The American Baseball Coaches Association inducted 10 new members into the ABCA Hall of Fame at the 2022 ABCA Convention in Chicago. Five members of the Hall of Fame Class of 2021 and five from the Class of 2022 were honored in front of their families, friends and coaching peers at the ABCA Hall of Fame Ceremony on Friday, January 7.
Due to health concerns, three members of the Hall of Fame Class of 2021—Hal Baird, George Horton and Don Sneddon—and two members of the Class of 2022—John Altobelli and Gary Gilmore—were not inducted in Chicago. Those inductees, along with the ABCA Hall of Fame Class of 2023, will be inducted at the 2023 ABCA Convention in Nashville.
Induction to the ABCA Hall of Fame, which began in 1966, is the highest honor bestowed by the organization.
Founded in 1945, the American Baseball Coaches Association is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its over 15,000 members represent all 50 states and 41 countries. Since its initial meeting of 27 college baseball coaches in June 1945, Association members have broadened to include nine divisions: NCAA Division I, II, and III, NAIA, NJCAA, Pacific Association Division, High School, Youth and Travel.
Class of 2021 Inductees
Bill Anderson, Occidental College (Calif.)
Bill Anderson coached baseball at Occidental College (Calif.) for 30 years. In addition to his Hall of Fame coaching career on the diamond, Anderson also coached varsity basketball and football at Oxy, winning more championships than any other coach in school history. Anderson was later named the school’s Athletic Director in 1939.
Anderson arrived on the Oxy campus as an athletic trainer in the fall of 1924, seven years removed from his playing days as an all-star halfback at the University of Illinois. In his first five seasons with the baseball team, he assisted coach Wilkie Clark, doubling as freshman coach, before becoming the Tigers’ head coach in 1930.
Under Anderson’s leadership, Oxy baseball teams amassed an overall record of 144-41 (.778) and notched 10 league titles over 25 seasons. In league play, his teams combined for a 77-9 (.895) record, the highest winning percentage of all Oxy championship teams.
In his final four seasons at Oxy (1951-54), Anderson’s teams captured four consecutive Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) titles, twice going undefeated in league play (1952, 1954). His 1932 and 1934 teams also finished the season undefeated in league competition. Only one other team in Oxy history has gone undefeated in league play.
The student-athletes that played for Anderson were some of the best to ever play at Oxy. Anderson coached the top five hitters (based on career batting average) and 12 of the top 15 in Oxy baseball history. In addition, seven of the top 10 single-season batting average performances came from Anderson-coached players.
On the mound, he coached three of the top four pitchers (based on career win percentage) in school history and coached the only two pitchers (Dick Sovde ’56 and Frank Bennett ’54) to throw no-hitters in the same season (1954). A total of seven no hitters were thrown by Tiger pitchers during his tenure.
In all, Anderson guided 50 players to 68 All-SCIAC honors between 1933-54 and coached over 60 future Oxy Baseball Hall of Fame inductees. Eventually, four of his Oxy teams (1934, ’43, ’52, ’54) were also inducted into the program’s Hall of Fame.
Anderson accomplished most of this after surviving an auto accident in 1941 that nearly killed him and left him physically impaired for the rest of his life.
In 1954, following his final season at Oxy, Anderson was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame. Anderson Field, the Tigers’ baseball home since 1950, is named in his honor.
Hal Baird, Auburn University (Ala.) - To be honored in 2023
In 21 seasons as a collegiate head baseball coach, Hal Baird guided his East Carolina and Auburn teams to a combined 12 NCAA tournament appearances, two College World Series berths and a 779-394-1 (.664) overall record.
Following a successful playing career at East Carolina and in professional baseball, Baird joined the Pirates’ coaching staff as an assistant in 1977. Prior to the 1980 season, he was named the 11th head coach in program history and would go on to lead his alma mater to a pair of ECAC-South championships (1982, 1984) and three NCAA tournament appearances (1980, 1982, 1984). Baird finished his career at East Carolina with a record of 145-66-1 (.684) over five seasons.
In 1985, Baird took over at Auburn University, where he would go on to become the winningest coach in school history. Over 16 seasons, he led the Tigers to a 634-328 record, and his .659 winning percentage ranks first among Auburn coaches with more than one season at the helm. Baird’s teams won at least 30 games in every season he was the head coach, including a pair of 50-win seasons in 1995 and 1997. No other coach in Auburn history has won 50 games in a season.
During his tenure, Auburn advanced to College World Series in 1994 and 1997 and competed in nine NCAA Regionals, capturing Regional titles in 1994, 1997 and 1999. Baird was ABCA/Diamond Sports South Region Coach of the Year in 1994.
In conference play, the Tigers captured SEC Western Division titles in 1987 and 1995, along with a pair of SEC tournament titles in 1989 and 1998.
Under his tutelage, 13 Auburn players earned All-America honors and 51 were selected in the MLB Draft. Auburn standout Tim Hudson was named the 1997 SEC Player of the Year.
Prior to his coaching career, Baird was a standout pitcher for the Pirates, leading the staff in strikeouts in his two seasons at East Carolina. A 1971 graduate, Baird helped the Pirates to a Southern Conference title and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1970. In the league championship game that year against George Washington, Baird struck out a Southern Conference record 20 batters. His 105 strikeouts in 1971 ranks among the top performances in school history.
Following his college career, Baird played professionally from 1971-1976 for the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals organizations where he earned All-Gulf Coast League, All-Florida Instructional League and All-Southern League honors.
Baird was inducted to East Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2006. He was also honored as an SEC Legend in 2013.
Roger Cador, Southern University (La.)
Roger Cador took over the baseball program at Southern University in Louisiana in 1984 and went on to build one of the most respected college baseball programs in the region and nation, retiring in 2017 with a career record of 913-597-1 (.604).
Over the course of 33 seasons, Cador’s teams won two HBCU national championships (2003, 2005), captured 14 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championships and made 11 NCAA Regional appearances. Along the way, he racked up 13 SWAC Coach of the Year awards and coached 10 players to All-America honors. Cador had 62 players drafted by MLB teams with seven reaching Major League Baseball, including 2003 Golden Spikes Award winner and future MLB All-Star Rickie Weeks.
Among the many highlights in his illustrious career, Cador holds the distinction of leading Southern as the first HBCU team to win a game in an NCAA Regional, upsetting No. 2 Cal State Fullerton, 1-0, in New Orleans in 1987. Over his career, Cador added two more NCAA Tournament victories en route to posting a dozen 30-win seasons.
One of Cador’s crowning achievements was spearheading the development of Weeks. A two-time NCAA batting champion, Weeks received the 2003 Golden Spikes Award as the top collegiate baseball player in the county, the first from a predominantly black school. Weeks was taken with the second overall pick in the 2003 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers and went on to have a stellar 14-year MLB career, playing 1324 games with four teams. Fred Lewis was a second-round draft pick in 2002 and played 535 games over seven seasons in MLB, mostly for the San Francisco Giants.
Cador, a Louisiana legend, has also been active in increasing the exposure for both college baseball and HBCU coverage nationally. He helped organize the Urban Baseball Invitational (now known as the Andre Dawson Classic), which has featured HBCU schools in live national telecasts on ESPN and the MLB Network from Los Angeles, Houston and New Orleans.
Throughout his career, Cador also helped organize efforts to promote baseball in inner- city communities, working with Major League Baseball’s diversity task force.
A standout for the Jaguars from 1970-73, Cador led Southern with a .393 batting average as a junior in 1972. He played professionally in the Atlanta Braves organization from 1973-77, advancing all the way to the Class AAA Richmond Braves. Following his professional career, Cador returned to Southern where he served as an assistant baseball coach from 1978-84 and assistant basketball coach from 1980-84 before becoming head baseball coach.
Cador was inducted to the Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame in 2018 and was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in the fall of 2019.
Sammy Dunn, Vestavia Hills High School (Ala.)
Longtime Vestavia Hills (Ala.) High School baseball coach Sammy Dunn is regarded as one of the most successful coaches in the history of Alabama high school baseball.
Over 27 seasons at Vestavia, Dunn amassed a career record of 647-146 (.816) and led his baseball teams to nine Alabama 6-A state titles from 1991-2000, including a stretch of seven-straight from 1994-2000. Dunn’s 1998 team was named national champions by the National High School Baseball Coaches Association (NHSBCA), for which Dunn received National Coach of the Year honors. He would again be named the National Coach of the Year in 2004.
Dunn, who passed away in 2004, was the winningest baseball coach in Alabama high school history at the time of his passing. His Vestavia teams never posted a losing season, and over 100 of his players earned went on to earn college scholarships. In fact, 12 Vestavia alumni participated on teams in the 1996 College World Series in Omaha.
Throughout his career, Dunn received numerous local coaching honors including six Alabama Baseball Coaches Association (ALABCA) 6-A Coach of the Year Awards and seven Jefferson County Coach of the Year Awards.
Dunn, who presided over the Vestavia baseball program from 1978-2004, also served as an assistant coach on the football staff from 1978-1998 and was an assistant basketball coach.
Dunn served on the 1984 Baseball Olympic Selection Committee as director of the Southern States Conference Baseball Tournament.
Dunn was also instrumental in growing the game of baseball in Alabama, founding the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association in 1995. Prior to that, he served as President of the Jefferson County Baseball Coaches Association from 1993-94.
In Dunn’s honor, the ALABCA now presents the Sammy Dunn Memorial Award annually to one of the Alabama high school baseball state champion coaches for their exemplary season. The award is the association’s highest honor.
Dunn, who was inducted into the Montevallo Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997, played third base for the Falcons for two seasons from 1974-75. He transferred to Montevallo prior to his junior season after being named the Alabama Co-Player of the Year at Jefferson State Community College in Birmingham.
Dunn was inducted into the ALABCA Hall of Fame in 2000, the first coach to receive that honor. He was inducted into the Alabama High School Athletic Association Sports Hall of Fame in 2004 and received the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame’s first-ever Frank House Award that same year. In 2010, Dunn was inducted into the inaugural class of the Vestavia Hills Sports Hall of Fame, and the school’s baseball stadium is named in his honor.
Wayne Graham, Rice University (Texas)
Wayne Graham spent 27 seasons at the helm of the Rice University baseball program, and 38 seasons overall as a collegiate head coach. Graham’s highly successful teams at Rice and San Jacinto College combined for a total of six national championships and an overall record of 1848-641-2 (.742).
At Rice, Graham amassed a 1,173-528-2 (.689) record to go along with seven College World Series appearances and the 2003 National Championship, the school's first team national championship in any sport.
Beginning with the 1995 season, Rice appeared in 23 consecutive NCAA Regionals and advanced to the Super Regionals 10 times following the adoption of the format in 1999. His Owls also captured 21 conference championships as part of three different conferences, including 20-straight from 1996-2015.
Graham coached 39 different Rice players to a total of 56 All-America awards and 136 former players were drafted by professional teams. The 14 Rice draft picks in 2007 tied the college record for the most players selected from one school in a single year.
A native Houstonian, Graham's coaching career began at Scarborough (Texas) High School. In nine seasons at Scarborough and one at Spring Branch, Graham's teams compiled a 98-13 (.883) district record, won seven district titles and never finished lower than second in the district race.
After 10 successful seasons at the high school level, Graham moved on to San Jacinto College in 1981, where he proceeded to turn the Gators into a Junior College powerhouse. Following a pair of conference titles in 1982 and 1983, Graham’s Gators made seven-straight NJCAA World Series appearances from 1984-90. After a runner-up finish in 1984, his teams captured three consecutive national titles from 1985-87. The Gators once again came back from a runner up finish in 1988 to claim another pair of national titles in 1989 and 1990.
Named the Junior College Coach of the Century by Collegiate Baseball, Graham completed his 11-year tenure at San Jacinto with a 675-113 (.857) record and five National Coach of the Year awards. His uniform number (37) was retired by San Jacinto and he was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 1995.
Graham’s coaching career was preceded by an 11-year professional career that included stints as a third baseman and outfielder with the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets organizations. A Texas native, Graham played two seasons at the University of Texas under legendary coach and ABCA Hall of Fame member Bibb Falk.
Graham’s success led to his induction into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003, and he was named one of Houston's 38 Sports Legends in 2004. In addition, he was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2005 and the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012.
George Horton, Cal State Fullerton/University of Oregon - To be honored in 2023
In his combined 28 seasons as a collegiate head baseball coach, George Horton amassed a career record 1,091-546-2 (.666) record. Now a member of the Orange Coast College coaching staff, Horton is known for guiding national power Cal State Fullerton to the 2004 National Championship and for resurrecting a dormant University of Oregon baseball program.
Hired in September 2007, Horton was Oregon’s 12th baseball coach in school history and its first since the program was discontinued following the 1981 season. In 11 seasons with the Ducks, Horton carried a 375-281-1 (.571) record and led Oregon to five NCAA Regional tournaments (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), one Super Regional (2012) and a school-record 48 wins in 2013.
Prior to Oregon, Horton spent 11 seasons at the helm of his alma mater and national power Cal State Fullerton, leading the Titans to seven conference titles and the 2004 National Championship. Overall, Horton posted a record of 490-212-1 (.697) with the Titans, and oversaw six appearances in the College World Series, including a pair of back-to-back berths (2003 and 2004, 2006 and 2007). Following his squad’s title run in 2004, Horton received National Coach of the Year honors from the ABCA/Diamond Sports and Collegiate Baseball. He was also named National Coach of the Year by Baseball America in 2003 and was a five-time Big West Conference Coach of the Year.
Before taking the reins at Fullerton, Horton worked for six years as an assistant coach for the Titans under legendary college baseball coach Augie Garrido before succeeding him 1997.
Horton also served six years as the head coach at Cerritos College before joining the Titans’ staff, compiling a junior college record of 226-53 (.810) from 1985-90 and capturing three California state baseball championships (1985, 1987, 1989).
Horton earned the USA Baseball Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year Award after serving as the head coach for the 2016 Collegiate National Team and was a member of the U.S. coaching staff in 2012.
Horton played two seasons at Cerritos College before joining Augie Garrido at Cal State Fullerton. Horton earned All-PCAA honors in 1975 and 1976 as both a junior and a senior and was on the first Fullerton team to go to the College World Series in 1975. Horton is one of 17 men to have appeared in Omaha as a player and a head coach.
In 1994, Horton was inducted into the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He also was inducted into the Downey High School Hall of Fame in May of 2003 and was honored in 2005 with the Orange County Manager of the Year Award, given by the Orange Coast Chapter of the Society for Advancement of Management. In October 2013, Horton was inducted into the Cal State Fullerton Hall of Fame as part of the 1995 team before being inducted in 2017 as an individual.
Tony Robichaux, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Longtime University of Louisiana at Lafayette head coach Tony Robichaux spent 25 seasons at the helm of the Ragin’ Cajuns and 33 seasons overall at the Division I level.
During his tenure with the Cajuns, which began in 1995, Robichaux guided Louisiana to 12 NCAA Regional appearances, four NCAA Super Regional appearances and the 2000 College World Series. His teams earned seven Sun Belt Conference regular season crowns and four Sun Belt Conference Tournament titles.
At Louisiana, Robichaux coached 29 All-Americans, 90 All-Sun Belt, six Sun Belt Pitchers of the Year and two Sun Belt Players of the Year.
Robichaux received ABCA/Diamond Sports South Central Region Coach of the Year honors four times in his career. He was also named Sun Belt Coach of the Year four times and the All-Louisiana Coach of the Year six times.
In 2015, Robichaux became the 51st coach in NCAA Div. I history to post 1,000 career wins. He posted a career record of 1,177-767-2 (.605) and ranked eighth among active NCAA Div. I head coaches in career victories and 30th all-time among Div. I coaches after the 2019 season.
The all-time winningest coach in school history with 914 victories, Robichaux guided Louisiana to nine 40-win seasons and had 58 former players selected in the MLB Draft including five draftees who have played at the major league level.
Under Robichaux, Louisiana hosted the school's first-ever NCAA baseball regional in 2000, and the program’s and Sun Belt’s first-ever Super Regional in 2014. The Cajuns also hosted an NCAA baseball regional in 2014 and 2016.
The Cajuns received several national rankings throughout Robichaux’s tenure including the school’s first ever No. 1 ranking in 2014. That same year, the Ragin’ Cajuns set the school record for wins finishing 58-10.
Before arriving at Louisiana in 1995, Robichaux served as head coach of his alma mater, McNeese State, for eight seasons. He led the Cowboys to a combined 263-177 (.598) record, including a school-record 41 wins in his last season there. He also led the program to its first-ever national ranking during the 1994 season. Robichaux was named the Southland Conference Coach of the Year in 1988, his first permanent season as head coach at McNeese. He wrapped up his career with the Cowboys as the all-time winningest coach in the school’s history and was inducted into the McNeese Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.
Don Sneddon, Santa Ana College (Calif.) - To be in honored in 2023
Don Sneddon spent 32 years as the head coach at Santa Ana College where he became the all-time winningest coach in California community college baseball history. Sneddon’s tenure ended at Santa Ana with a career record of 1,072-383-3 (.735).
Among those 1,072 victories are three state championships (1993, 1995, 1996) and 16 conference championships. Sneddon also led the Dons to the second round of postseason competition for 25 consecutive seasons from 1988-2012. Sneddon’s teams never finished with a losing record and 22 of his 32 seasons had a winning percentage of .700 or higher. He was named conference coach of the year 16 times, including five-straight seasons from 2007-2011.
After breaking the career wins record in 2006 with his 832nd victory, Sneddon went on to become the first coach to record 900 and 1,000 wins.
Following his retirement from Santa Ana in 2014, Sneddon was inducted into the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2015.
In 2016, Sneddon joined the coaching staff of the Wareham Gatemen in the Cape Cod Baseball League as a third base coach and hitting instructor for, then manager, Jerry Weinstein.
Following Weinstein’s departure, Sneddon’s first season as Wareham’s manager came in 2017 where he led the Gatemen to the West Division Finals.
The following season, Sneddon led the Gatemen to their eighth Cape Cod Baseball League championship in team history. Sneddon became just the fifth manager in Wareham history to win a title. In addition, Sneddon’s 2018 group became the first Wareham team to win a regular season division title since 2001. With a record of 25-17-2, the Gatemen tied their highest win total in the previous 18 seasons.
The 2018 Wareham Gatemen became the first team since the Cape Cod Baseball League changed their playoff format in 2010 to completely sweep through the playoffs and win six-straight games. They also became the first club to win as a No. 1 seed under this new format.
Sneddon stepped down following the 2018 summer after three seasons with Wareham, two of which coming as the team’s manager. His teams combined to go 43-42-3 in his two summers as Wareham’s skipper, boasting an 8-2 record in the playoffs.
Sneddon’s baseball career began under ABCA Hall of Fame coach Wally Kincaid at Cerritos College (Calif.), where he was an All-Southern California shortstop. After two years at Cerritos, he was recruited to play at then NCAA Div. II Cal State Fullerton by eventual ABCA Hall of Fame coach Augie Garrido. While at Cal State Fullerton, Sneddon led the Titans to a California Collegiate Athletics Association championship in 1974 and was the first NCAA Div. II All-American in school history.
Following his graduation, Sneddon joined Garrido’s coaching staff at Fullerton as an assistant in 1975. After two seasons with the Titans, Sneddon became as assistant for then head coach Jim Reach at Santa Ana College, before taking over the program in 1981.
Class of 2022 Inductees
John Altobelli, Orange Coast College (Calif.) - To be honored in 2023
John Altobelli led the baseball program at Orange Coast College from 1992-2019 before passing away tragically in January 2020. Over 27 seasons, Altobelli’s teams combined for a 705-478-4 (.594) record, making him the winningest coach in school history. In 2019, he became just the 16th coach in California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) history to reach the 700-win mark.
Under Altobelli, the Pirates took home their first of four California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) state titles in 2009 and followed that up with back-to-back championship wins in 2014 and 2015.
After setting a school record for wins in a single season (39) and capturing the Orange Empire Conference for the third straight year, the Pirates won their fourth state title under Altobelli in 2019, a season in which Altobelli earned ABCA/Diamond Sports National Pacific Association Division Coach of the Year honors. With the 2019 title win, Altobelli became just the fifth coach in CCCAA baseball history to win four or more state championships. He remains tied for third-most with ABCA Hall of Fame coach Dennis Rogers who also collected four state titles during his coaching career. Only Wally Kincaid (Cerritos) and Scott Pickler (Cypress), also members of the ABCA Hall of Fame, have won more CCCAA state titles.
In all, his teams captured seven conference crowns on their way to making eight State Final Four appearances. For his career, Altobelli earned CCCAA State Coach of the Year honors four times in addition to his eight conference Coach of the Year honors. He was also named the ABCA/Diamond Sports Regional Coach of the Year for Southern California in 2009 and 2018.
As a player, Altobelli was a standout outfielder at both Newport Harbor and then at Golden West College. Altobelli transferred to the University of Houston, where he was a team captain and two-year starter in the Cougar outfield. As a senior, he led the Cougars to the NCAA Regional Finals, bringing them one game from advancing to the College World Series. Following college, Altobelli played one season of professional baseball with the Miami Marlins of the Florida State League.
While at Orange Coast, Altobelli also managed the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League from 2012-14. Prior to his tenure at Orange Coast which began in 1992, Altobelli served as an assistant at UC Irvine and the University of Houston.
Altobelli earned his Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from the University of Houston in 1987, then, picked up a master's degree in education from Azusa Pacific University the following year.
Dave Barnett, Flagler College (Fla.)
The 2021 season marked Dave Barnett’s 34th season as head coach at Flagler College (Fla.). The winningest coach in program history, Barnett’s career coaching record stands at 982-791 (.554). Through the 2019 season, he ranked eighth in wins among active NCAA Div. II coaches and ranked 24th in all-time victories.
Barnett, who was inducted into the Flagler Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016, also the served as Flagler’s Athletics Director from 1994-2009, playing an instrumental role in the school’s transition to NCAA Div. II. During his 15 years as Athletics Director, Flagler added women's golf, women's soccer and fast-pitch softball to the athletics program. He oversaw the construction of the baseball stadium (2000), the softball stadium (2008) and major renovations to the soccer field and Flagler Gym. Under Barnett’s leadership, the program won two Florida Sun Conference Commissioner's Cups and Barnett was named NAIA Region XIV Athletics Director of the Year in 2001.
As a member of the NAIA, Barnett’s teams qualified for conference tournament and regional play 16 out of 20 seasons before transitioning to NCAA Div. II status in 2009. Since their inaugural season as part of the Peach Belt Conference in 2010, Flagler has made six conference tournament appearances and were crowned regular season co-champs in 2019.
Having coached at every level of the game, Barnett got his coaching start at the high school level. In 1983, he started his coaching career at Jacksonville's Episcopal High. After graduating with a bachelor's from Flagler, Barnett then served as an assistant at the University of Iowa (1984-86) while obtaining a master's in educational administration. He then moved back to Florida to assist at Valencia Community College. From there he was a coach at the Boardwalk & Baseball facility in Haines City, Florida, before accepting the head coaching position at Flagler in 1987.
In the summer of 2002 and 2003, Barnett served as the manager of the Vermont Expos, a Class A affiliate of the Montreal Expos in the New York-Penn League. He also has international coaching experience as he assisted a group of collegiate players participating in Holland as part of the Dutch Haarlem Baseball Week. Barnett was the head coach of a group of high school all-stars who toured and competed against teams throughout Italy.
As a collegiate player, Barnett’s career began at Seminole Community College in Sanford, Florida, before transferring to the University of North Carolina. He led the Tar Heels in batting average in 1978 and helped lead the team to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
Following his successful collegiate career, Barnett signed a free agent contract with the Montreal Expos, and after one season he joined the world famous four-man fast-pitch softball team, "The King & His Court," which featured the legendary Eddie Feigner. He barnstormed the world from 1980-83, and again in 1988, as the team's shortstop.
A 35-year Lifetime ABCA Member, Barnett was inducted into the St. Augustine/St. Johns County Hall of Fame in 2008 and has been a featured clinician at state coaches clinics in Florida, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Colorado and Maryland.
Gary Gilmore, Coastal Carolina University (S.C.) - To be honored in 2023
Gary Gilmore completed his 32nd season as a collegiate head coach in 2021 and his 26th at Coastal Carolina University (S.C.). Combined with his six seasons as head coach at NCAA Div. II USC Aiken (1990-95), Gilmore’s career coaching record sits at 1,254-633-4 (.663). Through the 2020 season, Gilmore ranked fifth in wins among active NCAA Div. I coaches and sixth in win percentage.
In 26 seasons, he has led Coastal Carolina to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, and the Chanticleers have advanced to a Super Regional three times. In 2016, Gilmore took home ABCA/Diamond Sports National Coach of the Year honors after guiding Coastal Carolina to the program’s first-ever national title. In addition, he was named the ABCA/Diamond Sports Atlantic Region Coach of the Year for the second time in his career (2005).
Having guided the Chanticleers to 12 regular season and 13 conference tournament titles, Gilmore has received conference Coach of the Year honors 10 times.
Before returning to his alma mater in 1996, Gilmore spent six seasons as head coach at USC Aiken, where he compiled a 256-102-2 (.711) record. He posted 40-win seasons in his first four years there, including a school-record 48 wins in 1991.
In 1992, he led USC Aiken to the Peach Belt Tournament Championship and the NCAA Div. II postseason. The following year in 1993, the Pacers once again won the Peach Belt Tournament title and advanced all the way to the NCAA Div. II College World Series.
Gilmore was named the ABCA NCAA Div. II Coach of the Year in 1993, as well as the South Atlantic Region and Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year by his peers.
USC Aiken added a regular-season championship title in 1994.
During his stint at USC Aiken, Gilmore coached nine all-conference performers, including one Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year in Adam Riggs, and had nine players drafted.
Prior to his coaching career, Gilmore worked as a scout for the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians.
Gilmore played center field for Coastal Carolina during the 1979 and 1980 seasons where he hit .353 with 69 steals in 90 games as the lead-off hitter. After graduating in 1980, he played professionally in the Philadelphia Phillies organization.
In addition to his ABCA Hall of Fame nod, Gilmore has been inducted into four Halls of Fame and received the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ Jerry Kindall Character in Coaching Award in 2021.
David McDonald, Wheeler (Ga.) High School
Georgia Dugout Club Executive Director David McDonald led the Wheeler (Ga.) High School baseball program from 1979-2010, amassing a career record of 496-322 (.606). He led the Wildcats to the Georgia state playoffs seven times, capturing six region titles while competing in the state’s largest classification. In 2002, the field at Wheeler High School was named David McDonald Field in his honor.
Named the 2004 ABCA/Diamond Sports National High School Coach of the Year, McDonald currently serves as an assistant coach at The Lovett School (Ga.).
McDonald, a 42-year Lifetime ABCA Member, is a three-time Cobb County Coach of the Year and two-time Georgia Dugout Club Coach of the Year and has been named a Metro Atlanta Dugout Club All-Star Coach three times.
Having served on the ABCA’s Lefty Gomez Committee, McDonald is also a charter member of the National High School Baseball Coaches Association (NHSBCA) and a Past President of both the NHSBCA and Georgia Dugout Club. He has been a vital member of the All-American, Field of the Year, Coach of the Year and National Ranking committees for the NHSBCA and served as the District 3 Chair on their Executive Board from 1992-97.
For several years, McDonald was involved with USA Baseball, having coached the gold-medal-winning team that traveled to Taiwan in 2000 and serving as trials coach from 1997 through 1999.
In addition to being a member of the Georgia Dugout Club, NHSBCA and Wheeler Athletic Halls of Fame, McDonald was honored as the recipient of the ABCA/Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award in 2015, an award given annually to an individual who embodies the ABCA Code of Ethics and who models the character traits of honesty, integrity, respect and personal responsibility.
McDonald is a graduate of St. Joseph's High School in Jackson, Mississippi, and went on to play collegiately at Mississippi State.
In March 1995, McDonald was presented the Bronze Star with “V” (Valor) and the Purple Heart by President Bill Clinton for his service in the Vietnam War at a ceremony in Marietta, Ga.
Marty Miller, Norfolk State University (Va.)
In 30 seasons as head coach at Norfolk State (1973-2005), Marty Miller led his alma mater to 12 postseason appearances and a combined record of 718-543-3 (.568). The winningest coach in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) history, Miller’s teams amassed a 584-374-3 (.608) record during their years in the league and captured 17 CIAA championships, earning him CIAA Coach of the Year honors 15 times.
In 1997, Norfolk State honored Miller by building the Marty L. Miller Baseball Field.
Miller, who also served as Norfolk State’s Athletic Director for 15 years (2004-2020), was responsible for several major facilities improvements, including the installation of synthetic turf on the football field that provided other sports teams the ability to practice on a modern outdoor surface. Renovations to the weight room, softball field, track and tennis complex also took place under Miller’s watch.
A standout player for Norfolk State from 1965-68, Miller was the program’s first player to be recognized as an NCAA College Division All-American and was inducted to the Norfolk State Athletics Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach. In both his junior and senior seasons, he hit over .400 and was named an All-CIAA baseball selection, leading the nation in doubles in 1968.
Miller graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1969. An ROTC member in college, Miller was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army after he graduated. While on active duty, Miller was signed by the Minnesota Twins. Miller returned to his alma mater in 1972 as an assistant to baseball coach Bob Andrews. The next season, Miller inherited the head-coaching job, which he held until early in 2005.
Throughout his career, Miller has been recognized as an inductee into multiple Halls of Fame and in 2014, he was honored at the Virginia State Capitol and received resolutions from the Senate and House of Delegates for his induction into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and career accomplishments. In 2019, he was named the recipient of the Old Dominion University Bud Metheny Award, an award given annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to the game of baseball in Hampton Roads.
Paul Page, Ohio Dominican University
Paul Page served 29 seasons as head coach at Ohio Dominican University before retiring in 2016. The winningest coach in school history compiled a career record of 1,007-552-7 (.643) and ranked among the top 13 in career NAIA wins (864) and fifth in win percentage (.683) prior to the program transitioning to NCAA status.
Under Page’s leadership, Ohio Dominican won at least 30 games in a season a remarkable 22 times, including 10 seasons of 40 or more wins. His teams played their way into six NAIA World Series appearances and captured 11 regular season and nine conference tournament championships.
In his time at Ohio Dominican, Page produced 39 All-Americans and 20 Academic All-Americans. Under his tutelage, former Panther southpaw Jonathan Sanchez reached the big leagues and helped the San Francisco Giants to the 2010 World Series title.
The five-time conference Coach of the Year and two-time district Coach of the Year also served as Ohio Dominican’s Athletic Director from 1988-2004. As Athletic Director, Page initiated several of the athletic department’s fundraisers and helped improve and expand many of the school’s athletic facilities.
A native of Williamstown, West Virginia, Page graduated from Muskingum College (Ohio) in 1973, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history and was an all-conference catcher.
After his days as a Muskie, Page continued his education at Mississippi State. He coached for two seasons under ABCA Hall of Fame coach Ron Polk as a graduate assistant before receiving his master’s degree in health and physical education in 1978.
Page would go on to serve as an assistant coach at Marietta College (Ohio), helping to guide the program to NCAA Div. III national titles in 1981 and 1983 before taking over at Ohio Dominican in 1988.
Marty Paulsen, Fond du Lac (Wis.) High School
A baseball coaching legend in the state of Wisconsin, Marty Paulsen completed his 53rd season as head coach at Fond du Lac High School in 2021. Since 1969, Paulsen and his Cardinals teams have won over 600 games. He ranks second in wins all-time and among active coaches in the state of Wisconsin and is the winningest large-school coach in the state. He remains one of only a handful of coaches in the state to have eclipsed both the 500 and 600-win marks.
Under Paulsen, the Cardinals have made seven state tournament appearances across six different decades, and, in 2000, Paulsen led Fond du Lac to a Wisconsin high school state title. His teams continue to find success in the postseason, with the Cardinals making their most recent WIAA State Tournament appearance in 2019.
With over 50 years of service to the school, Paulsen was inducted into the Fond du Lac Athletic Hall of Fame as an individual in 2016 and again in 2018 as part of the team that won the WIAA State Championship in 2000. He was also honored with the Fondy Youth Baseball Meritorious Service Hall of Fame Award in 2006.
Paulsen also coached basketball for the Cardinals for over decade, serving as an assistant from 1971-79 before becoming head coach from 1979-84.
He was named a 2010 ABCA/Diamond Sports Regional Coach of the Year and was honored by the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association (WBCA) as their Coach of the Year in 2000 and their Man of the Year in 2016.
Having been involved with the WBCA nearly since it began, Paulsen has served the association in several capacities. He currently serves as a member of the WBCA Executive Board and was inducted into the WBCA Hall of Fame in 1993.
With his induction, Paulsen will join Tom O’Connell (’07) and Mark Fuller (’15) as the only high school coaches from the state of Wisconsin to be inducted into the ABCA Hall of Fame.
Paulsen has spoken at three past ABCA Conventions (1997, 1998, 2010) and has given clinic presentations in 12 different states, Canada and Norway.
A two-time All-State basketball player at Cable High School, Paulsen graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in business education. He went on to earn his master’s degree in business and marketing education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1971.