ACU Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025 Announced
Lance Fleming & Ron Hadfield
7/11/2025
ACU Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025 Ceremony
Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, at 6 p.m.
Hunter Welcome Center
Tickets: $40 per person or $350 for a reserved table of eight
Registration closes Wednesday, Oct. 22
For more information, contact Wildcat Annual Fund director Anthony Egbo
One of the most electrifying players in Abilene Christian University football history, one of the top scorers in women’s basketball program history, a record-setting decathlete, two of the top tennis players in ACU history, a legendary football and men’s basketball standout, and three Lifetime Achievement Award winners will take their place among the university’s athletics greats later this fall when they are inducted into the ACU Sports Hall of Fame.
This year’s inductees are Charcandrick West (’16) from football; Leon Morgan (’57), who played football and men’s basketball; Mack (Lankford ’15) Feaster from women’s basketball, men’s track and field standout Camille Vandendriessche (’09), women’s tennis star Jaclyn (Walker ’11) Withrow; and Hans Hach Verdugo (’13), arguably the greatest player in ACU men’s tennis history. Also being inducted as Lifetime Achievement Award winners are former Texas high school football coaching legend Sam Harrell (’79) and twin sisters Tippy Browning (’67) and the late Patty Browning (’67), who devoted nearly five decades to co-coaching volleyball teams at Lamesa (Texas) High School.
The Class of 2025 will be celebrated during the hall’s induction ceremony on Friday, Oct. 31, at 6:30 p.m. in the McCaleb Conference Center of the Hunter Welcome Center.
With the addition of the eight members of this year’s class, the ACU Sports Hall of Fame now includes 264 men and women.
Here's a look at each of this year’s honorees:
Charcandrick West
Football (2011-13)
An electrifying presence in the Wildcats’ backfield, West showed up unannounced and unheralded after transferring to ACU from Louisiana Tech, where he committed to in 2010 to play cornerback. But he showed up in Abilene during summer training camp and wasted no time making an impression. … In his third game as a Wildcat, he carried the ball 10 times for 111 yards and caught two passes for 43 yards in ACU’s 47-7 win over East Central on Sept. 18, 2010. … He finished the season with 47 carries for 350 yards and three touchdowns and helped ACU to its third and final Lone Star Conference title as ACU went 11-0 in the regular season, finishing 11-1, after reaching the NCAA Division II playoffs for the fifth straight season.
West is fourth in all-time rushing touchdowns (28), fifth in single-season rushing touchdowns (14 in 2013), fifth in career touchdowns (35), and 10th in career points scored (210). … He is also sixth in career all-purpose yards with 3,823 (2,058 rushing and 1,007 receiving) and joins Bernard Scott (4,321 rushing yards and 1,391 receiving yards) and Wilbert Montgomery (3,047 rushing yards and 1,070 receiving yards) as the only three Wildcats in program history with at least 2,000 career rushing yards and 1,000 career receiving yards.
He had his best season as a Wildcat senior in 2013 when he carried the ball 145 times for 906 yards and 14 touchdowns, helping ACU open its NCAA Division I era with a 6-5 record. … He had four rushing touchdowns in a game twice that season: in a 60-17 win over McMurry on Sept. 7, and in a 65-45 win at Prairie View in the season finale on Nov. 16. … He was a 2011 honorable mention All-LSC selection.
West signed a free-agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2014 and played five seasons with the Chiefs (2014-18). … West was named the starter for the rest of the 2015 season after starter Jamaal Charles tore his ACL in an Oct. 11 loss to Chicago. He finished the year with 160 carries for 634 yards and four touchdowns, with 20 receptions for 214 yards and one touchdown. … He finished his career with 268 carries for 998 yards and seven touchdowns and another 77 catches for 589 yards and six touchdowns.
Leon Morgan
Football & Men's Basketball (1953-57)
Leon Morgan was an outstanding two-sport athlete for the Wildcats, excelling in football and basketball. … On the football field, he lettered four years, playing tight end the first three seasons (1953-55) before being moved to tackle as a senior in 1956. … The Wildcats won a Texas Conference tri-championship in 1953; in Morgan’s junior season of 1955, they won the Gulf Coast Conference championship. … As a senior in 1956, Morgan was voted a team captain and was selected first team All-Gulf Coast Conference at tackle. He was also voted honorable mention Associated Press Little All-American.
On the basketball floor, Morgan helped lead Dee Nutt’s team to a Gulf Coast Conference championship as a senior in 1956-57. … He averaged 14 points per game that season and led the Wildcats in rebounding. He earned first-team All-Gulf Coast Conference honors for his play. In three NAIA District 8 playoff games against Wayland Baptist to end the season, Morgan scored 55 points, averaging 18.3 points per game with a season-high 26 coming in the first game of the best-of-three series to determine the district champion. … As a junior in 1955-56, he averaged 10.4 points per game and was voted second team All-Gulf Coast Conference.
After graduating from ACU in 1957, he served in the Army from January 1958 to December 1959. … After an honorable discharge, he entered a career in high school coaching and education that spanned 33 years (1961-93). … He was the head football coach at Justin Northwest in 1961, and later served as the head coach and athletics director at Mansfield from 1968-77. He led his team to district championships in 1969 and 1970 and was named the district’s Coach of the Year in 1970.
From 1977-93, he served in various administrative positions at schools around the Metroplex, including Grapevine High School, Gunn Junior High School in Arlington, Arlington High School, and later in the Arlington ISD Administrative office.
Mack (Lankford) Feaster
Women's Basketball (2010-13)
Daktronics third-team All-American in 2011-12. … first-team Daktronics All-Region in 2011-12. … second-team Daktronics All-Region in 2010-11 and 2012-13. … Lone Star Conference Freshman of the Year in 2011. … Three-time first-team All-Lone Star Conference. … Two-time first-team Academic All-Lone Star Conference. … Academic All-Lone Star Conference honorable mention as a freshman. … Two-time ACU Most Valuable Player.
Led team in scoring all three years with point-per-game averages of 18.1, 21.5, and 14.1. … She is one of six players in women’s basketball history (through the 2024-25 season) to lead the team in scoring in at least three seasons, joining ACU Sports Hall of Famers Teresa Rubart, Claudia Schleyer, Anita Vigil, Jennifer Clarkson, and Melanie Carter.
Tied ACU record with 14 free throws made vs. Tarleton State. … Scored a single-game career-high 38 points vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville. … In her three seasons, she played 75 games and scored at least 20 points in 26 of those games and 30 or more points nine times.
In her junior season (2012-13), she led the Wildcats to the Lone Star Conference regular-season championship, the program’s last title at the NCAA Division II level before moving to NCAA Division I affiliation. … In back-to-back key victories over Tarleton State (Feb. 9, 2013) and Midwestern State (Feb. 13, 2013), she scored 31 points against the TexAnns in an 86-70 win and then played arguably the best game of her career at MSU.
In the latter, she scored 33 points on 10 of 16 shooting from the floor (5 of 9 from 3-point range), was 8 for 9 at the free throw line, and added four assists and five steals in an 85-72 victory that pushed the Wildcats into a first-place tie with MSU atop the league standings.
Camille Vandendriessche
Men's Track & Field (2007-09)
Selected to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches NCAA Division II Hall of Fame in February 2024. … Vandendriessche won NCAA DII combined events titles all four times he entered – the decathlon outdoors from 2007-09 and the inaugural indoor heptathlon in 2009. … His decathlon wins made him the first DII athlete to win three consecutive combined event titles, and all four of his victories helped ACU finish high as a team – national titles outdoors in 2007 and 2008 (the Wildcats were second outdoors and third indoors in 2009).
A strong second-day performer in the decathlon, he scored in four of those events individually as a sophomore at the 2007 Lone Star Conference Championships.
In 2008 and 2009, he swept a trio of awards: USTFCCCA NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Scholar Athlete of the Year, Lone Star Conference Male Field Athlete of the Year, and LSC Male Academic Athlete of the Year in both 2008 and 2009.
Jaclyn (Walker) Withrow
Women's Tennis (2007-11)
One of the great players in ACU women’s tennis history, Walker was a three-time NCAA Division II All-American in singles (2009, 2010, and 2011) and a two-time NCAA Division II All-American in doubles (2010 and 2011). … She was the 2008 Lone Star Conference Freshman of the Year after posting a 19-3 singles record and a doubles mark of 21-3, helping the Wildcats win the LSC team championship.
She was first-team all-LSC in doubles as a sophomore and was the LSC Player of the Year and first-team all-conference in singles and doubles as a junior in 2009-10. … She was first-team all-LSC in singles and doubles as a senior in 2010-11.
In her four seasons, Walker helped the Wildcats to a combined record of 104-26, four LSC team championships, four NCAA Division II South Central Region championships, one NCAA Division II South Central Super Region title, and four trips to the NCAA Division II national tournament. … ACU reached the semifinals in her sophomore season (2008-09) and the quarterfinals in her senior season (2010-11).
She won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) College Division regional doubles championship and advanced to the national tournament in Mobile, Alabama, in her junior and senior seasons. … She partnered with Dina Pavlin as a junior in Fall 2009 to finish third in the country and teamed up with Julia Mongin as a senior in Fall 2010 to finish third at the national tournament.
Individually, she was 75-20 in singles (19-3 as a freshman, 20-5 as a sophomore, 17-6 as a junior, and 19-6 as a senior) and 98-22 in doubles (21-3 as a freshman, 26-6 as a sophomore, 27-7 as a junior, and 24-6 as a senior).
Hans Hach Verdugo
Men's Tennis (2010-13)
Generally regarded as the greatest player in ACU men’s tennis history, Verdugo was a three-time NCAA Division II All-American from 2011-13 and is the first Wildcat to play in a professional Grand Slam event. … Verdugo finished his career with a record of 63-16 in singles and 68-13 in doubles. … Verdugo was a three-time Lone Star Conference Player of the Year and three-time first-team all-LSC selection in singles and doubles.
He was a 2013 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) third-team Academic All-American and earned two first-team Academic All-District selections. … He was also a two-time Academic All-LSC pick.
In the spring of his senior season (2013), Verdugo ranked No. 6 nationally in singles and No. 17 in doubles with partner Guilherme Gesser, and he was also selected the ITA South Central Region Senior Player of the Year. … Verdugo was a Capital One/CoSIDA third-team Academic All-America and first-team Academic All-District VI. … He was also selected as an LSC Scholar-Athlete and was a member of the LSC All-Academic team.
A three-time USTA/ITA South Central Region singles champion, Verdugo was the national runner-up at the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships as a senior in Fall 2012. … He was third that year in doubles at the National Small College Championships and received the James O’Hara Sargent Sportsmanship Award.
In the fall of his junior year (2011), he won the USTA/ITA regional singles championship, finishing third at the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships. … In the spring of his junior season (2012), Verdugo finished 24-4 in doubles and 27-1 in singles, earning Division II All-American honors in each. … His only four losses in singles were all to Division I players, and he finished the season ranked No. 6 nationally in singles. … The Wildcats won LSC and South Central Region championships, earning a spot in the Division II National Tournament, where they reached the quarterfinals.
Verdugo burst onto the scene as a sophomore in Fall 2010 by winning the ITA South Central Region titles in singles and doubles. … He finished fifth in singles at the USTA/ITA Small College Championships. … In the spring of his first season (2011), he was an ITA All-American in singles and doubles, posting a singles mark of 21-5 and a doubles record of 23-4.
The LSC Player of the Year, Verdugo led the Wildcats to a 20-10 record, the LSC team title, the regional team title, and a spot in the Division II National Tournament, where they reached the national quarterfinals.
As a professional, Verdugo is ranked No. 137 worldwide in doubles on the ATP Tour. … He reached a career-best ranking of No. 60 worldwide in July 2022. … He and his partner John Isner played in the 2023 Australian Open, and later that month, he won the ATP Challenger Tour stop in Cleveland.
Verdugo has played doubles in all four Grand Slam tournaments: Australian Open (2023), French Open (2022), Wimbledon (2022), and the U.S. Open (2018 and 2022). … He’s also 3-1 in Davis Cup competition, playing for his native Mexico.
Sam Harrell
Lifetime Achievement Award
A 1979 ACU graduate, Sam Harrell is a Texas high school football coaching legend. He was a student-athlete in track and field and football at ACU, but he made his name in the coaching ranks in football, winning three state championships and more than 240 games. He played quarterback and defensive back for the legendary head coach Gordon Wood at Brownwood before moving on to Abilene Christian.
After graduating Summa Cum Laude from ACU, Harrell began his coaching career as an assistant football and basketball coach at Plainview High School. Following four years at Plainview and nine years as an assistant at Brownwood High School, Harrell was hired as head coach and athletic director at Reagan County High School. He was named the West Texas Class 3A Coach of the Year in 1991.
After four years at Reagan County, where he achieved a 38-6 record and two 10-0 regular seasons, Harrell moved on to Ennis High School, where he continued to make his mark by winning Class 4A state championships in 2000, 2001 and 2004. He led the Lions to 13 consecutive playoff seasons, recorded nine 10-win seasons, and posted a 153-51 record. He secured the 2001 championship with his son Graham as the starting quarterback. Graham would go on to a legendary high school career and a career at Texas Tech that landed him in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Harrell retired after the 2009 season due to complications from multiple sclerosis. He underwent stem cell treatments in Panama, after which he regained his strength and returned to coaching as the offensive coordinator at Fort Worth Christian High School, helping the Cardinals win a state championship in 2014.
He spent the 2017 season as the offensive coordinator at Southwestern Assemblies of God University (now Nelson University) before returning to Ennis as head coach in 2018. He posted a record of 52-28 over seven seasons before retiring again with two games left in the 2024 season when his MS returned.
In 23 seasons as a head coach, Harrell retired with a career record of 241-87 and three state championships. Harrell received numerous awards during his career for his coaching ability and impact on his student-athletes and communities, including five different coach of the year awards and the Texas High School Coaches Association Tom Landry Award. The Landry Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the game of football by a Texas high school coach.
He has also been inducted into the Gordon Wood Hall of Champions, the THSCA Hall of Champions, the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame, and the Big Country Sports Hall of Fame.
Patty & Tippy Browning
Lifetime Achievement Award
Twin sisters Tippy (’67) and Patty (’67) Browning spent nearly five decades coaching Lamesa (Texas) High School volleyball. After graduating from ACU, Tippy taught at Ingleside (Texas) High School while Patty taught at Elkton (Maryland) Junior High School. After that first year, they had the opportunity to coach together in the Lamesa ISD, leading them to the small town between Lubbock and Midland, where they never left. In Fall 1968, they began 47-year careers as physical education teachers and volleyball coaches.
In Lamesa, they served as the head volleyball coaches, winning 937 matches and the 1986 Class 4A state championship. Tippy also served as the eighth-grade volleyball coach and the middle school girls coordinator of athletics
Girls’ basketball was added to the district athletic program in 1976, and both Patty and Tippy have also served as basketball coaches in the system since its inception, along with taking on roles as track coaches. During their 47 years together in Lamesa, they logged 324,140 miles traveled on a bus.
As co-head coaches in the volleyball program, they coached 770 high school athletes, increasing to more than 1,000 when including middle school athletes who did not play in high school. They coached 26 all-state players, 14 Texas Girls High School Coaches Association all-star players, 181 all-district players, and 28 academic all-state players. They coached the daughters of 41 former Golden Tornado volleyball players and had several former players coach alongside them over the years.
They posted a winning record in 44 of their 47 seasons while leading the Golden Tornado volleyball program, guided 33 teams to the playoffs, won 21 district championships, and had 11 district runner-up finishes. They coached 10 teams to the regional tournament, achieving four regional championships and three regional runner-up positions. They made four trips to the state tournament, resulting in one state title and one state runner-up finish.
They retired once as coaches in 2013 after 47 seasons, only to be re-hired to work on the high school and middle school yearbooks.
The Texas House of Representatives recognized them in 2015, the same year they were inducted into the Texas Girls Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Patty coached through the pain of a knee injury from a high school basketball game that limited her mobility. She endured numerous surgeries and coached while on crutches, using a cane or sitting in a wheelchair, and died Jan. 21, 2025, at age 79.