2010 Cardinal Hall of Fame inductees announced

Tuesday, July 06, 2010

Seven to be inducted into Cardinal Hall of Fame in October.

The 2010 Cardinal Hall of Fame class reflects the dominance of the athletic program at Trinity Valley Community College in the mid-1990s. Four of the seven new members announced today represent that era.

The class, which will become the third to be inducted to the hall of fame on Saturday, Oct. 16, features two representatives from the college’s first national championship football team, one from the first national championship women’s basketball team and one from the last national tournament-qualifying men’s basketball team.

Inductees this year will be:

Linzy Cole

(1966-67)

Though the Cardinal football team has since won two national championships, many still consider the 1966 team the measuring stick. Cole, a two-time All-America wide receiver, played a huge role that season, which resulted in a 10-1 record and 40-13 win over Pasadena Community College in the Junior Rose Bowl.

In his two seasons at the college, Cole and the Cardinals claimed two conference championships, posting an 18-4 record. He served as a team captain his sophomore season in 1967.

Cole went on to become the first black football player at Texas Christian University, where he caught 53 passes for 839 yards and nine touchdowns in two seasons. He also returned three punts for touchdowns.

He played four seasons in the NFL – one with the Chicago Bears, two with the Houston Oilers and one with the Buffalo Bills. In all he played in 31 games and averaged 15.7 yards per catch.

Tyrone Foster

(1993-95)

Still the holder of six school records, Foster is one of the most dominant guards in Cardinal basketball history. He is the record holder for consecutive free throws in a game (15), career three-pointers (149), best career three-point percentage (41.5), assists in a game (17), assists in a season (288) and assists in a career (463).

Foster directed the Cardinals to a 30-8 record in the 1994-95 season, which represents the last 30-win season for the men’s basketball program. The Cardinals finished eighth that year at the national tournament.

He was first-team All-America as a sophomore in 1995 and was twice named all-conference.

Foster played one season at Oklahoma University, where he averaged 10.5 points per game and helped the Sooner reached the NCAA Tournament, and one season at Southwest Louisiana University (now Louisiana-Lafayette University). At SW Louisiana, he averaged 16.0 points per game and shot 42.5 percent from three-point range, helping the Ragin’ Cajuns to the Sun Belt Tournament championship and earning him all-conference honors.

Danny Hughes

(1985-87)

After an all-state and record-setting career at Cross Roads High School, Hughes signed with Panola College. But he would soon find his way home to build a legacy as one of the most recognizable athletes in the history of TVCC.

Hughes has actually had three stints at the college. In addition to two seasons as a player for the Cardinal basketball team, he has twice served on the coaching staff, first as a graduate assistant in 1991-92 and then as an assistant coach from 2000-05.

The Cardinals were 44-15 in his two seasons as a player. As a sophomore, he averaged 14.6 points and 4.5 assists per game to earn the team’s Most Valuable Player honors. He was also named all-region and all-conference and was selected to play in the National Junior College All-Star Game.

Hughes moved on to play at TCU, where he was a two-year starter and one of the most prolific three-point shooters in the university’s history with a 45.0 percent two-year average. He twice earned the college’s coveted Jim Killingsworth Award.

In his five seasons on the staff of legendary coach Leon Spencer at TVCC, the Cardinals qualified for three regional tournaments, reaching the semifinals in 2005. He also spent three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Houston, serving as interim head coach one season, and one season at St. John’s University. He is currently in his second season as an assistant coach at Southern Methodist University.

Carlene Mitchell

(1993-94)

At the 1994 national tournament, the Lady Cardinals became the first and only team in NJCAA history to top the 100-point mark in all four games.  It wall began with Mitchell at point guard.

In her one season at TVCC, Mitchell helped the Lady Cardinals to their first of an unprecedented five national championships and was named all-conference and was selected to the all-NJCAA Tournament team. She still holds the record for assists in a single season with 337.

Mitchell also played two years at Kansas State University, playing in 50 games and starting 15.

She began her coaching career at the University of Missouri-Kansas City as a graduate assistant. Mitchell served two years as an assistant coach at Western Illinois University, helping the program to an 11-win improvement from the first season to the second, and one at Oklahoma State University.

Mitchell is about to begin her 10^th season as assistant coach – third as associate head coach – at Rutgers University for legendary coach C. Vivian Stringer. Rutgers has qualified for eight straight NCAA Tournaments.

Randy Pippin

(1990-95)

For the first time in almost 30 years, the Cardinal football program rose to national prominence under Pippin’s watch. In his three seasons as head coach, he led the Cardinals to a No. 4 national ranking in his first year at the helm in 1993 and to the college’s first national championship and first unbeaten season (12-0) a year later.

Pippin, who was 24-8-2 as head coach at the college, was named the NJCAA Coach of the Year in 1994. Prior to taking over as head coach upon the death of longtime head coach Carl Andress, Pippin served three years as defensive coordinator.

He coached six All-Americans and 19 all-conference players at TVCC, including NFL players Matt Bryan and Al Harris.

After leaving TVCC, Pippin served two years as offensive coordinator at Tennessee Tech University. He then became the head coach at Middle Georgia College, where he produced two 10-win seasons and two bowl championships. He also has had successful tenures at the University of West Alabama and Northwest Community College.

Pippin, a graduate of North Mesquite High School, was a standout running back at Cisco Junior College.

Orval Pirtle

(1946-71)

Pirtle was more than the college’s first president. In fact, it’s unlikely there would have been a Henderson County Junior College had it not been for him.

Recruited by Athens businessmen to lead an effort for creation of a junior college for Henderson County, Pirtle answered the challenge and worked tirelessly to make it a reality. As a result, he was the obvious choice to become president and responsible for establishing the athletic program which, in the early years, consisted of football, men’s basketball, baseball and track. He served as president for 25 years.

Senator A.M. Aiken said Pirtle’s success in making the college a reality was because his word could always be trusted.

The administration building at the college is named in his honor and for 67 years the college has awarded scholarships to area high school seniors in his honor.

He died in 1979.

Donald Sellers

(1993-94)

In the history of the college’s football program, no quarterback has been as successful as Sellers. In two years, he lost just once, compiling a 20-1-2 record.

Included in his impressive ledger is the college’s first national football championship in 1994, which came on the heels of a No. 4 final ranking and Real Dairy Bowl victory the year before.

As a result of the Cardinals’ first-ever unbeaten season, Sellers received all-conference honors and was named All-America.

Sellers transferred to the University of Mexico, where he was a two-year starter at quarterback and was named all-conference as a senior. He became the first Lobo player to pass for more than 3,000 yards and rush for more than 1,000 yards in a single season.

At New Mexico, he set college records for career completion percentage (61.6) and career passing efficiency (144.0). He also ranks fourth for career total offense with 4,492 yards.

Sellers traveled overseas to play on the Scottish Claymores European team for two seasons. He led the Claymores to the World Bowl in 2000. He was later named to the Claymores Hall of Fame.

He was killed in an automobile accident in 2001.

The 2010 inductees will bring the hall of fame total to 25. Past inductees are: 2008 – Leon Spencer, Bob Baccarini, Connie “CJ” Russell, Kurt Budke, Ron Thomas, Stan Cloudy, Ines Perez, Margene Adkins, Portia Hill-Hatton and Shalonda Ennis; 2009 – Gary Ashlock, Tausha Mills, Robert Jackson, Michael Battle, William “Bill” Gaines, Betty Lennox, John Randle and Nick Van Exel.