HENRICO, Va. (WWBT) – The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame introduced its Class of 2026 on Wednesday.
This 12 months’s group of athletes, coaches, directors, and contributors whose affect spans generations, ranges of competitions throughout the state. This contains one man from Richmond, who has additionally been named the 2026 Distinguished Virginian.
The Class of 2026 inductees are as follows:
- Bobby Ukrop (Richmond): Robert S. “Bobby” Ukrop has been named the “2026 Distinguished Virginian” offered to a person with a sports activities background who’s a distinguished citizen of the Commonwealth primarily based on excellent life accomplishment”. A former basketball participant on the University of Richmond, Ukrop has been a transformative group chief, main initiatives all through Central Virginia together with the founding of Richmond Sports Backers, building of the Diamond baseball stadium, efforts to “Drown-proof Virginia” be taught to swim initiative.
- Grant Hill (Reston): ACC Player of the Year; two-time consensus All American; two-time NCAA Champion; one of the ACC’s 50 Greatest Players; 19-year NBA profession – 17,137 factors -7-time NBA All-Star- 3-time NBA Sportsmanship Award; Olympic Gold Medalist; member of the College and Naismith Memorial Basketball Halls of Fame. National broadcaster for each NCAA and NBA video games. Co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks (NBA) Orlando City SC (MLS), Orlando Pride (NWSL) and the Baltimore Orioles (MLB).
- Marcellus “Boo” Williams (Hampton): Widely thought to be one of essentially the most profitable and influential youth basketball coaches within the nation, Williams has helped form the careers of numerous younger males’s and girls’s gamers. Walt Disney Wide World of Sports named Williams its 2001 Volunteer of the Year; The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame offered him with its 2013 Human Spirit Award. Williams at the moment operates his youth basketball packages from the 135,000 sq. ft. Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton.
- Michael Vick (Newport News): The former Virginia Tech standout and NFL quarterback, Vick grew to become one of essentially the most dynamic gamers of his era. At Virginia Tech, Vick led the Hokies to the 1999 National Championship sport and was a 1st group All-American and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. The #1 general choose within the 2001 NFL draft, Vick performed within the NFL for 13 seasons, incomes 4 Pro Bowl alternatives and the 2010 NFL Comeback Player of the Year. After his retirement, Vick was a commentator for Fox NFL Sunday. He is at the moment the top coach of the Norfolk State University Spartans.
- Wally Walker (Charlottesville): Often credited with beginning the prominence of UVA basketball, Walker led the Cavaliers to their first NCAA match berth in 1976 when he was the MVP of the ACC Tournament. Walker was the #5 general choose of the 1976 NBA draft and performed for 8 NBA seasons successful two NBA Championships. Following his taking part in profession, Walker moved to the entrance workplace, to grow to be the President of Seattle SuperSonics.
- Kristi Toliver (Harrisonburg): One of essentially the most completed basketball gamers in Virginia historical past. Toliver was the 2009 ACC Player of the Year, a 2-time All-American, NCAA National Champion, 1st spherical WNBA choice, 2-time WNBA Champion and a 3-time WNBA AllStar. Toliver is at the moment the affiliate head coach of the Phoenix Mercury within the WNBA.
- Terry Driscoll (Williamsburg): A visionary chief in collegiate athletics, Driscoll served with distinction because the Director of Athletics at William & Mary for 22 years, throughout which the Tribe received 114 Conference Championships, had 118 groups with 100% commencement charges and oversaw a dramatic enhance in funding for brand new services and the College’s endowment. A real “Scholar-Athlete” himself, Driscoll was an Athletic and Academic All-American, the #4 general choose within the 1969 NBA draft, and a championship skilled coach in Europe.
- Roland Lazenby (Wytheville): A former reporter with the Roanoke Times, Lazenby is greatest identified for his award-winning creator of over 60 sports activities books that has vaulted him to the highest of his occupation. Widely thought to be an “expert or authority” on NBA basketball, a number of of his most outstanding books are “go to” references on Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
- Tony Bennett: Former University of Virginia basketball coach, two-time Naismith Coach of the Year, and nationwide championship coach as lengthy stood amongst faculty basketball’s most revered leaders. Over an 18-season head teaching profession, together with stops at Washington State and the University of Virginia, he compiled a outstanding 433-and-169 general report. He took over Virginia in 2009 and remodeled the Cavaliers right into a powerhouse, amassing a 364- 136 report whereas changing into the packages all-time wins chief. His crowning achievement got here in 2019, when his group captured the NCAA nationwide championship- a milestone that delivered Virginia its first ever nationwide title in males’s basketball. Under Bennett’s stewardship, Virginia received six common season convention titles, two convention championships, and made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances.
The 53rd induction occasions are set for Saturday, April 25, 2026, on the Hilton Richmond Hotel and Spa/Short Pump.
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