Phil Andrews was a three-year letterwinner in basketball for East Texas State from 1964-66. Andrews was a three-time All-Lone Star Conference selection, including first team honors in 1964. As a sophomore, Andrews led the conference in scoring with an 18.2 average, finishing with a 16.1 career scoring average. As a senior, he set the Lions’ single-game record for points in a game with 57, doing it twice in the 1965-66 campaign. When his playing career was done, he either owned or shared four different school records, with his records for points in a single game (57) and career free throw percentage (86.6) still standing. Two years after graduation, he was appointed the head coach of East Texas State at just 24 years of age, posting a 9-18 mark in the 1968-69 season. Since leaving Commerce, Andrews has gone on to become a successful coach at numerous levels, including Canadaigua Academy from 1969 to 1983. He led the Braves to the Section V Class AA Championship in 1977 and was honored as the Finger Lakes Coach of the Year in 1982. Later this fall, Andrews will also be inducted into the Section V Basketball Hall of Fame in Pittsford, N.Y., both as a coach and as an all-star player at Middlesex Valley High School.

Patti Bean competed in women’s tennis for East Texas State and was a four-time letterwinner. In Bean’s freshman year she helped the Lions qualify for the AIAW Division II regionals, winning first place in doubles with partner Rita Garcia and was a national qualifier. Bean was the first ETSU women’s team to qualify for a national tournament. As a sophomore she was named ETSU’s Most Valuable Women’s Tennis Player as the Lions captured the AIAW Division II Regional Team Champions. Bean helped lead East Texas State to a second-place team finish at the AIAW Southwest Regional tournament as a junior, finishing first in the doubles championship and second in singles. In her final season at East Texas State, Bean was the Lib Huggins Award winner, given annually to the outstanding female athlete. She capped her career by being named the Outstanding Athlete in TAIAW Division II Tennis, based on athletic performance, sportsmanship and grades. Bean received her Bachelor’s in 1981 and her Master’s degrees 1982 in Special Education from East Texas State University and has been a special education teacher for 21 years. Bean continues playing competitively in the United States Tennis Association team tournaments on five different teams both senior women’s and mixed teams. An avid runner, she has also completed eight marathons, two triathlons and several half marathons.

Dr. Dorothy Ingram came to East Texas State in 1959 as a physical education instructor and began to leave her mark on the Lion athletic program. She served both the athletic department and the school faithfully for over 50 years, serving as a Health and Human Performance professor while also serving the athletic department in a variety of capacities. Ingram served as the athletic department ticket coordinator while assisting the business office with the day-to-day operations of the department. An emeritus professor at A&M-Commerce, Ingram played a key role in the development and establishment of the Honors College and bears a scholarship in her name which is given to graduates of Commerce High School who will attend Texas A&M University-Commerce and is also used to honor an outstanding undergraduate majoring in health, physical education and kinesiology.

Mickey Martin was a four-year letterwinner in men’s tennis from 1961 through 1964. During his time at East Texas State, he set a number of tennis records, including winning 34 matches in a row and finishing with an overall career record of 51- 1. Martin was a key component of the Lions’ tennis teams which won back-to-back Lone Star Conference championships in 1964 and 1965, coached by Lion Hall of Famer Ernest Hawkins. As a senior, he captured both the Lone Star Conference singles and doubles championship. Martin would have qualified for All-America status in both 1963 and 1964 among NAIA schools before it was officially designated by the NAIA. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from East Texas State in 1964. Martin would then go on to serve as a United States Tennis Association umpire and called championship matches for many of the marquee tennis stars of the 1970s and 80s, including John McEnroe. Martin remains active in competitive tennis, competing in the International Tennis Federation Senior Circuit and participates in tournaments across the country, including the USTA Men’s 65 Clay Court Championships.

Eddie Vowell roamed the East Texas State and A&M-Commerce sidelines for 13 seasons from 1986 through 1998, compiling a 72-72-1 overall record. Replacing legendary Lion head coach Ernest Hawkins, Vowell led the Lions to the 1990 Lone Star Conference title and three NCAA Division II playoff appearances. The Lions made their first-ever NCAA playoff appearance in 1990, knocking off perennial powerhouse Grand Valley State in the first round before falling to Pittsburg State in the regional semifinals. Vowell then led the Lions back to the playoffs in 1991, marking the first time since 1957 and 1958 East Texas State had made back-to-back postseason appearances. Once again, Vowell led the Lions to a win over Grand Valley State, coached by current Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, before falling to Pittsburg State. The Lions also made an NCAA playoff appearance in 1995. During his career, Vowell saw 14 of his players move on to play football professionally. Prior to his time in Commerce, Vowell was a successful football and track athlete at Southwestern Oklahoma, winning conference championships in both sports in 1968. Following his time in Commerce, he went on to become an assistant coach of the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League.

Homer B. Johnson has long been regarded as one of the top coaches and athletic administrators in North Texas, having worked for the Garland Independent School District for 60 years. Johnson began his career as an assistant coach at Garland High School in 1948 before becoming head coach in 1958. He then took over as the athletic director for the Garland school system and has served in that capacity for 46 years. Johnson received his master’s degree in education administration from East Texas State University in 1951 and is a member of a number of Halls of Fame, including the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame and the Texas High School Coaches Hall of Honor.

Greg Priest was a member of the East Texas State golf team, earning his bachelor’s degree in health and kinesiology in 1993 and his master’s in physical education in 1995. He spent three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Texas where he helped the Longhorns compile three national top-10 finishes. He is now in his ninth season as the head golf coach at Baylor University, where he has led the Bears to the NCAA tournament in each of his nine seasons with an NCAA Championship appearance in 2010, finishing 24th in the nation.