Thursday, February 11, 2010

USA South Conference inaugural Hall of Fame class includes two NCWC icons

The USA South Athletic Conference has announced its inaugural Hall of Fame class.

The 2010 class includes six former student athletes, three coaches and one administrator. The inductees will be officially honored and recognized during the final day of the USA South Basketball Tournaments at Christopher Newport University on Feb. 27.

USA South Commissioner Rita Wiggs stated, "The USA South Athletic Conference (formerly the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) was established in 1963. A strong tradition of exciting teams, outstanding student-athletes and stellar coaches and administrators has filled the 46 years of the Conference’s history.

"Establishing this Conference Hall of Fame gives us a platform to honor those outstanding individuals who played, coached and guided the Conference administratively through the years. This inaugural class is comprised of exceptional student-athletes and coaches and one of the founding fathers of the Conference. We look forward to a moving and memorable induction ceremony."

North Carolina Wesleyan College has two members in the Hall's first class.

Mike Fox led the NCWC (1983-1998) baseball program for 15 seasons. He compiled a 540-141-4 record, good for an .800 winning percentage.

His 540 wins ranks 15th all-time in NCAA Division III baseball. Fox led the Bishops to 10 Conference titles, 14 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, eight NCAA Division III Regional crowns and the 1989 National Championship. He earned seven Conference Coach of the Year honors, eight NCAA Division III South Region Coach of the Year accolades and one national Coach of the Year honor. A total of 29 players under Fox garnered NCAA Division III All-American honors, while 55 were selected as first team All-Conference members.

Currently, he is in his 12th season as head baseball coach at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Fox was named Baseball America's National Coach of the Year in 2008.

Don Scalf taught for 36 years, coached for 18 years and coached for 18 years and served as Athletic Director for six years at NCWC.

During his coaching career, Scalf's teams won Conference championships in basketball (1966) and golf (1970, 1971, 1972, 1973). He earned Conference Golf Coach of the Year honors on four occasions.

In addition to his role as the first coach in both Bishop basketball and golf history, he also served as head coach for the College's inaugural women's volleyball team in 1974. A founding father of the USA South (then the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) in 1963, Scalf served as its Secretary-Treasurer for 25 years.

For this reason, the conference presents its prestigious Don Scalf Award to one deserving male and female student-athlete on a yearly basis.