Marquee class to enter state Hall of Fame

There was talk Thursday about who the next football coach at the University of Arkansas will be when the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame board of directors met.

There was more talk about people who have been on the voting list and haven’t garnered enough votes to make it. More on that later, because this is an outstanding hall of fame class.

Jim Counce was instrumental in Eddie Sutton establishing basketball as a money-making sport at Arkansas, first as a player and later as an assistant coach.

On the surface, Counce and Steve Schall looked like supporting players for The Triplets. But ask Sidney Moncrief, Ron Brewer and Marvin Delph, and they’ll tell you how critical Counce was to

the team.

Gus Malzahn is obviously no stranger, as he received a ton of votes from the 650 members. Malzahn won state championships at Shiloh Christian and Springdale, and he led Auburn to the national championship game before coming up short.

His selection has zero to do with the coaching opening at Arkansas.

Veronica Campbell-Brown was voted in a year ago but had a track meet and couldn’t make it, so the board voted to delay the former UA All-American’s induction a year.

Anthony Lucas was a great Razorback receiver and will forever be remembered for the catch in the back of the end zone that beat Tennessee, the defending national champions.

Lucas is an even better person.

John Tate was an All-American basketball player for Arkansas State University, and his former coach Nelson Catalina loves to tell the story that the Razorbacks got on Tate late. In the game they attended, Tate didn’t play well and ASU was the winner.

Ron Marvel was a legendary high school basketball coach before leading the UCA women’s program to success.

Ike Forte was a great running back for the UA.

The All-American Redheads, a talented bunch of ladies who barnstormed through the country playing basketball, earned a team induction.

Yes, we know others are deserving.

People such as Johnny Ray, an All-American Razorback baseball player who had a great career in Major League Baseball.

And Jimmy Walker, a vicious nose guard who no Razorback quarterback liked to practice against. Dan Hampton recently described Walker as one of the best defensive players he has ever seen.

There are many more from every college or university in the state.

As a board, we have limitations and a set of bylaws to live by, but we are aware of people such as Louis Lee, Bo Busby, Basil Shabazz and others whose playing days were before many of our members were born.

We discussed having fewer on the voting list, making it easier to thoroughly read all the biographies.

A different point system and members having to join prior to January each year to be eligible to vote also were topics.

It is a good board, and one that is open to improvements.

President Greg Flesher has given us our best financial position in the hall’s 60-year history.

We talked about ways to get all the colleges and universities more interested. Arkansas State and Ouachita

Baptist have the most memberships of higher education institutions, and Central Arkansas’ membership is growing.

The Hall of Fame needs every school and sports fan to participate as voting members to nominate athletes.

We also had some new business. Rodney Peel, a former high school and college standout, accepted the position of second vice president and will follow Greg Hatcher as first vice president when he takes over for Flesher.

All in all, it was a great meeting with an even better induction class.

WALLY HALL