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University of Tennessee introduces six new faces to Athletics Hall of Fame

The class of 2019's Athletics Hall of Fame welcomed six newcomers on Monday.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The University of Tennessee announced Monday six new members set to be inducted to Athletics Hall of Fame later this fall. 

The new faces include Doug Dickey, R.A. Dickey, Christine Magnuson, Charles A. "Gus" Manning, Tony Parrilla and Candace Parker.

A celebration will be held during the weekend of Oct. 25 and Oct. 26 honoring the induction class of 2019, which also happens to be the same weekend as Tennessee's home football game against South Carolina.

An induction dinner will be held on campus at the student union on campus on the evening of Oct. 25. The new members will also be acknowledged the next day on the field at Neyland Stadium during the football game.

Tickets for the dinner event will be on sale for $75. The university said tickets go on sale next week but didn't specify which date.

Tennessee Director of Athletics and 2017 Hall of Fame member, Phillp Fulmer, is excited to honor the latest addition to the historic group.

"This collection of Tennessee legends is certainly worthy of this extraordinary honor," said Fulmer.

To be admitted into the University of Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame, selection criteria includes the following areas of consideration:

  • College graduate or departed the university in good academic standing
  • Olympian
  • All-American
  • National Team Member
  • All-SEC (minimum of two times)
  • Conference or National Player/Athlete of the Year
  • University, American or World-Record holder
  • SEC Champion
  • AIAW or NCAA Champion or Top-4 finish

"It's wonderful to celebrate our legendary athletes, coaches and administrators," Fulmer said. "We want to allow our fans to be a part of this memorable evening, and I hope many of them will join us on Oct. 25."

The University of Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame serves as a means to celebrate extraordinary and incredible contributions to the University of Tennessee.

These are the newest additions to the University of Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame. The university shared their accomplishments:

DOUG DICKEY
COACH/ADMINISTRATOR | 1964-69, 1985-2003
In six years as head coach, from 1964 through 1969, Doug Dickey rebuilt the Tennessee football program and guided the Vols to a national championship and two Southeastern Conference titles. He also introduced UT's famous checkerboard end zones and the "Power T" logo. As the university's athletics director for 18 years starting in 1985, he managed a growing budget and administered a massive facilities overhaul. During his tenure as AD, Big Orange teams brought home 10 national championships, 38 SEC titles and captured more than 500 first-team All-America honors while positioning Tennessee as a beacon of intercollegiate athletics excellence.

R.A. DICKEY
BASEBALL | 1994-96
R.A. Dickey is one of the most decorated pitchers in the history of Tennessee baseball. The Nashville native is the program's only three-time first-team All-American (1994-1996) and was named the National Freshman of the Year in 1994 by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper after posting a school-record 15 wins. Dickey followed up his sensational freshman season by helping lead Tennessee to the 1995 College World Series, the program's second overall appearance and first in 44 years. Dickey still holds program records for career victories (38), games started (54) and innings pitched (434.0), while also ranking second in career strikeouts (345).

CHARLES A. "GUS" MANNING
ADMINISTRATOR | 1951-2000
Gus Manning held a plethora of roles during his nearly 50 years of service to the University of Tennessee, including administrative assistant, publicity director, ticket manager, business manager to assistant, associate and senior associate athletics director. The Knoxville native served eight ADs and 11 head football coaches during his career at UT. He attended 608 consecutive Tennessee football games from 1951 to 2003 and also attended 455 consecutive Tennessee football home games, a streak that ended in 2017. From 1960-2016, Manning co-hosted "The Locker Room" radio show which aired on The Vol Network on Tennessee football gamedays and remains the longest, continuous-running sports radio show in the country.

CHRISTINE MAGNUSON
WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING | 2005-08
Christine Magnuson stands as one of the most decorated women in Tennessee swimming & diving history. Magnuson was the 2008 NCAA champion in the 100-yard butterfly and garnered several honors that year, including 2008 SEC Swimmer of the Year and 2008 SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year. She also received the 2008 SEC Commissioners Trophy as the high point-scorer at the SEC Championship meet. An Illinois native, she was a 23-time All-American and a three-time All-SEC performer. Magnuson also was a four-time SEC Champion in three different events (50 free, 100 free, 100 fly) during her career on Rocky Top.

TONY PARRILLA
MEN'S TRACK & FIELD | 1991-94
Tennessee track & field great Tony Parrilla won four NCAA 800-meter titles—three outdoor (1992, 1993, 1994) and one indoor (1994) —during his career as a Volunteer. The Homestead, Florida, native was a nine-time SEC champion, and he captured the outdoor 800-meter title all four years of his career. Parrilla was a 10-time All-American and was named the 1994 SEC Men's Track & Field Outdoor Athlete of the Year. His oldest son, Jose Parrilla, was a member of Tennessee's track & field team for two seasons from 2017-19.

CANDACE PARKER
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL | 2005-08
One of only six Lady Vol basketball players to have her jersey hung in the rafters of Thompson-Boling Arena, Candace Parker led Tennessee to back-to-back national championships in 2007 and 2008 and was named NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player both years. The Naperville, Ill., native was a two-time recipient of both the John R. Wooden National Player of the Year Award and the USBWA National Player of the Year Award. She also was a three-time All-American and All-SEC honoree, ranks third on Tennessee's all-time scoring list with 2,137 career points and was the first woman to dunk in an NCAA Tournament game, doing so twice vs. Army on March 19, 2006. She finished with a school-record seven slams during her career.

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