Dec. 21, 2006
The University of Texas-Pan American Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced the inaugural class to be inducted into the UTPA Athletics Hall of Fame on Thursday (Dec. 21).
The first-year class of inductees will include a Who's Who in UTPA Athletics History, including former coaches Al Olgetree and Sam Williams along with former athletic standouts Luke Jackson and Don Russell. The 1963 NAIA National Championship team will also become the first team inducted into the UTPA Athletics Hall of Fame.
Al Ogletree was the figure-head for the UTPA baseball program for almost 30 seasons as he served as the head coach from 1968 through the 1997 season. The former UTPA head baseball coach is the program's all-time leader in career wins with 1,084 and posted an all-time career wins total of 1,217 during his career. Ogletree guided the Broncs to their first-ever College World Series appearance during the 1971 season where UTPA finished fourth overall.
Ogletree was selected as The Sporting News National Coach of the Year that season and also collected Coach of the Year honors by the NCAA District VI, Texas Sports Writers' Association and South Plains Professional Scouts Association. The former UTPA head baseball coach has already been inducted into the Austin High School Hall of Fame, Texas A&M Hall of Fame, American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Rio Grande Valley Hall of Fame, Central Texas Semi-Pro Hall of Fame, University of Dallas College Hall of Fame, Sul Ross State Hall of Fame and Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
Sam Williams is the program's all-time leader in career wins with 244 as the former UTPA head men's basketball coach led the Broncs from 1959 through the 1973 season. Williams guided the Broncs to the 1963 NAIA National Championship with a victory over Western Carolina and was selected as the NAIA National Coach of the Year that season. The following season, Williams also coached the Broncs to the NAIA National Championship Game where UTPA fell in the finals to Rockhurst.
Williams spent 15 seasons on the sidelines for the Broncs were he recorded 11 winning campaigns and posted four seasons of 20 or more victories. The former UTPA head men's basketball coach guided the Broncs to 79 wins during the span of 1961 through 1964, which were the most victories over the course of three seasons in program history. Currently, the court at the UTPA Fieldhouse is named after the former UTPA head men's basketball coach.
Luke Jackson is one of the all-time great athletes to ever don the Broncs' uniform as the former basketball standout was a two-time NAIA First Team All-American during the 1962-63 and 1963-64 seasons. Jackson guided the Broncs to the 1963 NAIA National Championship and helped the squad reach the 1964 NAIA National Championship Game. The former Bronc standout is currently ranked first in the program record books in field goal percentage, free throws made and free throw attempts and second in career points (1,819), field goals made and rebounds.
A second overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1964 NBA Draft, Jackson was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1965 as well as served as a member of the NBA All-Star Team that season. Jackson spent eight seasons in the NBA where he finished with 5,170 points during his career, and one of his career highlights included a gold medal as a member of Team USA during the 1964 Olympics.
Don Russell is the only athlete in University history to win five nationals titles during his career with the Broncs as he captured four consecutive doubles' national titles at the NAIA-level from 1959 through the 1962 seasons. The former tennis great won the NAIA National Championship in singles' action during his senior campaign in 1962. Russell became the first and only athlete in University history to win a NAIA National Championship in two events during the same seasons.
Following his playing career, Russell returned to the Broncs' sidelines as their head coach for three seasons from the 1964 through 1967 seasons where he recorded a 29-9-3 record with a .763 winning percentage. During his time as head coach, Russell guided the Broncs to a NAIA National Championship in his first season during the 1964-65 season and became the first and only coach in University history to win a national title in his first season with the team. He is also the first and only individual to win a national championship as both a player and coach in University history.
The Bronc basketball team that captured the 1963 NAIA National Championship will become the first team to be inducted into the UTPA Athletics Hall of Fame. That season, the Broncs finished with a 26-6 record and were ranked 12th in the nation heading into the post-season tournament. The Broncs won 17 of their final 19 games of the season, including a 73-62 victory over Western Carolina in the national title game. The Broncs were led by some of the greatest players in program history that season in Luke Jackson, Mitchell Edwards, Jim McGurk, Paul Friddle and Marty Urand and were coached by the legendary Sam Williams.
The UTPA Athletics Hall of Fame will be held on February 9th, 2007. For more information on the UTPA Athletics Hall of Fame, contact the UTPA Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at (956) 381-2221.
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