partner Rita Garcia and was a
national qualifier. Bean was the first ETSU women’s team to
qualify for a national tournament. As a sophomore she was named
ETSU’s Most Valuable Women’s Tennis Player as the Lions
captured the AIAW Division II Regional Team Champions. Bean helped
lead East Texas State to a second-place team finish at the AIAW
Southwest Regional tournament as a junior, finishing first in the
doubles championship and second in singles. In her final
season at East Texas State, Bean was the Lib Huggins Award winner,
given annually to the outstanding female athlete. She capped her
career by being named the Outstanding Athlete in TAIAW Division II
Tennis, based on athletic performance, sportsmanship and grades.
Bean received her Bachelor’s in 1981 and her Master’s
degrees 1982 in Special Education from East Texas State University
and has been a special education teacher for 21 years. Bean
continues playing competitively in the United States Tennis
Association team tournaments on five different teams both senior
women’s and mixed teams. An avid runner, she has also
completed eight marathons, two triathlons and several half
marathons.
Dr. Dorothy
Ingram
Meritorious Service
Dr. Dorothy Ingram came to East Texas State as a 14-year old freshman in 1951 and went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1955 and her master’s in health education in 1958. In 1959 she was hired as a physical education instructor and began to leave her mark on the Lion athletic program. She served both the athletic department and the school faithfully for over 50 years, serving as a Health and Human Performance professor while also serving the athletic department in a variety of capacities. Ingram served as the athletic department ticket coordinator while assisting the business office with the day-to-day operations of the department. She ran the play clock for football games for 24 years while helping run the UIL Region II-3A track meet. In 1983 she earned the Joy of Effort Award from the NASPE. She was named an emeritus professor at A&M-Commerce in 1997, becoming the first to earn the distinction. Even after, Ingram played a key role in the development and establishment of the Honors College and bears a scholarship in her name which is given to graduates of Commerce High School who will attend Texas A&M University-Commerce and is also used to honor an outstanding undergraduate majoring in health, physical education and kinesiology.
Mickey
Martin
Men’s Tennis •
1961-65
Mickey Martin was a four-year letterwinner in men’s tennis
from 1961 through 1965. During his time at East Texas State, he set
a number of tennis records, including winning 34 matches in a row
and finishing with an overall career record of 71-1. Martin
was a key component of the Lions’ tennis teams which won
back-to-back Lone Star Conference championships in 1964 and 1965,
coached by Lion Hall of Famer Dr. William Crabtree. As a senior, he
captured both the Lone Star Conference singles and doubles
championship, teaming up with Bill Crabtree Jr to earn the doubles
title. Martin would have qualified for All-America status in both
1963 and 1964 among NAIA schools before it was officially
designated by the NAIA. He earned his bachelor’s degree in
physical education from East Texas State in 1964. Martin would then
go on to serve as a United States Tennis Association umpire and
called championship matches for many of the marquee tennis stars of
the 1970s and 80s, including John McEnroe. Martin remains active in
competitive tennis, competing in the International Tennis
Federation Senior Circuit and participates in tournaments across
the country, including the USTA Men’s 65 Clay Court
Championships.
Eddie
Vowell
Football Coach
• 1986-98
Eddie Vowell roamed the East Texas State and A&M-Commerce
sidelines for 13 seasons from 1986 through 1998, compiling a
72-72-1 overall record. Replacing legendary Lion head coach Ernest
Hawkins, Vowell led the Lions to the 1990 Lone Star Conference
title and three NCAA Division II playoff appearances. The Lions
made their first-ever NCAA playoff appearance in 1990, knocking off
perennial powerhouse Grand Valley State in the first round
before falling to Pittsburg State in the regional semifinals.
Vowell then led the Lions back to the playoffs in 1991, marking the
first time since 1957 and 1958 East Texas State had made
back-to-back postseason appearances. Once again, Vowell led the
Lions to a win over Grand Valley State, coached by current Notre
Dame head coach Brian Kelly, before falling to Pittsburg State. The
Lions also made an NCAA playoff appearance in 1995. During his
career, Vowell saw 14 of his players move on to play football
professionally. Prior to his time in Commerce, Vowell was a
successful football and track athlete at Southwestern Oklahoma,
winning conference championships in both sports in 1968. Following
his time in Commerce, he went on to become an assistant coach of
the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League.
2011 BOBBY FOX AWARD WINNERS
Homer B.
Johnson
Homer B. Johnson has long been regarded as one of
the top coaches and athletic administrators in North Texas, having
worked for the Garland Independent School District for 60 years.
Johnson began his career as an assistant coach at Garland High
School in 1948 before becoming head coach in 1958. He then took
over as the athletic director for the Garland school system and has
served in that capacity for 46 years. Johnson received his
master’s degree in education administration from East Texas
State University in 1951 and is a member of a number of Halls of
Fame, including the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame and the
Texas High School Coaches Hall of Honor.
Greg
Priest
Greg Priest was a member of the East Texas State
golf team, earning his bachelor’s degree in health and
kinesiology in 1993 and his master’s in physical education in
1995. He spent three seasons as an assistant coach at the
University of Texas where he helped the Longhorns compile three
national top-10 finishes. He is now in his ninth season as the head
golf coach at Baylor University, where he has led the Bears to the
NCAA tournament in each of his nine seasons with an NCAA
Championship appearance in 2010, finishing 24th in the
nation.
Greg
Williams
Greg Williams has been employed for over 23 years
by the Lancaster Independent School District. During his time at
Lancaster he won 5 state championships and three of the
championships came in row. Williams has won 6 regional
Championships, and 13 district championships in a row. Williams has
been voted Prairie View Interscholastic league (PVIL) Coach of the
Year 3 times in a row. Williams was also voted the 2009 U.I.L State
coach of the year. He estimates 38 Division I scholarship
recipients during his tenure as head coach.
