Mocs Announce 2026 Hall of Fame Class

The Chattanooga Mocs announced the Class of 2026 Hall of Fame inductees Thursday afternoon. This group includes six new members spanning four different decades in the rich, championship history of Mocs athletics.

Gary Davis (Men's Basketball, 1962-65), Willie Greenway (Football, 1985-88), Jacob Huesman (Football, 2012-15), Russ Huesman (Player & Coach), Kari Krouse Swafford (Volleyball, 2000-03) and Larry Meierotto (Wrestling, 1980-83) are the six newest entries into this ledger.

The Hall of Fame also recognizes four individual award winners. Those include Diane Wolford (Gordon Davenport Award), David Williams (Joe Morrison Award), McKenna Faychak (Scrappy Moore Award) and Ron Hall (Harold Wilkes Award).

The UTC Athletics Hall of Fame was established to formally recognize outstanding contributions to the heritage and tradition of the University's intercollegiate athletics program. A total of 257 individuals have been inducted during special ceremonies held each year.

This year's class will be honored at halftime of the Oct. 10 visit from Samford. The 1 p.m., kickoff at Finley Stadium is a matchup of old rivals. Tickets can be purchased at the link here. The Hall of Fame can be accessed by clicking here.

Below is a brief biography on each member of the 2026 class.

Class of 2026 UTC Athletics Hall of Fame
Gary Davis – Men's Basketball – 1962-65
Willie Greenway – Football – 1985-88
Jacob Huesman – Football – 2012-15
Russ Huesman – Football – 1978-81 (Player) | 2009-16 (Coach)
Kari Krouse (Swafford) – Volleyball – 2000-03
Larry Meierotto – Wrestling – 1980-83

Award Winners
Gordon L. Davenport Award – Diane Wolford
Joe Morrison Award – David Williams
A.C. "Scrappy" Moore Award – McKenna Faychak
Harold Wilkes Award – Ron Hall

Gary Davis – Men's Basketball – 1962-65
Gary Davis holds a very special place in the storied history of Chattanooga Mocs basketball. Davis is the FIRST 1,000-point scorer in school history. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Education and stayed in the Chattanooga area where he coached for 46 years covering the sports of basketball, football, volleyball, fastpitch softball and track. He is credited with being the first coach to introduce fastpitch softball to north Georgia and captured league and tournament championships in girls and boys basketball, softball and volleyball.

Willie Greenway – Football – 1985-88
Willie Greenway is a 2-time AP All-American for the Mocs winning the honor in 1986 and again in 1988. He was team MVP in 1986 and All-SoCon in '86 and '88 as well. Greenway is one of four Mocs with a 150+-tackle season and one of nine to amass 300+ for a career doing it in three years. He helped key a top 20 double to start the 1987 season with wins over No. 3 Eastern Kentucky (10-0) and at No. 18 Furman (16-14).

Jacob Huesman – Football – 2012-15
Huesman is the most decorated quarterback in school history as well as a 2-sport athlete (track & field). He was a 3-time Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year and the league's Athlete of the Year in 2016. Huesman twice finished as a finalist for the Walter Payton Award while serving as a 2-time All-American. Four of the five best completion percentages in the school record books bear his name. He still holds career records for passing (8,197), rushing (4,051), passing TDs (64), rushing TDs (43), TDs responsible for (107) and total offense (12,248). He led the Mocs to SoCon titles in 2013, 2014 and 2015 along with the deepest FCS Playoff run reaching the 2014 quarterfinals.

Russ Huesman – Football – 1978-81 (Player) | 2009-16 (Coach)
While Russ is certainly deserving consideration as a player for this honor as a 2-sport athlete (baseball), it's his 8-season coaching reign that puts him over the top. He is the winningest Mocs coach in the SoCon era winning 59 games, second only to CFB Hall of Famer Scrappy Moore. Huesman was charged with restoring the glory and that he did winning SoCon titles in 2013, 2014 and 2015 as well as Coach of the Year in 2009, 2013 and 2014. He led the Mocs to three FCS Playoff appearances and his lone losses over those three runs came at the hands of the No. 1 seed each time by a combined 16 points.

Kari Krouse (Swafford) – Volleyball – 2000-03
Krouse is one of the most impactful volleyball Mocs in school history. She holds the school and SoCon career record for aces (290) and is second in kills (1,625). Her stunning serve led the team in aces in each of her four seasons. She is the only player in program lore to 1400+ digs and kills. Krouse was All-SoCon all four seasons, three on the first team. She completed her career earning a berth on the 2003 AVCA All-South Region squad and was a member of the SoCon's 100-year Anniversary Team.

Larry Meierotto – Wrestling – 1980-83
Meierotto is a 3-time Southern Conference Champion winning at 167 in 1980 and 1982 and at 177 in 1981 as well as a 4-time NCAA Qualifier (167-1980, '82 & 177 (1981 & '83). He was the SoCon Championships Most Outstanding Wrestler in his first two title-winning tourneys. Meierotto captured the 177 title in the 1982 Southeastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships.

2026 Hall of Fame Award Winners
Gordon L. Davenport Award – Diane Wolford
Presented for outstanding commitment to UTC Mocs Athletics. The Wolford family has been synonymous with Chattanooga both in the community and with the University. Diane was a majorette while husband, the late Bucky Wolford, starred on the football team. Their impact thrives in the present. All one has to do is walk into the Wolford Center addition to McKenzie Arena and see the state-of-the-art facility that the Mocs boast specifically in football, but that impacts every sport at UTC. Add in the Wolford Family Strength & Conditioning Center on Vine St., and it's easy to see that the name Wolford has been left as an indelible mark on their alma mater.

Joe Morrison Award – David Williams
Presented to a former UTC student-athlete or coach for notable accomplishments and life experience. Williams was a team captain and leading rusher on Mocs football teams from the mid-80s while sharing the locker room with new HOF inductee Willie Greenway. But it's his impact since graduation that leads to this honor. Williams is an accomplished author as well as contributing to numerous civic and community organizations including the United Way, Salvation Army, Gadsden Area Chamber of Commerce, Civic Service Board and the Council for Leaders in Alabama schools.

A.C. "Scrappy" Moore Award – McKenna Faychak
Given to the student-athlete who best personifies the athletic department's vision of achieving excellence. "Kenny" is the Mocs winningest performer in beach volleyball with 82 over her 4-year career. She helped lead the Mocs to three straight Ohio Valley Conference titles in 2024, 2025 and 2026. She earned 2026 OVC Player of the Year and Pair of the Year honors and was a 3-time All-OVC honoree while twice claiming AVCA Top Flight honors (Flight 1). Faychak was a top student as well earning her degree in Exercise Science and is now a first year Physical Therapy student in the nationally recognized University of Pittsburgh medical school.

Harold Wilkes Award – Ron Hall
Established to recognize a volunteer, coach, staff member or University administrator who has demonstrated exemplary leadership in furthering Chattanooga Athletics. Simply known as the "Voice of Finley Stadium". Hall spent 20 seasons on the mic for Mocs football games, but he was so much more than Finley's voice. He also selflessly served on the PA for the women's basketball, wrestling, soccer and softball programs engaged deeply in each sport he worked with over that span. He was not solely the Mocs own, he also served the city as the Chattanooga Lookouts PA announcer. The U.S. Navy veteran was simply everywhere a PA mic was hot prior to retiring this summer.

GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs. Buy officially licensed gear in our online store. The Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook page or Twitter. Find out how to join the UTC Mocs Club and support more than 300 student-athletes by clicking here. Check out the Mocs on the Mic podcast here.

Upcoming Events

Results

Related News

Related Videos

Footer