2021 Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame

The 2021 Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame Inductees and their families will be honored on Sept. 7, 2021, at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville.  For ticket information or sponsorship opportunities, contact Julie Howell at jhowell@louisvillesports.org / (502) 587-6742.

Comprising the 44^th KSHOF class are: John Asher, a media and public relations expert who became known as Mr. Kentucky Derby; Dwane Casey, member of the 1978 University of Kentucky (UK) NCAA Basketball National Champions who earned NBA Coach of the Year honors; Romeo Crennel, a football star at Western Kentucky University (WKU) with 39 years’ coaching experience in the NFL, including five Super Bowl wins as a defensive coordinator; Rachel Komisarz Baugh, an SEC-champion swimmer at UK and assistant coach at the University of Louisville who set five U.S. records and one world record and earned Olympic gold and silver; Keith Madison, former record-setting baseball coach at UK who is a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame; and Elmore Smith, an All-American basketball player who led Kentucky State University (KSU) to back-to-back NAIA Championships who still holds the NBA single-game record for blocked shots.

Click HERE for more information about this year’s class.

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Eligibility Criteria

To be considered for nomination to the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame (KSHOF) fueled by the Kentucky Lottery candidates must meet at least one of the following criteria:

1. Kentucky native and must have lived in Kentucky long enough to have participated in the sports he/she is being considered for induction, or participated in in a significant way.
2. Longtime Kentucky resident - especially during the time he/she participated in sports activity.
3. Played college sports in Kentucky and made some type of lasting impact or contribution in the state beyond his/her playing years.
4. Participated in college or professional sports in the state for an extended period of time or had a major impact on sports in the state over several decades.
5. Coached high school or college sports in Kentucky for an extended period of time (decades, not years) and is retired, unless the tenure exceeds three decades.

The following are age/tenure guidelines for consideration.
1. Athlete – first year after retirement; or age 40 if still competing
2. Coach / Administrator – minimum age 50
3. Media – minimum 25 years on the job
4. Official – minimum 25 years on the job and retired

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Selection Criteria

All candidates under consideration for the KSHOF must meet at least one of the following criteria.

1. Made a major impact on sports in Kentucky.
2. Kentucky native/resident who distinguished him/herself at a high level in sports activity outside the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

In addition to the above eligibility and selection criteria, all candidates must have represented themselves with dignity and class.

There are five categories for which a candidate will be considered for induction. 

1. Athlete: Level/length of play. Records. Wins / winning percentage. MVP. Championships. All-Pro / All-American. Halls of Fame. Accolades.
2. Coach: Level / length of tenure. Winning percentage. Championships. Halls of Fame.
3. Administrator: Length of tenure. Program’s success. Accolades. Legacy.
4. Media: Length of tenure. Award recognition by peers. Status in the industry. Level of work.
5. Official: Length of tenure. Level of participation. Post season assignments. Accolades.

The following achievements carry significance during the evaluation process:

1. Olympic medalist
2. World record holder by a recognized sports governing body
3. Inducted into a recognized sports hall of fame
4. Multiple-year all-pro and/or MVP over an extended period of time
5. Led team(s) or earned individual, major national, or world championship(s)
6. Contributed to the advancement of sports in Kentucky and/or nationally

There will be no restrictions on any candidate based on gender, sexual orientation, nationality / country of origin, religion, or place of residence.

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Selection Process

The public is encouraged to nominate individuals for consideration based on defined eligibility and selection criteria.

All nominations are reviewed by a screening committee that is comprised of sports experts and community volunteers. This committee will evaluate all nominations based on the criteria and provide a selection committee with a list of candidates.

The selection committee is comprised of sports media from throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The committee members will review the list of candidates and vote for their top five candidates using a 10-7-5-3-1 point system (1st place – 10 points; 2nd place – 7 points; 3rd place – 5 points; 4th place – 3 points; 5th place – 1 point). A designated number of candidates with the most points will be selected as those to be inducted.

All votes are independently tabulated by regional accounting firm Dean Dorton, one of the largest accounting and advisory firms in Kentucky, with offices in Louisville and Lexington. No member of the Louisville Sports Commission board or staff will receive or tabulate votes.

2021 Selection Committee Members

The Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee is comprised of the following members of the media from across Kentucky:

• Jeff Bidwell, WPSD-TV
• Drew Deener, ESPN Radio
• Jody Demling, iHeart Media
• Mike Fields, retired Lexington Herald Leader staff writer
• Jason Frakes, Courier Journal
• Kendrick Haskins, WAVE 3
• Reina Kempt, Courier Journal
• Zack Klemme, The Daily Independent
• Mark Mathis, Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer
• Marques Maybin, ESPN Radio
• Brian Milam, WKYT-TV
• Steve Moss, WKYT-TV
• Kevin Patton, The Gleaner
• Kent Spencer, WHAS-TV
• Mark Story, Lexington Herald-Leader

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Louisville Sports Commission staff
supporting the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame

Karl Schmitt Jr., President & CEO
502-587-6716 – office
502-262-2807 – cell
kschmitt@louisvillesports.org

Julie Howell, Vice President, Revenue Development
502-587-6742 – office
502-376-6450 – cell
jhowell@louisvillesports.org

Lisa Mills, Director, Marketing and PR
502-814-0200 – office
502-689-2976 – cell
lmills@louisvillesports.org

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History

The Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame (KSHOF) fueled by the Kentucky Lottery was founded in 1963 to recognize athletes and sports figures who were born in, or who played their respective sport in, the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Each inductee is recognized with a bronze plaque that historically has been showcased at Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky. After a hiatus in the 1970s and 1980s, the KSHOF was reinstated. Its volunteer board of directors aligned with Kosair Charities, which provided administrative support and oversaw the banquet In return, Kosair Charities was the beneficiary of an annual donation. In 2018, when Kosair Charities ended its longtime relationship with the event, the KSHOF board unanimously voted to allow the Louisville Sports Commission to oversee and administer all aspects of the KSHOF.

KSHOF inductees by year: