MONROE, La. - The ULM Athletic Hall of Fame
induction ceremonies are set for Saturday on the campus of ULM. The festivities
will take place on the seventh floor of the ULM Library beginning at 10 a.m.
In part three of a three part series,
ulmwarhawks.com will feature the three inductees - Maria Lindström, James
Folston and Mike Vining - of this year's Athletic Hall of Fame class.
Vining set the standard for the men's basketball
program during his 24 years at the helm of the program.
He is no stranger to the ULM program as he
played four years for Lenny Fant, before beginning his coaching career as a
graduate assistant. Vining left the University to serve in the military for
several years, before returning to serve as a full-time assistant in 1978. He
was promoted to head coach in 1982.
Under his direction, seven players earned
Player of the Year honors, to go along with five Newcomer of the Year honorees and
46 all-conference selections. Vining compiled 401 wins in his career, which is
a school record, and puts him in elite company in the state of Louisiana as
1-of-4 men's basketball coaches with over 400 victories.
"It is a tremendous honor to join the other
members that have made the athletic department what it is today,"
Vining said. "Since I came to NLSC, coached at NLU and retired from
ULM, the university changed more than me. I guess you could say that my
time at ULM made me an old man."
During his time on the court, he directed his
program to seven NCAA Tournament appearances and one National Invitational
Tournament (NIT) bid. Vining was a part of the largest margin of victory (63
points) and four of the top seven winning streaks in program history.
Vining molded hundreds of young men during
his time at ULM. Sixteen of his players were 1,000-point scorers and Mydra
Wojciech set the NCAA record in career blocks in 2002.
"There isn't any one defining moment that
stands alone over a 27 year career," Vining said. "One was being named head
coach by President Vines, after being an assistant for only three years.
Another was our first NCAA appearance during my first season. Going to the NCAA
Tournament four straight years was also very meaningful to me."
Those wishing to attend the ULM Hall of Fame
banquet should contact Nancy Davis at the ULM Alumni Center - 1-866-WARHAWK 1-866-WARHAWK (927-4295).
Cost of the event is $20 per person and tables can be reserved for groups of
eight at $160. In addition, if you would like to be a sponsor of the event
please contact Robert Williamson, Executive Director of the L-Club at (318) 342-1316 or (318) 381-2366.
