Larned, Jerry

Aug 19, 2026 | Coach, Inductees, Legends

Jerry Larned, who passed away in 2023, is a 2026 recipient of the Bill Hart Memorial Legends Award. Larned grew up playing sports in Haskell and played basketball at North Texas State. He then spent his remarkable career as a teacher, principal, coach and...

Marshall, Jason

Aug 19, 2026 | Athlete, Baseball, Coach, Inductees

Jason Marshall, Abilene, was a four-year starting shortstop at Cooper and a key member of the 1987 and 1988 Class 5A state championship teams. The 1987 team was ranked by USA Today as the No. 1 high school baseball team in the nation. He then went to Texas A&M,...

Reese, Jim

Aug 19, 2026 | Athlete, Baseball, Coach, Football, Inductees

Jim Reese was Abilene High’s quarterback in 1970 and 1971 and led the district in passing and total offense. In baseball, he was an all-district second baseman at Abilene High and led the Eagles to three consecutive district championships. Reese then went to ACU,...

Grissom, Bill

May 24, 2025 | Athlete, Coach, Football, Inductees

BILL GRISSOM of Winters was the leading rusher at McMurry as a junior and senior in 1963 and 1964, and was among the survivors of the infamous belly-landing plane crash involving the McMurry football team. He then began a 34-year career as a high school football...

Harrell, Sam

May 24, 2025 | Coach, Football, Inductees

SAM HARRELL played quarterback and defensive back for Gordon Wood at Brownwood before beginning a long coaching career around the state of Texas. Harrell coached Ennis to three state championships in 2001, 2002 and 2004 before retiring in 2009 to fight MS. Harrell was...

Hood, The Don Hood Family

May 24, 2025 | Coach, Inductees, Legacy Award, Track & Field

THE HOOD FAMILY from Abilene is this year’s Pat Gerald Memorial Legacy Award recipient. The lateDON HOOD won nine NAIA and NCAA Division II national championships in 11 years at Abilene Christian University. He was considered the nation’s premier pole vault coach,...