TSU Hall of Fame Announces 2025 Class

The Texas Southern University Sports Hall of Fame has announced 13 new inductees for its 2025 class. The latest class includes a mix of legendary head coaches, standout student-athletes from 10 sports and a pair of administrators who played a major part in the foundation of the athletic department's current success.
 
"I'm excited to announce the committee's recommendations of our Hall of Fame Class," said Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Kevin Granger. "We have a diverse group of individuals who are both record-setting standouts and trailblazers in their respective sports at TSU. Along with honoring our former student-athletes, this class also features a pair of former head coaches who made history in their sports while also having the opportunity to honor a pair of former administrators who've laid the groundwork for the success we're currently experiencing at TSU. I also want to thank the committee for their hard work once again in assembling another historical class."
 
The Texas Southern University Sports Hall of Fame is an organization founded to promote a program of recognition for great athletes, coaches and supporters of the University Athletic Program. The organization works cooperatively with, and provides leadership for the administration of the University in a realization of basic beliefs and for improving the programs of intercollegiate athletics. The hope of the University is that the honorees will serve to keep alive the memories of the men and women who have brought fame and recognition to the University, City, State and Nation.

The 2025 class, which marks the fifth induction class overall and second consecutive class since the Hall of Fame was reinstated in 2024, will be inducted during Homecoming week in October of 2025.
 

Ray Carrington III, Tennis Gaylord Davis, Men's Basketball Coach Nathaniel Gillespie, Men's/Women's Basketball Cortez Hankton Jr., Football John Hartfield, Men's Track and Field Dr. Charles McClelland, Administration  Coach Johnnie Means, Swimming Kassandra Rivera, Women's Golf Yvette Wilson Scales, Supporter/Contributor Thomas Sieh, Football Denise Taylor, Women's Basketball Linda Weekly, Women's Track and Field Fred West, Men's Basketball

Ray Carrington III, Tennis
Standout student-athlete from 1966-70 under legendary tennis coach Herbert Provost…SWAC Doubles Champion…A.T.A. Intercollegiate Doubles Runner Up…four-time team MVP… District 8 Singles Champion…TSU Relays Doubles Champion…NAIA District 8 Singles Champ…crowned the Athletic Department's University Award Winner at TSU in 1970…competed in the NAIA Tennis Championship…also known as a legendary photographer in the Houston area.

Gaylord Davis, Men's Basketball
Four-year starter for the Tigers from 1972-76…one of only four numbers retired for TSU Basketball as it was retired in 2002…third-leading scorer in TSU history with 2,081 points…holds the school's career leader in assists (525) and holds the single-season assist record (177)…three-time team MVP and four-time award winner of the team's top free throw shooter…NAIA District VII first teamer…two-time NAIA Honorable Mention All American…helped team advance to the quarterfinals of the 1976 NAIA National Tournament.
 
Coach Nathaniel Gillespie, Men's/Women's Basketball
Led the 1980-81 women's basketball team to a top seed and a runner-up appearance in the NAIA Tournament…team finished with the best record (28-5) in school history…also served as the first women's head coach in the NCAA Division I era as TSU finished 26-12 after the 1981-82 season…served as an assistant men's coach on the 1977 NAIA Championship team and an assistant football coach…also played football and part of the last SWAC Championship team at TSU along with competing in tennis….second all-time winningest women's basketball head coach at TSU with 95 wins..
 
Cortez Hankton Jr., Football
All-time career leader in receiving yardage (3,400)… earned third team Division I-AA All-America honors at TSU…holds the single-season receiving yards record (1,270) in 2002…holds the longest touchdown reception in school history (99 yards/2002)…third all-time in single season touchdown receptions (13/2002)…second all-time in touchdown receptions (30) and third in all-time receptions (175)…third in single season scoring (80/2002)…sixth in single season all-purpose yards (1,311/2002)…two-time All-SWAC receiver under Bill Thomas… currently the Co-Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach at LSU.
 
John Hartfield, Men's Track and Field
Highly decorated track & field star and All-American at TSU… NAIA Hall of Famer…former TSU relays Board Member and TSU Relays official…was the first jumper in Texas to clear 7-feet in an indoor meet, and his record of 7-1 at the SWAC championships stood for 20 years… an alternate on the 1968 U.S. Olympic team…won the first-ever indoor high jump at the 1966 NAIA Championship…Drake Relays Hall of Fame, USA Master Hall of Fame, three-time NAIA Indoor High Jump Champion.
 
Dr. Charles McClelland, Administration 
Served as Texas Southern Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics from 2008-2018… TSU claimed a total of twenty-five (25) championships over the course of nine years under his watch…made major strides and set the tone for the success of the athletic department academically in the areas of Academic Progress Rate (APR) and Graduation Success Rate (GSR)…secured funding for multiple facility enhancements and increased exposure for TSU athletics during his tenure…led TSU to its first-ever C.D. Henry Award for the top men's program in the SWAC following the 2014-15 season....currently serves as Commissioner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
 
Coach Johnnie Means, Swimming
Started the swimming program at TSU known as the "Tiger Sharks"…TSU swimming had a 48-meet consecutive winning streak from 1967-71…led the 1967 team to number three ranking nationally…member of the Texas Swimming & Diving Hall of Fame…helped desegregate competitive swimming in the state of Texas…helped develop several NAIA All-Americans…the Johnnie Means Aquatics team, which trains on the TSU campus, is named after him.
 
 Kassandra Rivera, Women's Golf
One of the top performers in the history of TSU women's golf…the first TSU women's golfer to secure a top 10 national ranking in NCAA Division I women's golf…earned multiple All-SWAC First Team honors and tied for low-medalist honors at the 2014 SWAC Golf Tournament… set a SWAC and Texas Southern low-score record of 70-65 - 9 under par in a 36-hole competition.…won the 2014 Women's Collegiate Championship…named the 2015 SWAC Woman of the Year and 2014-15 TSU Women's Presidential Award Winner.
 
Yvette Wilson Scales, Supporter/Contributor
Mentored hundreds of student athletes at TSU during her 16-year tenure as Director of the Athletics Academic Enhancement Center…implemented the center for student-athletes…where she assisted with scheduling of classes, tutoring and study hall…recipient of the TSU National Alumni Association's 2024 President's Award
 
Thomas Sieh, Football
All-time rushing leader in touchdowns (31)…ranks second all-time in rushing yardage (2,934 yards)…second all-time in career rush attempts (555)…ranks third all-time in single season rushing yards (1,204 / 1999)…holds second-longest touchdown run (93 yards) in TSU history…tied for third in single-season touchdowns (11)…two-time All-SWAC selection…one of two running backs at TSU to rush for both 1,000-plus yards in the same season (1998).
 
Denise Taylor, Women's Basketball
Four-year letterwinner at TSU from 1980-1984…averaged double figures in scoring as a junior and senior…ranked second on the team in rebounding as a senior…played on the 1981 team as a freshman which earned a top seed and finished runner-up at the NAIA Tournament…the first-ever head coach of the WNBA's Utah Starzz and former assistant women's basketball coach at TSU.
 
Linda Weekly, Women's Track and Field
Set several national NAIA records in the 60-meter hurdles…the first-ever NAIA 60-meter indoor champion (1981) and 1982 indoor champion…1981 NAIA 100-meter hurdles champion and participated on the 1981 4x100-meter relay championship team…the first winner of the Dr. Leonard H.O. Spearman Award (1981-82)…ranked top 10 nationally and competed in the USA Championships and 1980 and 1984 Olympic Trials…helped lead team to the 1981 NAIA Outdoor Championship…TSU Relays and Prairie View Relays Most Outstanding Track Performer.
 
Fred West, Men's Basketball 
Guided TSU to its first-ever NCAA Tournament Appearance in 1989…lettered from 1986-1990…led TSU to a 1989 SWAC Tournament Championship…ranks fourth all-time in career points (2,066)…averaged 17.5 points for his career and ranks sixth all-time…all-time leader in blocked shots with 239 and rebounds (1,236)…made 831 career field goals…three-time All-SWAC First Teamer…averaged 17.5 points and 9.6 rebounds over his career while shooting 46 percent from the field.