STATESBORO, Ga. - Honoring six former Eagle student-athletes and one former coach, the Georgia Southern University Athletics Department will induct its 2010 Hall of Fame class during the weekend of October 29-30, 2010. Director of Athletics Sam Baker made the announcement Thursday (July 1).
The 2010 Hall of Fame class includes: Tara Chaisson (women's soccer), Pat Douglas (football), Greg Hill (football), Paul Johnson (football coach), Stacey Scheible (women's swimming), Jeff Shireman (baseball) and Britta Wilms (women's tennis). The seven individuals will officially be inducted on Friday, October 29 at 7 p.m. at the Hall of Fame dinner in the Gene Bishop Field House. The new inductees will be introduced during a halftime ceremony at the Georgia Southern-Samford football game at Paulson Stadium on Saturday (Oct. 30).
The class of 2010 was chosen by the selection committee from a list of 79 names on the 2010 ballot. The list includes student-athletes, coaches, administrators and supporters who have been nominated in previous years as well as those first-time individuals proposed for the honor. The Hall of Fame selection criteria includes a 10-year eligibility moratorium for all student-athletes and a five-year period for coaches and administrators. A Hall of Fame class is chosen once every two years and only one non-student-athlete per class may be selected for induction.
"The Hall of Fame provides us with the opportunity to honor individuals who have had a major impact on our program," said Georgia Southern Director of Athletics Sam Baker. "These seven individuals will join the 107 members of the Georgia Southern Athletics Hall of Fame during our induction weekend in the fall. Each one exemplified success and we will celebrate their accomplishments as Eagles and for their contributions to their teams, the department and the university."
TARA CHAISSON Women's Soccer, 1996-99
pronounced CHASEN
NSCAA All-Region second team (1999)... named SoCon Player of the Year (1999)... four-time member of the All-SoCon team... selected as the SoCon Freshman of the Year (1996)... three-time All-SoCon first team selection... second-team pick in 1997... two-time pick for the All-SoCon Tournament team... Georgia Southern and SoCon career record holder for points (161) and goals (59)... assisted on 43 goals in her career, best in the program and third in the SoCon... holds Georgia Southern single-season records for most points with 50 (1998) and most assists with 16 (1998)... fourth on the SoCon season list for her 50 points in 1998 and tied for ninth for 1999 total (43)... shares season goals record (17) with Robin Thirsk (2000) and with her own 1998 and 1999 goals ... also owns third, fourth and seventh spots on the season chart for points... ranked in the Top 10 four times during her career for single-season marks for goals... 16 assists in 1998 places her fifth among the SoCon single-season leaders in that category... wore number 11... selected in 2008 to the Women's Soccer team in recognition of the SoCon's 25th anniversary of women's championships.
PAT DOUGLAS Football, 1982
First team captain in the modern era of Georgia Southern football... he was also the first player to earn a football scholarship... led the team in interceptions with six and was fourth in tackles with 48... leader of the "Gnat Pack"... the Eagles' top punt returner with 20 returns for 177 yards... wore number 9... later joined the coaching staff and served as the secondary coach for three years, including the National Championship season of 1985.
GREG HILL Football, 1996-1999, Assistant Coach 2002-2003
Quarterback for 1999 National Championship team... led squad to back-to-back title game appearances in 1998 and 1999 as well as 1997 quarterfinals appearance... 1999 and 1998 Eagle teams were first (551.7 yards per game) and second (492.6 yards per game), respectively, in national rankings for total offense... has four of the top 15 single-game rushing performances of all time (highest 238 yards vs. Florida A & M in 1997 playoff game)... 226-yard passing game against Wofford in 1998 ranks among the top-15 single-game passing performances... owns the mark for most seasons rushing and passing for more than 1,000 yards in a career for 1998 and 1999 seasons... holds the GS record for highest average gained per play during the 1999 season with a 9.1 yard average... amassed 6,675 yards of total offense, only the second player in Eagle program history to rush and pass for more than 3,000 yards in his career... ranks fifth with 49 career touchdowns and sixth on the career rushing yardage list (3,309)... third on the career passing Top 10 list with 3,369 yards and 22 career touchdowns... shares the record for most touchdowns in a single game with four... career completion percentage is second on the Georgia Southern career list at 56.1... ranked in the single-season Top 10 for rushing yardage twice - sixth with 2,346 rushing yards (1999) and eighth with 2,254 yards (1998)... holds the number-seven and 10 spots on the single-season passing yardage chart with 1,262 yards in 1999 and 1,193 yards in 1998... accounted for 294 points scored during his career to rank sixth in the Eagle record book... Football Gazette honorable mention for All-American in 1998 and 1998 ... Sporting News third-team All-America selection in 1999... two-time All-SoCon first team selection (1998, 1999)... 1999 SoCon Offensive Player of the Year... four-year letterwinner... wore number 10... served as an assistant coach for Georgia Southern in 2002 and 2003 ... assistant football coach at Statesboro High School with responsibilities for coaching running backs.
PAUL JOHNSON Football, Assistant Coach/Head Coach
Assistant coach from 1983-86... started as defensive line coach, promoted to offensive coordinator in 1985... helped the offense set numerous records, posting a combined 26-4 record from 1985-86 and won the first two I-AA National Championships in program history... in that span coached four All-Americans... became the Eagles head coach in 1997... won two more National Championships (1999, 2000) and led team to 1997 playoff and 1998 title game appearance... advanced to semifinals in 2001... in five years as head coach posted a 62-10 record (.861 winning percentage)... won five straight Southern Conference championships... tied or broke (individual and GSU) 379 team, Southern Conference, playoff or Paulson Stadium records... also ranked among the Top 10 nationally in 21 statistical categories in that span... produced 31 All-Americans, including 1999 Walter Payton Award winner Adrian Peterson... two-time SoCon Coach of the Year... 1998 Eddie Robinson Award winner as I-AA National Coach of the Year... went on to be the head coach at Navy for six years, posting a 45-29 record... led the Midshipmen to a bowl game the last five years... currently the head coach at Georgia Tech... led the Yellow Jackets to double digit wins and competed for an ACC title in his second season (2009)... 2004 Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year... 2007 finalist for Liberty Mutual National Coach of the Year... 2003 finalist as National Coach of the Year... two-time AFCA I-AA National Coach of the Year (1999-2000)... three-time AFCA Region II Coach of the Year.
STACEY SCHEIBLE Women's Swimming, 1989-93
pronounced SHY-bull
Arguably the best all-around swimmer in program history... held Georgia Southern records in each of the four strokes (butterfly, backstroke, breast stroke and freestyle)... beaten only three times in her career... previously held eight Eagle records, one of which stood for 14 years... swam a school best 1:06.30 in the 100-yard breaststroke... previously held the school record in the 200-yard breast with a time of 2:23.98... her record of 2:08.12 in the 200-yard individual medley stood for 14 years before Kimberly Morris swam a 2:07.70 in 2006... held the school record time of 4:36.45 in the 400-yard IM, which she set in 1991... was a member of the 200-yard medley relay, 400-yard medley relay, 200-yard freestyle relay and 800-yard freestyle relays all of which set Georgia Southern records.
JEFF SHIREMAN Baseball, 1985-1988
Selected to the NCAA Coaches All-Region team in 1988, the same season he earned Player of the Year honors for the Trans America Athletic Conference... named to All-TAAC Eastern Division squad twice (1987 and '88) as a middle infielder... third in career runs scored with 203... tied for second in career doubles (61) and has fourth-longest hitting streak (23 in '88) in school history... also stands sixth all-time in games played (229), ninth in at-bats (852), fifth in hits (290) and third in walks (146)... wore number 7... drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1988 draft... inducted into the Mason Clements Wall of Fame at Georgia Southern in 2009.
BRITTA WILMS Women's Tennis, 1995-98
Four-year letterwinner for the program... twice earned All-Southern Conference honors in singles play (1997-98)... received all-conference honors all four years in doubles action... helped win three SoCon regular season titles and two tournament championships... ranked as high as 28th nationally in doubles during the 1996 season... three-time SoCon champion in doubles... compiled 62-12 career record in singles play and 56-5 in doubles action... a perfect 30-0 career Southern Conference mark in singles play and 30-0 in doubles play.
