Yahoo Movies Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame names four 2022 inductees. See who made it.
A women’s sports pioneer, a longtime UK administrator, a former college and pro football star and a one-time Harlem Globetrotter comprise the 2022 induction class of the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame.
Former University of Kentucky women’s basketball coach Sue Feamster, current UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart, ex-University of Louisville running back Michael Bush and former Kentucky Wesleyan College basketball standout Dallas Thornton were announced as this year’s class on Thursday by the Louisville Sports Commission.
Inductees for the 45th class of the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame were chosen based on votes from a 17-member selection committee comprised of media members from around the commonwealth, along with the Bygone Era Selection Team.
The 2022 class members and their families will be honored on Aug. 22 at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville. For ticket information or sponsorship opportunities, contact Julie Howell at jhowell@louisvillesports.org or (502) 587-6742.
“The KSHOF class of 2022 recognizes four outstanding individuals who represent a broad spectrum of sports and occupations — individuals who had a major impact on sports in the commonwealth and on the national stage,” said Louisville Sports Commission President and CEO Karl F. Schmitt Jr. “Sue Feamster’s role championing girls’ and women’s sports is compelling and a fitting way for the KSHOF to celebrate the 50th anniversary year of Title IX legislation. The selection of Michael Bush and Dallas Thornton acknowledges the long history of outstanding athletes from Male High School, the University of Louisville and Kentucky Wesleyan. And the selection of Mitch Barnhart celebrates the ongoing success of UK athletics under his tenure dating back more than two decades.”
In alphabetical order, here is a closer look at the 2022 inductees:
Mitch Barnhart: Barnhart is in his 20th year as athletics director at Kentucky. Barnhart oversees one of the few self-sustaining college athletic programs in the country, one that annually meets its budget, gives back to the university, and produces winning teams in numerous men’s and women’s sports that are competitive with their peers athletically and academically.
Under Barnhart’s watch, UK has opened a new baseball stadium, upgraded its football stadium and practice facilities, built a new basketball practice facility and worked with Central Bank Center on a renovation of Rupp Arena, among many other facilities projects. In 2019, Barnhart was named the nation’s athletic director of the year by the Sports Business Journal. He has also served on selection committees for NCAA men’s basketball and the College Football Playoff.
Wildcats teams have won national championships in men’s basketball, rifle and volleyball, along with numerous Southeastern Conference titles, during Barnhart’s tenure.
Michael Bush: Bush played six seasons in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders and Chicago Bears after a standout career at the University of Louisville. Bush rushed for 3,250 yards and 29 touchdowns and caught 104 passes for 1,010 yards and two TDs as a pro.
Kentucky’s 2002 Mr. Football from Male High School, Bush played quarterback, running back and return man at U of L, scoring 41 career TDs and rushing for 2,508 yards despite missing almost all of his senior season with a broken leg.
Bush was a key player in one of the most memorable high school state championship games in Kentucky history, dueling with Trinity QB Brian Brohm in a 59-56 loss in 2002 in which Bush threw for 468 yards and six touchdowns and ran for 116 yards and another score in 2002.
Sue Feamster: Feamster was the first head coach of the UK women’s basketball team — and UK’s first women’s athletics director — after federal legislation referred to as Title IX revolutionized the opportunity for girls and women to take part in sports at all levels of education.
This year is the 50th anniversary of congress’s approval of Title IX in 1972, which barred discrimination in all educational programs and activities at schools that receive federal funding. Feamster created a women’s varsity sports program from scratch after the law was approved, choosing which sports to include, developing budgets, recruiting athletes and hiring the first varsity coaches.
Dallas Thornton: Thornton was a two-time All-America basketball player and two-time NCAA champion at Kentucky Wesleyan College. His No. 22 jersey has been retired by the Panthers and he’s a member of the school’s athletics Hall of Fame. The 6-foot-4 guard totaled 1,929 points and 903 rebounds while starting 112 consecutive games from 1964 to 1968.
Thornton played two professional seasons with the Miami Floridians of the American Basketball Association, then want on to perform with the Harlem Globetrotters from 1970-83.
