Via Kansas Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Six Kansas Jayhawks will be inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Sunday in Topeka.
There are 12 total inductees in the Class of 2024, including Dave Bingham (baseball coach), Mark Mangino (football coach), Ron Neugent (swimming & diving), Kelly Rankin (baseball/track & field), Scott Russell (track & field) and Mark Turgeon (basketball) who have KU ties. Others being honored include Erik Kynard (track & field), Melvin Lister (track & field), Kevin Saunders (Paralympian), Will Shields (football), Sean Snyder (football) and Annette Wiles (basketball).
The 2024 induction ceremony is Sunday, Oct. 13 at the Hotel Topeka City Center in the Sunflower Ballroom at 1717 SW Topeka Boulevard. The reception begins at 5 p.m. and the program at 6 p.m. Tickets for event can be purchased here.
University of Kansas Honorees (from the KSHOF press release):
DAVE BINGHAM – Palo Verde (Ariz.) H.S., 1966 / Emporia State University, 1972
- Played two seasons of baseball at Emporia State in 1969-70 and returned as head coach in 1973.
- Led Hornets to a 557-270-2 record from 1973 to 1987 and the 1978 NAIA National Championship.
- Selected District 10 Coach of the Year 11 times and was named NAIA Coach of the Year three times.
- Posted a 249-225 record at KU from 1988 to 1995, including two NCAA tournaments and one NCAA College World Series appearance in 1993.
- Served as an assistant coach at New Mexico and Nebraska from 2005 to 2011.
- Served as head coach for the U.S. in the 1984 World Cup in Havana, and as an assistant coach for the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, 1988 Baseball World Cup.
- Inducted to the Emporia State Athletics Hall of Fame, the NAIA Hall of Fame, the University of Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame and the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame
MARK MANGINO – New Castle (Pa.) H.S., 1974 / Youngstown State University, 1987
- Began coaching career as a student assistant under Bill Narduzzi and Jim Tressel at Youngstown State.
- Moved to the high school ranks where he was offensive coordinator at Geneva (Pa.) and head coach at Lincoln (Pa.) high schools.
- Returned to college football as an assistant coach under KSHOF inductee Bill Snyder in 1991 at Kansas State.
- Served as an assistant coach under Bob Stoops at Oklahoma from 1999 to 2001, where he won the Frank Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant in 2000.
- Served as head coach at the University of Kansas from 2002 to 2009. Led KU to a 50-48 overall record and four bowl games, including a win in the 2007 Orange Bowl over Virginia Tech. The Jayhawks finished No. 7 in the final Associated Press poll and were ranked as high as No. 2 that year.
- Named AFCA, Associated Press, Eddie Robinson, George Munger, Home Depot, Paul “Bear” Bryant, Sporting News, Walter Camp, Woody Hayes, and Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2007.
- Inducted to the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 and the KU Booth Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.
RON NEUGENT – Wichita East H.S., 1978 (Wichita Swim Club)/SMU/University of Kansas, 1983
- Swam for the Wichita Swim Club in High School and was one of the top ranked youth swimmers nationally. Club was founded by KSHOF inductee and former Kansas track Coach Bob Timmons.
- Over the course of two years at Kansas, set five school and two Big Eight records and won two Big Eight individual titles. His mark in the 1650 freestyle still ranks as one of the best at KU and in Big Eight history.
- Transferred to KU from SMU, where he earned All-America honors by finishing 11th in the 1650 freestyle at the NCAA Championships. He also finished second in the 1650 freestyle at the Southwest Conference Championships.
- A member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team and the 1981 U.S. National team that traveled to Moscow.
- In 1979, he gained national recognition when he won the 1500-meter freestyle at the World University Games.
- On Sept. 5, 1982, he set an American record for a 25-meter pool in the 1500-meter freestyle (15:01.77).
- Has 15, top 10 U.S. Masters Swimming performances, including 4 firsts, 5 seconds and 3 thirds.
KELLY RANKIN – Clay Center H.S., 1958 / University of Kansas, 1962
- Competed in baseball and track and field at KU.
- Teammate with KSHOF Inductees Billy Mills and Bill Dotson.
- Began officiating career in 1968 in gymnastics and track and field.
- Officiated five Big Eight Championships in gymnastics from 1968 to 1972.
- Served as head track and field starter for: two Olympic Games in 1984 and 1996; three U.S. Olympic Trials in 1976, 1980, and 1996; two NCAA Indoor Championships; eight NCAA Outdoor Championships; 37 NAIA Indoor Championships; 34 NAIA Outdoor Championships.
- Only American to be selected as head starter for two Olympic Games.
- Inducted to the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1987, the Emporia State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003, USA Track and Field Officials Hall of Fame in 2012, and the Clay Center High School Hall of Fame in 2020.
SCOTT RUSSELL – F.J. Brennan Catholic (Ontario, Canada) H.S., 1997 / University of Kansas, 2002
- Two-time NCAA track and field national champion: 2002 outdoor javelin and 2002 indoor weight throw.
- Six-time All-American selection: indoor hammer throw in 1998, 1999, 2001, and 2002; outdoor javelin in 1999 and 2002.
- Won three indoor conference titles in hammer throw in 1999, 2001, and 2002; won six outdoor conference titles in javelin in 1998, 2000, and 2002, and hammer throw in 1999, 2000, and 2002.
- Set a KU school record in javelin in 2001 with a throw of 81.66m (267-11 ft.).
- Named 2002 Big 12 Conference Outdoor Performer of the Year 2002.
- CoSiDA Academic All-American selection.
- Set Kansas Relays javelin record in 2011 with a throw of 268-11 feet.
- Finished 10th in the 2008 Olympics in the javelin representing Canada.
- Inducted to the KU Booth Family Hall of Athletics and the Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
MARK TURGEON – Topeka-Hayden H.S., 1983 / University of Kansas, 1987
- At Hayden HS, part of two teams as a junior/senior that went 47-3 and won 2-State 4A Championships (1982-83). Two-time All-State selection.
- At Kansas, first basketball player to compete in four NCAA Tournaments, including 1986 Final Four; Was selected to Big Eight All-Freshman team 1984
- Career: 479-275 (.635) – Jacksonville State University Head Coach 1998-2000; Wichita State University Head Coach 2000-2007 (MVC Champions; Coach of Year 2006 / 1 NCAA Tournament and 3 NIT Tournaments); Texas A&M University Head Coach 2007-2011 (4 NCAA Tournaments); University of Maryland Head Coach 2011-2021 (Big Ten Coach of Year 2016, Big Ten Championship 2020 / 5 NCAA Tournaments, 1 NIT Tournament).
- Assistant Coach at Kansas 1987-1992 (NCAA Championship 1988, Final Four 1988, 1991); Oregon 1992-97; Philadelphia 76ers 1997-98.
