501-313-4158
2025 Inductees
VIP Reception/Banquet
VIP RECEPTION
Thursday, April 10th, 2025
Oaklawn Mainline Sports Bar, Hot Springs AR
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
BANQUET:
Friday, April 11th, 2025
Oaklawn Event Center, Hot Springs AR
5:30 pm Cocktail Reception, 6:00 pm Doors Open, 6:30 pm Banquet
Tickets Will Be Available Starting December 16th, 2024
2025 Inductees
Mel Collazo - Tennis
Dr. Mel Collazo received a full scholarship to the University of AR – Little Rock where he played tennis until 1978. He was a 12 time USTA Southern Champion, a 8 time USTA Southern Finalist, the current #1 and #2 USTA Southern Ranking in numerous age divisions, the National Champion of USTA Men’s Intersectional Championships, the Texas State Junior Doubles Championship Winner, the #1 singles and doubles at UALR, the record holder of the yearly collegiate doubles record of (20-2) which include victory’s over the SWC doubles champion of Texas Christian University (TCU), and he also achieved the rank of a Tennis Professional according to the World Tennis Associates (WTA). He was previously head tennis professional and director of tennis at the Pleasant Valley Country Club, chairman of the yearly St. Vincent’s New Outlook Professional Tennis Tournament, selected as a member of the 2010 and 2011 US Gordon Cup Teams, selected as a member of the USTA Southern Intersectional Team, and also named to “Who’s Who Outstanding College Athletes of America”. He has been crowned champion of singles and doubles tournaments over 110 times on all court surfaces. In 2015, Collazo and his doubles partner achieved the #1 U.S. National ranking in his age group and ended the year ranked #3. As of September 2024, he has the following age group mixed doubles ranking #1- Southern & #2 U.S. In August of 2024 he won his latest age group U.S. National Championship “Ball” in Mixed Doubles. Collazo was inducted into the AR Tennis Hall of Fame in 2023.
J.B. Grimes - Coaching
J. B. Grimes’ 43-year football coaching career began with a dream at age 5 of coaching for the Razorbacks. Growing up in Clarendon, Grimes was an All-State offensive lineman for the Lions, going on to Henderson State (3 AIC Championships) as a swing/offensive guard for the Reddies. He started in the Bicentennial Bowl, the NAIA National Championship game, and toured Europe with the Reddies football team. He was a part of two high school coaching staffs at Nashville and Des Arc in 1977 and 1978. Grimes started his college coaching career as a Grad Assistant coach at Northeast Louisiana, then to the University of Arkansas. Grimes coached for two years with the Razorbacks under Lou Holtz. His first job as a full-time assistant coach was with Jimmie "Red" Parker at Delta State in 1983. As a career Offensive Line Coach, Grimes has won five championships at three different Arkansas Universities, Henderson, the U of A and Arkansas State. Grimes was the O-line coach for a national championship team at Northeast Louisiana University and he coached Auburn to a SEC Championship and NCAA Bowl Champion series final. He was part of 7 championship teams in 6 conferences: SEC, SWC, Big 12, Big East, Sunbelt, Southland. He has coached over 80 OL who have gone on to play in the NFL. Grimes has coached in 20 bowl games among them: the Rose (National Championship against Florida State), Sugar, Orange, Cotton, Gator, Alamo, Liberty, Go Daddy, Music City, Outback, Birmingham and Gallery Furniture Bowls Notable Arkansas head coaches Grimes has played for are Ronnie Kerr at Clarendon and Ralph "Sporty" Carpenter at Henderson. He coached with Kenny Hatfield (UA), Gus Malzahn (ASU and Auburn), John Thompson (East Carolina) and Tommy Tuberville (Cincinnati). He has been inducted into Halls of Fame at Henderson and Northeast Louisiana University (now ULM). Grimes battled tongue cancer in his final coaching year at Auburn and retired to Nashville, AR.
Greg Hatcher - Wrestling
Greg Hatcher graduated in 1983 from Alma College with a degree in Public Relations. While at Alma, he lettered in soccer, wrestling, and baseball. Greg was a nine-letter winner and one of the last athletes to play three varsity sports for four years at Alma College. He was Captain of the Wrestling Team and was named First-Team All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1982-83. Hatcher helped the wrestling and baseball teams each capture a total of 6 MIAA titles while also lettering in soccer. Following graduation, he coached baseball at Notre Dame University for one year. Greg was named the Distinguished Alumnus by Alma College and was inducted into the Alma College Sports Hall of Fame (in soccer, wrestling, and baseball). He was a member of three Hall of Fame wrestling teams and two Hall of Fame baseball teams. He co-founded and was president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and served as sports information director from 1981-83. In 2008, Greg became a member of the Alma College Board of Trustees. His greatest work has come from his work in getting wrestling started in Arkansas. Hatcher founded The Arkansas Wrestling Association (AWA) and has purchased the mats for 65 high schools and 13 colleges to help get new programs started at these schools. For his efforts, he has been honored with the “Dan Gable America Needs Wrestling Award”, named WIN Magazines Man of the Year, and awarded The Certificate of Merit by The Arkansas Activities Association. Recently Greg was Inducted into the Arkansas Wrestling Hall of Fame and Ultimate Honor being Inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame 2017. Greg is most pleased that over 4,000 kids now wrestle in Arkansas. In May of 2018, Greg donated $1.4 million for Division 1 Wrestling to be added to UALR athletics. The Greg Hatcher Wrestling Center is named in his honor.
Felix Jones - Football
Felix Jones was from Tulsa, OK, where he was a standout in football and track. He was named the Tulsa World Player of the Year his senior year, rushing for 2,282 yds. and 48 TD’s, leading his team to a 13-1 record and a state runner-up. Joining the Razorbacks, he gained fame for his kickoff returns, returning four kickoffs for touchdowns during his career. Jones rushed for 2,954 yds. (7.6 avg.), receiving 383 yds. (9.8 avg.), and kickoff returns 1,744 yds. (avg. 27.3). He was selected as the “Kick Returner” Freshman All-America (2005), All-SEC 2nd team (2006), All-SEC (2007), SEC Special Teams Player of the Year (2007), and Consensus All-American (2007). The Cowboys chose Jones in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft (22nd overall). Over his 5 years with the Cowboys, he rushed for 2,728 yds. (4.8 avg.), receiving 1,066 yds. (8.3 avg.), and kickoff returns of 1,634 yds. (25.5 avg.). In 2012 he was released as a free agent. The Philadelphia Eagles signed Jones for a one-year contract. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in August 2013. With the Steelers, Jones rushed for 184 yds. (3.8 avg.), had 63 receiving yds. (7 avg.), and had kickoff returns of 510 yds. (21.2 avg.) during the 2013 season. The Steelers released him at the end of the 2013 season.
Todd Knight - Coaching
The 27-20 victory over Henderson State in the 97th Battle of the Ravine at the end of the 2024 regular season moved Todd Knight into a tie with the late Buddy Benson as the winningest coaches in program history. Knight played for Benson at Ouachita in the 1980s. Knight has led the Tigers to 16 consecutive winning seasons, which is the longest active streak in the state of Arkansas, and seven straight seasons with at least nine wins. Overall, he has led Ouachita to 17 winning seasons, seven Great American Conference championships, six NCAA Division II playoff appearances, and four undefeated regular seasons. Under Knight’s leadership, the Tigers have been a mainstay in the national rankings, reaching as high as No. 3 during the 2022 and 2024 seasons, and finding a spot in the AFCA Top 25 in 75 of the last 76 polls, including a streak 63 consecutive weeks nationally-ranked that included all of the 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and the first 12 polls of the 2023 season. The first of seven GAC championships came in the inaugural season of the league in 2011. It was Ouachita’s first conference title in over 25 years. The Tigers claimed the conference crown again in 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, and again this year in 2024. Knight was named GAC Coach of the Year in all seven championship seasons. He has also been named the AFCA Super Region Coach of the Year in 2014, 2018, 2019, 2022, and again this year in 2024. Knight leads in all aspects of life; his players have been recognized for outstanding achievements on the field, in the classroom and in the community. He has recruited and coached eight professional football players, 288 All-Conference selections, 44 All-Americans, four Academic All-Americans, four semifinalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, and 135 Academic All-Conference honorees. Knight’s seniors have had a 90% graduation rate and the team has been involved in service to the community for many years. During the 2014 season, the Tigers finished the regular season 10-0 for the first time in program history. After winning its second GAC championship, Ouachita earned the top seed in the region for the Tigers’ first ever appearance in the NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament. He also led the Tigers to undefeated regular seasons in 2018, 2019, and 2022. Knight’s development as a coach has come under solid leadership, playing under coach Buddy Benson at Ouachita, and later coaching under Red Parker and Don Skelton at Delta State from 1986-1989 and David Lee at the University of Texas at El Paso from 1990-1992. When he returned to Delta State as head coach from 1993-1998, he led the team to its first ever Gulf South Conference Championship in 1998, also earning GSC Coach of the Year honors. Knight has been an active member of the AFCA throughout his career, and even served as president of the organization in 2023. He has also served on the AFCA Board of Trustees and has been active on the national scene as a former member of the NCAA Rules Committee. In addition to coaching, Knight has also been instrumental in the continued improvements to the football facilities, which have seen major renovations since 2014. Tiger student-athletes enjoy some of the nicest facilities at the D2 level, including modern amenities and luxuries at Cliff Harris Stadium as well as in the locker room, meeting rooms, weight room, and indoor and outdoor practice areas.
Beverly Lewis - Athletic Administration/Coaching
Prior to Beverly Lewis assuming the duties of director of women’s athletics in 1989, her Razorback women’s cross country and track teams had six top 20 national finishes, and she coached Team USA at the 1990 World Junior Cross Country Championships. Her coaching was instrumental in establishing Arkansas’ perfect record of sending a team or individual to every collegiate national meet since the programs’ inception. Lewis also coached Arkansas’ first women’s conference championship team at the 1988 SWC Cross Country Championships. As a result, her peers voted her SWC Coach of the Year for the second year in a row. She was also named SWC Outdoor Track Coach of the Year in 1989. Lewis spent 19 years (1989-2007) as the director of Women’s Athletics. She was a member of the NCAA Management Council, the NCAA Championship Cabinet, and the SEC Executive Committee. From 2008-14, Lewis served as Associate Vice Chancellor and Executive Associate Athletic Director in the combined men’s and women’s athletic program. In 1998 she was voted into the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor. In recognition of her outstanding achievements, Lewis was named to Arkansas Business magazine’s “Top 100 Women in Arkansas” in 1996, 1997 and 1998. The publication also named her to their “Women of Influence” in Arkansas.
Oliver Miller - Basketball
Oliver Miller played college basketball at the University of Arkansas. Miller, who is known as "The Big O", was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 22nd overall pick of the 1992 NBA draft. He went on to play for various NBA teams over his eight-year career, including the Suns (1992–94, 1999–2000), Detroit Pistons (1994–95), Toronto Raptors (1995–96 and 1997–98), Dallas Mavericks (1996–97) and Sacramento Kings (1998–99). He transitioned back to minor-league, and semi-professional play until 2010. Miller was known as a talented center with good passing skills, averaging 12.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.4 steals per game at his peak (1995–96). Miller was inducted into the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor in 2016 and was selected as an SEC Basketball Legend in 2017.
Jack O'Keefe - Golf
As a collegiate golfer at the University of Arkansas, Jack O'Keefe was a four-time All-American, a two-time All-SEC selection and an All-SWC performer from 1989-93. He registered three individual victories as his Razorback squads captured 10 team tournament titles over his last two seasons. O'Keefe joined the professional ranks in 1993 and played around the world for nearly 10 years. Among his accomplishments as a professional, include earning his PGA Tour card in 1997 and competing in the 1996 U.S. Open at Oakland Hills Country Club (72-71-76-76), where he was paired in the third round with world ranked No. 1 Tom Lehman. O'Keefe enjoyed a terrific season on the Nike Tour in 1996, ranking 15th on the money list with a pair of runner-up finishes. He earned 1995 Player of the Year honors on the Hooters Tour after a pair of victories. He was named 1995 International Rookie of the Year in Ube, Japan, and was the 1994 Australasian Tour Rookie of the Year after a 19th-place finish on the Australasian Tour's official money list. A three-time winner on the Hooters Tour, O'Keefe earned the Hooters Tour's Golf Achievement Award in 2001. O’Keefe broke into the collegiate coaching ranks at Central Arkansas, then became an associate head coach for men’s golf at Ole Mississippi for three and a half seasons. O’Keefe was head coach and Director of Golf for the Augusta University Jaguars 2013-2022. In just three seasons at the helm of the men’s golf team, he returned to the Jaguars to the national rankings. O’Keefe carried the Jaguars to five NCAA regional appearances and five straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championships. O’Keefe was inducted into the 2017 University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor and into the 2016 Arkansas Golf Hall of Fame.
Bill Shimek - Coaching
Bill Shimek was a three-sport athlete at Bald Knob, where he starred in football, basketball, and track & field. He was selected All-State in football as a quarterback and basketball as a guard and was also the state high jump champion in track. He was selected to play in the ASHSCA All-Star game in basketball in 1960. He attended ASTC (now UCA) on a football scholarship. He was selected honorable mention (1962) and 1st team (1963) All-AIC and honorable mention Little All-American (1963). Following graduation from ASTC, he began his coaching career as an assistant at LR Catholic High School. He would go on to become the head coach at Forrest City from 1966-72 where he compiled a record of 40-12-3. From 1973-82 Shimek was at the University of Oklahoma with Coach Barry Switzer where he helped coach the 1978 Heisman Trophy winner Billy Simms. He moved to Oklahoma State as running backs coach 1983-91, where he helped coach the 1988 Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders. He also coached Thurman Thomas, a seven-time NFL Pro Bowl selection. He finished his coaching career at Louisiana-Monroe in 1997. He was inducted into the UCA Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
Clint Stoerner - Football
Clint Stoerner was a 2nd team All-SEC quarterback in both 1998 and 1999. He was Arkansas’ offensive leader in each of 3 years – 1997-1999 – as well as Arkansas’ total offensive leader – 528 passes completed and 57 touchdowns. He was 2nd in the SEC in 1998 passing yards with 2,629 yards, 2nd in the SEC in 1998 in touchdowns with 26, 2nd in the SEC in 1998 in total touchdowns with 27, and 1st in the SEC in 1998 in adjusted passing yards per attempt with 8.9 yards. He is currently ranked #5 in Razorback career passing yards with 7,422. He was the part-time starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in 2001 and was voted into the Razorback’s All-Decade team for the 1990’s.