Diverse class to be cemented in state history

Rob Tillman is on the Board of Directors for the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, so it was just natural this week’s banquet came up in conversation while he was fixing my back again.

Rob is a Grade 2 physical therapist who specializes in the back. He’s amazing.

Anyway, this class is so outstanding and diverse it is going to make for a great night at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock on Friday night when the 10 latest names will permanently become part of Arkansas sports history.

This is not a complete run down of the class, but it shows some of the diversity. Eric Jackson, a decent golfer but brilliant Hendrix graduate, first created simulcasting among thoroughbred tracks around the country and then instant racing. Those two creations pulled Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort out of a slump and allowed it ease into also housing a casino.

The purses have grown to the point that the days of leaving Oaklawn immediately after the Arkansas Derby ends for Kentucky are over. Now they can compete for larger purses at Oaklawn than Keeneland or Churchill Downs following the track’s marquee race.

Jeff Glasbrenner is a world-class Paralympic with the medals to prove it and he’s recently rejoined the Rolling’ Razorbacks which makes them much better.

One of my long time favorites is Al Flanigan, who won seven state championships in basketball at Parkview High School. He was a firm believer if you didn’t play defense, you didn’t play.

Glen Day is more than an outstanding, successful golfer. He’s also an all-around good guy.

Butch Gardner may be Harding University’s greatest success story and best-kept secret until now.

Ed Harris won so many amateur golf tournaments he was everyone’s role model in Arkansas, and when told he was being inducted he said, “Aw, there’s got to be someone more deserving.”

Carla Crowder was one of those rare coaches who would beat you with her team and if you switched teams she’d still find a way to win.

Most are fully aware of former Arkansas Razorbacks Jason Peters and Peyton Hillis, as well as Ryan Mallett, who left us way too soon.

An interesting sidebar to this class: It was suggested Eric Musselman should be included after three straight Sweet 16 appearances including two Elite Eights.

It was decided he just hadn’t been here long enough.

There is probably not a sports reporter in the world who likes a coaching search.

The harder it is to get information, the deeper you dig and the time ticks by into 14to-16 hour days.

Apparently, Arkansas’ basketball search started in earnest on Sunday night when Johnny Tyson informed Hunter Yurachek that John Calipari was seriously interested.

He wasn’t looking for leverage to get a raise, but a fresh start and the challenge of building from the ground up, which is what he got on Wednesday when he signed the contract his attorney Tom Mars had studied long and hard before approving.

Now Cal and his staff are working the long hours putting a team together.

At one point, Arkansas’ roster was comprised of a single walk-on.

The transfer portal closes two weeks from today, so Cal probably isn’t assisting his wife much in the move. Usually, though, head coaches of any sport let their wives have total control of picking a new home since they are leaving one.

This is probably the toughest move the Calipari’s have made during their marriage. They were at Kentucky for 15 years and made lifetime friends.

That is the second longest anyone coached the Wildcats. Only Adolph Rupp was longer and he was way longer. He was the head coach of Kentucky for 32 years.