Before the UTRGV men’s basketball game against Utah Valley University last Saturday, the Office of Student Involvement and Campus Programming Board burned the UTRGV letters as part of Homecoming Week festivities outside the Fieldhouse in Edinburg. LESLEY ROBLES/THE RIDER
It was a special weekend for sports history in Edinburg. Former Head Coach Al Ogletree was honored Friday evening in a ceremony that included speeches from former players as well as others the legendary coach affected. The pre-game event concluded with a statue of “Coach Al” as well as the bust of his late wife, Joann.
Ogletree led the University of Texas Pan American for 29 years, starting in the 1968 season. He accumulated 1,084 wins with the program. He took the Broncs to 13 NCAA Regionals and one College World Series.
His 1,217 career wins stands at the 30th most wins by an NCAA head coach.
UTRGV Athletics Director Chris King said this recognition was probably overdue. He said the speeches by former players showed how much the coach meant to the program’s glory days.
“It shows you the tradition and history of Pan Am baseball,” King said. “The former players are very proud of their achievements; it was probably the greatest time in the history of intercollegiate athletics at this university. You probably had one of the top 10 college baseball coaches in history that led them.”
The homage to the past continued Saturday morning as five former UTPA student-athletes along with the 1980-81 men’s basketball team were inducted into the UTRGV Athletics Hall of Fame.
The 1980-81 men’s basketball team earned the program’s first and only NCAA Division I postseason berth, reaching the National Invitational Tournament. That season, the team beat fifth-ranked and eventual national champion Indiana University, led by Bobby Knight and Isiah Thomas.
Members of the 1980-81 UTPA Men’s Basketball Team are inducted into the UTRGV Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday in the UTRGV Ballroom on the Edinburg campus. The team earned the first and only NCAA Division I postseason berth in program history. SARAH CARVAJAL/THE RIDER
Kelly Bass, an assistant coach on the 1980-81 team, spoke on behalf of the now Hall of Fame squad.
“The team was a close-knit group of winners and hard workers,” Bass said. “Each player accepted their team role. This attitude helped us to excellent wins over Wichita State, NCAA champion Indiana and Marquette.”
Members of the team on hand to accept the award were Kim Owen, Clinton Cobb, Curtis Glasper, Rueben Cole, Alan Martin and Mike Carroll.
Kenneth “Apple” Green, who played for UTPA from 1979-81, was a Division I All-American Honorable Mention and leader of the 1981 Broncs team, averaging 21 points and 11 rebounds per game. Green was drafted in the second round of the 1981 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets with the 34th pick and played briefly with the New York Knicks in 1985-86.
Becky “Dube” Thomas, a McAllen High School and Lincoln Middle School alum, was inducted for her great play for the women’s basketball team from 1983-86. Thomas is the program record holder in shooting percentage and ranks fifth all-time in scoring in program history.
Thomas said she didn’t play for personal recognition but for the love of the game.
“I really truly loved to play the game,” Thomas said. “I didn’t play for personal recognition although this is absolutely awesome. I am honored and humbled to be inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame.”
Two former Bronc baseball players who played for Ogletree in the 1970s were also inducted. Jim Proctor played for the Broncs from ’74-75 and Jim Ewing was with the program from ’75-76. Proctor was named an NCAA All-American in 1975 and both were on the 1975 UTPA team that finished with a 63-7 record.
“To the Hall of Fame committee, the check is in the mail,” Ewing joked. “I thank y’all for having the confidence to put me in this position with so many wonderful athletes and I pray many more to come over the years.”
Also inducted was Ellen Nelissen, a Belgium native who played women’s tennis at UTPA from 1991-95 and finished as the program career record holder in singles victories with 67 wins. Nelissen was a three-time Academic All-Sun Belt Conference Team selection in 1993, ’94 and ’95.
As part of the Al Ogletree Classic, the men’s baseball team swept Prairie View A&M University in four straight games, winning by scores of 6-1, 4-0, 10-3 and 11-0. UTRGV baseball is 8-0 for the first time since the 2012 season.
The burning of the UTRGV letters came during the Homecoming Tailgate as the campus community celebrated the events with live music from the band Run With It.
Capping the week’s events, the men’s basketball team lost its Homecoming game and home finale 68-88 to Utah Valley University. Lew Hill’s team fell to 2-11 in conference play.
