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TCU Block T Association Announces 58th Hall of Fame Class - TCU Athletics
TCU Athletics and the TCU Block T Association has announced the 58th TCU Athletics Hall of Fame Class that will be inducted in the Fall of 2025. The newest class
TCU Block T Association Announces 58th Hall of Fame Class
Newest class will officially be inducted in September
FORT WORTH – TCU Athletics and the TCU Block T Association has announced the 58th TCU Athletics Hall of Fame Class that will be inducted in the Fall of 2025. The newest class includes a pair of former TCU head coaches and six former student-athletes, to go along with an inductee that was deferred from the 2019 Hall of Fame class.
The nine newest members that will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame on Thursday, Sept. 18, features Julien Brun '15 (men's golf), Matt Carpenter '09 (baseball), Whitney Gipson '12 (track & field), Preston Morrison '15 (baseball), Glen Norris '78 (track & field), Gary Patterson (football), Charles Silmon '14 (track & field), Richard Sybesma (swimming & diving), and Jason Verrett '13 (football).
Patterson (former TCU head football coach) and Sybesma (former TCU head swimming & diving coach) will both be inducted as Special Contributors, while Norris will be enshrined as this year's Vintage honoree. Carpenter, who was elected into the Hall of Fame's Class of 2019, will officially be inducted this year after deferring to conclude his professional baseball career.
"As we celebrate the announcement of TCU Athletics 58th Hall of Fame class, I'd like to thank our Block T Association membership and screening committee, as well as our executive and advisory boards for the time they all put into this process," Director of the Block T Association Jill Kramer said. "TCU Athletics' history is strong, which requires a thorough process to choose each class, and this year was no different. Each member of our 58th class had significant impact on TCU Athletics, whether it be within their own respective teams, throughout TCU's campus, or waving the TCU flag proudly all over the world following their time as a Horned Frog. We are excited to celebrate each one of them, as well as their legacy."
Julien Brun, Men's Golf
Brun is considered one of the most decorated student-athletes in program history after compiling a long list of firsts for TCU men's golf in his three years on campus. He is the only men's golfer to be named first-team all-American three times in a career, earning the honor in 2012, 2013 and 2014. He set school records as a freshman for victories in a season and a career (3), as well as for stroke average. He would go onto match or better those marks the very next year as a sophomore and rounded out his career with a school record nine individual titles. Brun was the third Frog to earn reserve-medalist honors at a NCAA Championship, tying for second-place in 2012 at Riviera Country Club.
Matt Carpenter, Baseball
Carpenter had a standout college career with the Frogs, playing primarily as the team's third baseman from 2005-09. He was a three-time second-team all-Mountain West Conference selection (2006, 2008 and 2009), and left as the school's all-time leader in games played (241) and at-bats (843). He is now third in games played, and fourth in at-bats. Carpenter went on to have success in the major leagues, becoming a three-time All-Star for the St. Louis Cardinals. He led the MLB in hits, runs scored and doubles in 2013, finishing fourth in MVP voting.
Whitney (Gipson) Bright, Track & Field
Gipson is a two-time NCAA National Champion, having set and still holding the school record in both indoor and outdoor long jump events. She tallied an indoor jump of 22' 8" in March 2012 to win the indoor championship and later went onto record an outdoor mark of 22' 10.5" in July of that same year to capture the outdoor championship. Her indoor mark tied the NCAA record at the time. She became TCU's first-ever female track & field athlete to win an indoor and outdoor national championship in the same event. Overall, she earned six all-American honors as a long jumper (three indoor, three outdoor) and also earned an all-American nod as a member of the 2012 4x100 relay team.
Preston Morrison, Baseball
Morrison was a four-time all-American, earning Freshman all-America honors in 2012 and following with third-team (2013), first-team (2014) and second team (2015) all-America selections. He is the only TCU pitcher to throw 400-plus innings in a career and ranks No. 1 all-time with 61 career games started. His 37 career victories rank second to only fellow Hall of Famer Frank Johnstone's total of 38 (1971-74) and he also ranks second all-time with 322 career strikeouts. A four-time all-conference selection, Morrison was named the league's Pitcher of the Year in both the Mountain West Conference (2012) and the Big 12 (2014).
Glen Norris, Track & Field
Norris was a two-time all-American running as the first-leg on both 1975 and 1976 4x400 relay teams. His relay team in 1975 was the first TCU relay team to win a Southwest Conference title and that squad would go onto finish fourth at the NCAA Championships. Norris was also a conference finalist in the 100-yard dash in 1975, while his other accolades included being a finalist in the indoor 60-yard dash that same season.
Gary Patterson, Football
Coach Patterson spent 24 years as a TCU coach for the football team, serving as defensive coordinator from 1998-2000, then as head football coach from 2000-21. He set the TCU all-time coaching record with 181 wins – 72 more than Dutch Meyer who ranks second on the list. Patterson won a total of 22 national coach of the year honors and posted 10 seasons with 11 wins or more. He guided the Horned Frogs to six conference championships, while mentoring 263 all-conference selections, 21 first team all-Americans and 55 NFL Draft picks.
Charles Silmon, Track & Field
Silmon was a 2013 NCAA National Champion, winning the 100-meter event with a time of 9.89. He is a five-time all-American honoree overall, earning honors twice in the indoor 60-meters to go along with three outdoor honors. Silmon was the 2012 Mountain West Conference and 2013 Big 12 Conference indoor champion in the 60-meters, as well as the 2012 MWC indoor champion in the 200-meters. He was a four-time conference champion in the outdoor 100-meters, winning the event three straight years in the MWC (2010-12) and in the Big 12 in 2013. He was also a two-time outdoor champion in the 200-meters (MWC, 2011; Big 12, 2012).
Richard Sybesma, Swimming & Diving
Coach Sybesma served as the longest tenured head coach for any sport at TCU when he retired in 2017, serving 38 years at the helm of the swimming and diving program. After arriving at TCU in 1979, Sybesma guided the Horned Frogs in five different conferences (Southwest, WAC, Conference USA, Mountain West and Big 12) over a span of five decades. The Horned Frogs won seven team conference championships and 16 individual league titles under Sybesma. He produced seven national champions, 18 all-Americans and four Olympians. He is a five-time conference coach of the year.
Jason Verrett, Football
Verrett was a two-time all-American for the Horned Frogs in 2012 and 2013. A three-time all-conference selection (2011-13), he was also tabbed the Big 12 Conference's Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 following a season where he tallied 39 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack. He also led the team and the Big 12 with 14 pass break-ups that season. Verrett was selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, going 25th overall to the San Diego Chargers. He was the highest TCU defensive player selected in the draft since Bob Lilly was taken 13th overall in 1961.
