Sasser Hall of Fame

GEORGE F. “BUDDY” SASSER ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME

Coastal Carolina University’s Athletic Hall of Fame is named in honor of former athletic director George F. “Buddy” Sasser. “It is a fitting tribute to Buddy that his name should be permanently linked with the athletic department’s Athletic Hall of Fame,” said former CCU President Ronald Ingle. “Buddy embodies the highest qualities associated with college athletics — integrity, leadership, and scholarship.”

The naming of the Athletic Hall of Fame was part of a series of events leading up to Coastal Carolina University’s 50th-anniversary festivities in 2004.

Sasser was inducted in 2003, along with three other Coastal Carolina athletic administrators and student-athletes, in the inaugural class of the Big South Conference Hall of Fame. Sasser served as the Big South commissioner from 1989-1996 and had two stints as Coastal Carolina director of athletics (1986-1989 and 1996-1999). While Big South commissioner, Sasser was responsible for increasing membership, gaining automatic bids to the NCAA Basketball Tournament, and adding basketball television exposure for the League. The Commissioner’s Cup award, which goes to the institution with the best overall athletic performance for that year, was renamed the Sasser Cup in his honor.

He served on the University’s Football Advisory Committee and on the capital campaign steering committee for Coastal Carolina’s Brooks Stadium.

A native of Conway, Sasser served as athletic director and head football coach at Conway High School from 1963 to 1970, leading the Tigers to a 6617-5 record. He was an assistant football coach and assistant athletic director at Appalachian State University from 1972 until 1977 and was athletic director and head football coach from 1977 until 1982 at Wofford College, where he was named 1982 Kodak Coach of the Year for the college division. He joined East Tennessee State in 1982 as head football coach and was named athletic director in 1985. Sasser was Coastal Carolina University’s director of athletics from 1986 until 1989 when he accepted the position of commissioner of the Big South Conference. He returned to the University as athletic director in 1996 and retired in 1999. For his distinguished career in athletics, Sasser was inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.

1991

Dr. Edward M. Singleton (Honorary) Violet Meade (Honorary) Walter Hamrick (Honorary) Jimmy Johnson (Honorary) Dan Selwa (Honorary) Howard White (Men’s Basketball)

1992

Catherine Nance (Women’s Basketball) E. Cater Floyd (Honorary)

1993

Sherry Barnhill (Women’s Basketball) Kirt Manwaring (Baseball) Tony Whittington (Men’s Basketball)

1994

Mickey Brantley (Baseball)

1995

Craig Hawley (Men’s Tennis)

1996

Donald Clement (Men’s Golf)

1997

Sigurdur Sveinbjornsson (Men’s Soccer)

1998

Holly Bottar (Women’s Basketball) Tom Romano (Baseball) Terry Spires (Baseball) John Vrooman (Honorary/

Baseball Coach)

1999

Tony Dunkin (Men’s Basketball) Michelle Hall (Softball) Randy Stokes (Baseball)

2000

Mark Clemons (Baseball) Claude Huggins (Men’s Soccer) Matt Logue (Baseball) Michelle Minton (Softball)

2001

Robert Dowdell (Men’s Basketball) Sara Graziano (Softball) Sherry Johnson (Softball) Mark Romer (Baseball)

2002

Luis Lopez (Baseball) Ross Moore (Men’s Soccer) Neil Payne (Men’s Soccer) Valentine Stumpf (Women’s Cross Country/

Track and Field)

2003

Catherine Conder (Women’s Cross Country/

Track and Field) Tomas Malik (Men’s Tennis) Buddy Sasser (Honorary) Wayne White (Honorary)

2004

Jessica Falca (Softball) Guy Norcott (Men’s Soccer) Angela Murphy (Women’s Cross Country/

Track and Field) Dr. Edgar Dyer (Honorary)

2005

Brad Hastings (Men’s Golf) Neal Robinson (Men’s Soccer) Kevin Schnall (Baseball)

2006

Dr. Ronald R. Ingle (Honorary) Sarah Lockett (Softball) Scott Sturkie (Baseball) Jolene Williams (Women’s Cross Country/

Track and Field)

2007

Emma Kidd (Women’s Tennis) Brooke Weisbrod (Women’s Basketball)

2008

Brandon Powell (Baseball) Holly Lee (Softball)

2009

Steven Carter (Baseball) Amber Campbell (Women’s Track and Field) Joseph Ngwenya (Men’s Soccer) Dr. Richard Ward (Honorary)

2010

Medina Bajrambasic Walsh (Women’s Tennis) Adam Keim (Baseball) Terah Kipchiris (Men’s Cross Country/

Track and Field) Jeanne Lambert (Volleyball) Justin Owens (Baseball) Rafael Vera (Men’s Golf)

2011

Jess Dannelly (Honorary/Softball Coach) Tyler Hughes (Men’s Soccer) Mark Johnson (Men’s Track and Field) Ryan McGraw (Baseball) Cari Rowe Rosiek (Softball)

2012

Mike Costanzo (Baseball) Dustin Johnson (Men’s Golf) Meagan Johnson (Softball) Anne Marie Moutsinga (Women’s Cross Country/

Track and Field) Maurice Simpkins (Football) Quinton Teal (Football)

2013

Ashleigh Gunning (Women’s Soccer) Patrick Hall (Football) Chasity Johnson (Women’s Track and Field) Jack Leasure (Men’s Basketball)

2014

Alan Connie (Honorary/Head Coach) Josh Hoke (Football) Diana Jepchirchir Mendes (Women’s Cross Country/

Track and Field) Thomas Jordan (Men’s Track and Field) Tyler Thigpen (Football)

2015

Zack Byrd (Men’s Golf) Joseph Harris (Men’s Basketball)

2016

Ron Deubel (Baseball) Aruca Felgueroso (Women’s Golf) Tommy La Stella (Baseball) Tyler McCart (Men’s Track and Field) Blair Monroe (Women’s Soccer) David Sappelt (Baseball)

2017

David Anderson (Baseball) Marie Matrka (Women’s Tennis) Anthony Meo (Baseball) Josh Norman (Football) Frank Taloota (Baseball)

2018

Brittany Henderson (Women’s Golf) Jose Iglesias (Baseball) Chelsy Kimes (Volleyball) Erica Peake (Women’s Track and Field) Sebastian Soderberg (Men’s Golf) Mike Tolbert (Football) Cody Wheeler (Baseball) Alan LeForce (Honorary) Williams “Bill” Edmonds (Honorary)

2019

Jessica Alexander (Women’s Golf) Daniel Bowman (Baseball) Rico Noel (Baseball) Lauren Yates (Softball)

2020

Quinn Backus (Football) Lorenzo Taliaferro (Football) Letitia Saayman (Women’s Cross Country/

Track and Field) 2022 GAMEDAY ILLUSTRATED

2022

2021

2016 NCAA College World Series Championship Baseball Team

Mike Morrison (Baseball) Connor Owings (Baseball) Michael Paez (Baseball) Zach Remillard (Baseball) G.K. Young (Baseball) Alex Ross (Football)

Dr. David A. DeCenzo, Ph. D. (Honorary/President) David Bennett (Honorary/Head Coach) Joe Moglia (Honorary/Head Coach) Andrew Beckwith (Baseball) Ikeiylah Brown (Women’s Track & Field) Alex Cunningham (Baseball) Dock Doyle (Baseball) Jason Flanagan (Men’s Track & Field) De’Angelo Henderson (Football) Taylor Motter (Baseball) Lena Schaeffner (Women’s Golf)