TROY UNIVERSITY SPORTS HALL OF FAME
MEMBERS
VERGIL PARKS McKINLEY
CLASS OF 2012
Vergil Parks McKinley, a professor at Troy Normal School, was charged with the task of fielding the school’s first football team in 1909. McKinley, who never played football, had 14 players try out for the first team, but kept just 11. He guided that squad to a 1-0-2 record in his only year as the head coach. Both Troy University and the University of Alabama now award a Virgil Parks McKinley Employee Award on a regular basis. (Deceased)
Inaugural Induction Class
RALPH ADAMS
Football
Administration
DENISE MONROE
Women’s Basketball
Ralph Adams became President of Troy State University in 1964 and remained in that role for 25 years. Under his administration, Troy State achieved university stature and more than doubled its enrollment. Athletically, the Trojans won three national championships in football, two in baseball numerous national titles in golf and track & field. (Deceased)
Denise Monroe is all-time leading scorer in Troy women’s basketball history with 2,024 points in her four year career (1977-81). Monroe also ranks second in Troy history with 1,312 career rebounds and holds the Troy career records for field goal attempts, field goals made, free throws attempted and free throws made. A 1981 All-American, Monroe’s No. 30 uniform was retired on Nov. 14, 1998 and is still the only retired jersey in Troy women’s basketball history.
BILLY ATKINS
CHARLES OLIVER
Football
Track and Field
Billy Atkins coached the Troy State football team for six seasons from 1966 to 1971 and led the Trojans to the 1968 NAIA national championship. Atkins also led TSU to three Alabama Collegiate Conference championships (1967-6869). He was a two-time NAIA District 27 Coach of the Year and was the NAIA National Coach of the Year in 1968. He served in the dual role of football coach and athletic director from 1969 to 1971. (Deceased)
Charles Oliver made an impression on Troy State track and field as both a student-athlete and as a coach. Oliver, who is still Troy’s 400-meter record holder, was the NAIA 400-meter national champion in 1976 as an athlete. He became the head coach at Troy State in 1981, and in his nine seasons won seven conference championships while coaching 26 athletes to All-America honors. Oliver still sponsors two Coach O Invitationals in Troy every year.
LARRY BLAKENEY
CHASE RIDDLE
Football
Baseball
Larry Blakeney has led the Troy University football program from Division II, through Division I-AA and into Division I-A. Blakeney has led Troy to eight conference championships, including five straight Sun Belt titles (2006-10). He has guided the Trojans to 15 winning seasons, including six seasons of 10 wins or more and has led the Trojans to five bowl game appearances at the FBS level. He is the second longest tenured coach in the FBS.
Chase Riddle is the all-time winningest coach in Troy baseball history with 434 victories in his 12 seasons (197990). Riddle led the Trojans to back-to-back NCAA Division II national championships (1986-87) and guided Troy State to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances. His teams won five conference championships and played in six NCAA Division II World Series. He coached 30 All-Americans and Troy’s home baseball field now bears his name. (Deceased)
SIM BYRD
MIKE TURK
Football
Football
Sim Byrd owned many of the Troy football program’s alltime passing records for our four decades. During his three seasons at quarterback (1966-68), he guided the Trojans to a 24-8 record and the school’s first national championship (1968). He was named a first team All-American as a senior, setting then single-season records for passing yards, completions and pass attempts.
Mike Turk led the Troy football program to a pair of NCAA Division II national championships (1984, 1987) as a fouryear starting quarterback. He earned all-conference honors three times and first team All-America honors in 1987. During his career the Trojans posted a 40-8-1 record and captured three conference titles. Turk finished his career second in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in Troy history. Turk was also an assistant coach at Troy for 12 years.
DON MAESTRI
DeMARCUS WARE
Men’s Basketball
Don Maestri led the Troy men’s basketball program from Division II to conference championships in three different Division I leagues. He retired in 2013 with 501 victories, nine 20-win seasons and seven conference championships. Troy led the nation in scoring three times and in 3-pointers seven times. Troy also set numerous records in a 258-141 win over DeVry in 1992, hitting 51 three-pointers while becoming the first team in NCAA history to score 200 points.
Football
DeMarcus Ware, a four-year defensive lineman (2001-04) had a great career for the Troy football program and has turned in a wildly successful NFL career. He is Troy’s career leader in tackles for loss and helped Troy to its first bowl game in 2004, earning Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year. Since being drafted 11th overall in 2005, Ware has been named to the Sun Belt’s All-Decade Team, been an NFL All-Pro seven times and was the 2008 NFC Defensive Player of the Year.