LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – Five different Rebel sports will be represented during ceremonies this spring as the UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024 was announced by the school Thursday.
In what will be the hall's 16th all-time ceremony, four former Rebel standout players, one head coach, one team and a longtime staffer will join a distinguished contributor in being inducted on Friday, May 17, at the Strip View Pavilion at the Thomas & Mack Center on campus. The ceremony is open to the public and table sponsorships are available by emailing Mike Ketcham of UNLV Athletics at michael.ketcham@unlv.edu. A limited number of individual tickets are available for purchase ($150) online by visiting
UNLVTickets.com.
The Class of 2024 includes the 1991 Women's College World Series participant UNLV softball team, two former football players from each end of the 1990s – ultra-versatile weapon
Hunkie Cooper who played at six different positions, and star college and NFL defensive end
Talance Sawyer – softball All-American
Christine Parris, and baseball home run champ All-American
Kevin Lofthus. They will be joined by legendary men's golf head coach
Dwaine Knight (who was previously announced in November), former longtime equipment director
Paul Pucciarelli, as well as Distinguished Contributor
Bruce Bayne. In addition, former Rebel quarterback and longtime Southern Nevada sports executive
Steve Stallworth will become the fifth recipient of the prestigious Silver Rebel Award.
"We received a record-number of nominations again this time around and came away with another stellar class after voting by the executive board," said UNLV Director of Athletics
Erick Harper. "We look forward to welcoming them back to campus and celebrating these outstanding Rebel Hall of Famers in May."
Born in 1987, UNLV's Athletics Hall of Fame will now grow to 141 members strong, including both individuals and teams. Under the hall's bylaws, former student-athletes must have completed their eligibility at least 10 years earlier to be selected. Coaches and administrators must have stopped working at the University five years previous. Nominations were accepted from the public in February and then voted on by an executive board that includes representatives from the athletics department, university and community.
UNLV ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2024
1991 UNLV SOFTBALL TEAM
BRUCE BAYNE Distinguished Contributor
HUNKIE COOPER Football Athlete (1990-91)
DWAINE KNIGHT Men's Golf Head Coach (1987-2021)
KEVIN LOFTHUS Baseball Athlete (1987-89)
CHRISTINE PARRIS Softball Athlete (1990-91)
Women's Basketball Athlete (1991-92)
PAUL PUCCIARELLI Staff (1985-2016)
TALANCE SAWYER Football Athlete (1995-98)
SILVER REBEL AWARD WINNER
STEVE STALLWORTH Football Athlete/Sports Executive
CLASS OF 2024 INDUCTEE BIOS
1991 UNLV SOFTBALL
Coached by Hall of Famer Shan McDonald, these Rebels tied for the most wins in program history and earned a trip to the Women's College World Series.
-Record of 49-17-1 overall represents a tie for most wins in UNLV history
-Win percentage of .738 ranks second at the school only behind 1995 Hall of Fame squad
-Posted Big West Conference mark of 25-8-1
-Finished the season ranked No. 5 in the nation after reaching as high as fourth
-Top seed in the NCAA Northeast Regional held at UMASS
-Swept UCONN and No. 20 host UMASS in three games to win the regional event
-Returned to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City
-Fell in the opener in 13 innings to eventual national champion Arizona, 1-0
-Eliminated in a 3-1 loss to No. 12 Florida State
-Set or tied 67 school records during the season
-Team records included most shutouts (28) and lowest ERA (0.62) for the dominant pitching staff
-Boasted two All-Americans and four All-West Region honorees on the roster
-Featured the Big West Coach of the Year and Field Player of the Year
BRUCE BAYNE
Distinguished Contributor
Whether through financial support or donating his time, local businessman and sports official James "Bruce" Bayne's unwavering commitment to athletics on all levels in Southern Nevada is highlighted by his love for his alma mater at UNLV
-A graduate of Western High School, Bayne eventually attended UNLV in the late 1970s
-Served as a football graduate assistant under head coach Harvey Hyde while earning his master's degree
-Coached at local high schools and began his officiating career in 1975
-Went on to officiate high school and collegiate sports and work as an NCAA replay official for the Mountain West
-Supported youth, high school and collegiate sports for more than four decades
-Longtime UNLV donor
-Spearheaded the transformation of UNLV football's Rebel Park under then-head coach John Robinson
-Past president of the UNLV Football Foundation and a founding member of the Runnin' Rebel Basketball Club
-Inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame in 2010
HUNKIE COOPER
Football Athlete (1990-91)
Far and away the most versatile football player in UNLV history and one of the most versatile in college football history, he went on to become arguably the greatest player in Arena Football history.
-Transferred to UNLV after leading Navarro (TX) to junior college national championship as QB
-Played -- and started at least once -- at six different positions as a Rebel – RB, WR, QB, KR, PR & DB
-Totaled 19 tackles and one fumble recovery playing in the UNLV secondary as a senior
-A three-time First Team All-Big West Conference honoree
-One of only three Rebels in history to earn First Team All-League in two different positions (QB/P Randall Cunningham and PR/KR Jacob De Jesus)
-Ranked 11th in the nation in all-purpose yards as a junior
-Led UNLV all-purpose yards, kickoff return yards and punt return yards both seasons in Las Vegas
-His 1,705 all-purpose yards in 1990 still ranks third in school history
-His 11.6-yard career punt return average still ranks third in UNLV history
-One of the greatest Arena Football League players in history
-A legendary figure in Phoenix after a longtime career for the Rattlers
-Inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in 2011
-Led the Rattlers to a pair of AFL championships (1994 and 1997) and was picked as the MVP of the 1997 AFL Championship game
-When he retired in 2005, he was the AFL's all-time leader in nearly all return categories
-In 2001, Cooper was selected to the first team All-15th Anniversary team as both a receiver and linebacker
-Finished his career with nearly 8,559 receiving yards to go along with 196 tackles and 15 interceptions, including seven for a touchdown
-Named the AFL Ironman of the Year in both 1999 and 2000
-Served as UNLV's radio analyst in 1998-99
-Served as head coach of Canyon Springs High School in Las Vegas for six seasons
-Served as assistant football coach at San Diego State for eight seasons
-Returned home in 2023 in newly created position of UNLV Director of Player Development & Community Engagement
-A 2019 inductee into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame
COOPER'S RUSH-REC-PASS STATS
YEAR CAR YDS REC YDS PATT PCMP YDS TD INT
1991 93 436 10 135 54 27 461 2 1
1990 134 573 18 251 25 11 219 3 0
TOTAL 227 1,009 28 386 79 38 680 5 1
COOPER'S KICK RETURN STATS
YEAR KR YDS AVG PR YDS AVG
1991 15 309 20.6 17 186 10.9
1990 35 708 20.2 14 173 12.4
TOTAL 50 1017 20.3 31 359 11.6
DWAINE KNIGHT
Men's Golf Head Coach (1987-2021)
A legendary figure in his sport, the two-time National Coach of the Year built Rebel Golf from near-anonymity into a collegiate powerhouse and produced one team and two individual NCAA Championships during his record-setting tenure.
-Former PGA player who spent 34 seasons as head coach of the men's golf program
-Captured the 1998 national championship in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to mark just the second team title in UNLV athletics history
-Led the Rebels to an unprecedented 22 trips to the national finals and coached them to 11 top-eight finishes
-Saw his team make a NCAA-record 31 straight appearances at the regionals from 1988-2019
-Rebels earned their first-ever No. 1 ranking in 1993 and following the 1997-98 season, the team finished No. 1 in the nation in all polls
-A true teacher of the sport, Knight tutored 48 All-Americans at UNLV, a National Player of the Year, a National Freshman of the Year, a U.S. Amateur Champion, three U.S. Public Links Champions, four Walker Cup participants and eight Palmer Cup representatives
-Coached two players to individual national championships - Warren Schutte in 1991 and Ryan Moore in 2004
-Won eight conference championships and developed 89 all-conference players
-Helped 22 Rebel golfers earn the All-America Scholar award and four were named Academic All-Americans
-A dozen of his players went on to play on the PGA Tour, combining for 31 titles, including Adam Scott's win at the 2013 Masters
-The only two-time winner in the 1990s of the GCAA National Coach of the Year award (1991 and 1998)
-Golfweek National Coach of the Year in 1998
-Earned Coach of the Year honors at the conference level five times (1979, 1989, 1998, 2002 and 2017) and at the district tier four times (District VII in 1981, District VIII in 1991, 1998 and 2005)
-Previously inducted to four Halls of Fame - the Golf Coaches Association of America, the Southern Nevada Golf Association, the Southern Nevada Sports and the Las Vegas Golf
-In 2008, his 1998 National Champion squad was inducted into the UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame, then in 2016 it was inducted into the SNSHOF
KEVIN LOFTHUS
Baseball Athlete (1987-89)
A First Team All-American first baseman slugger who led the nation in home runs and still holds multiple school batting records.
-Two-year letterwinner under coach Fred Dallimore in baseball after transferring
to UNLV from a junior college, where he had an All-America career in Idaho
-A first baseman named First Team All-America by The Sporting News as a senior
-National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball during senior campaign
-Three-time Big West Conference Player of the Week
-1989 Second Team All-Big West
-1987 First Team All-Big West
-1987 First Team All-District VIII
-Led the nation with a UNLV single-season record 26 home runs as a senior in 1989
-Also led the conference in home runs in 1987
-Holds the UNLV record for longest hitting streak at 34 games in 1989
-His 44 career home runs in just two seasons still ranks third in UNLV history
-Hit three home runs in one game vs. Pacific in 1987
-Hit three home runs in one game vs. LSU in 1989
-Played for Team USA in Europe in summer 1984
-Selected in the 47
th Round of the Draft by the Oakland A's
-Spent one Minor League season playing on the single-A level
LOFTHUS CAREER BASEBALL STATS
YEAR G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR SB AVG
1989 60 237 64 87 63 8 1 26 3 .367
1988 INJURY REDSHIRT SEASON
1987 55 196 49 72 56 9 0 18 4 .367
TOTAL 115 433 113 159 119 17 1 44 7 .367
CHRISTINE PARRIS
Softball Athlete (1990-91)
Women's Basketball Athlete (1991-92)
A rare modern two-sport collegiate athlete who earned All-America honors at two different softball positions and went on to play the sport professionally and internationally.
-Two-year letterwinner under coach Shan McDonald in softball after transferring
to UNLV from a junior college
-Also played one season of basketball for head coach Jim Bolla
-One of five multiple-season All-Americans in UNLV softball history
-1991 Third Team All-America (third base)
-1990 Third Team All-America (shortstop)
-1991 Big West Conference Field Player of the Year
-1990 Second Team All-Region
-1991 Second Team All-Region
-Helped 1990 team earn program's first national ranking and NCAA tournament
appearance
-1991 team rose as high as fourth in the nation
-Currently ranks third in UNLV history in career batting average at .377
-Holds school and Big West Conference record for career triples with 19
-Currently ranks eighth in career stolen bases with 37
-1990 batting average of .398 was highest in a season at UNLV (since broken)
-1990 total of 84 hits was highest in a season at UNLV (since broken)
-Holds school record for triples in a season with 13
-Played in 1996 Olympic Summer Games for home nation of Canada
-Played for Tampa Bay of the Women's Professional Softball League
-Won a Gold Medal as a member of 1999 Senior Women`s National Team at the
Pan American Games
PARRIS CAREER SOFTBALL STATS
YEAR G/GS AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB AVG
1991 67/67 219 30 78 35 10 6 0 13 .356
1990 66/66 211 28 84 25 10 13 1 11 .398
TOTAL 133/133 430 58 162 60 20 19 1 24 .377
PARRIS CAREER BASKETBALL STATS
YEAR G/GS MIN FG-FGA FT-FTA REB A BLK PTS AVG
1991-92 9/0 26 2-3 5-6 5 3 1 10 1.1
PAUL PUCCIARELLI
Staff (1985-2016)
Fondly known as "Pooch," he was an innovator in his field while serving in the athletics equipment department for more than three decades.
-Served 31 years in the UNLV Equipment Department
-Final title was Assistant Athletics Director for Equipment & Purchasing
-Retired in summer 2016 and earned University Emeritus status (recognition for distinguished service to the University)
-Joined UNLV in 1985 and moved into head of equipment two seasons later
-Named Director of Equipment in 1999
-Oversaw purchasing for all 17 Rebel sports
-Worked under eight different head football coaches at UNLV
TALANCE SAWYER
Football Athlete (1995-98)
A prodigious pass rusher for the Rebels who was a Sixth Round Draft Pick and turned in a half-decade NFL career.
-A four-year letterwinner under head coach Jeff Horton
-First Team All-WAC 1998
-First Team All-WAC 1997
-One of only three UNLV defensive linemen to earn first team all-league honors more than once (Doc Wise and Aaron Moog)
-Led the WAC in tackles for loss with 22 in 1998
-Led the WAC in tackles for loss with 18 in 1997
-Named both UNLV's Team and Defensive MVP after senior season
-Played in 1999 Hula Bowl
-Ranked nation's No. 15 defensive end by The Sporting News
-Named Preseason All-American by The Sporting News in 1998
-Named seventh best UNLV NFL Draft pick by the Las Vegas Review-Journal
-Named starting defensive end on UNLV All-Time Team by Las Vegas Review-Journal
-Still ranks sixth in UNLV history with 15.5 QB sacks despite only three seasons on defense
-Spent first season lettering as a tight end
-One and only career reception as a Rebel went for a touchdown
-Drafted in sixth round by Minnesota Vikings
-Played five NFL seasons, including starting 32 straight games in 2000-01
-Finished with 11 career quarterback sacks in the NFL
-Had 21 career TFL and an interception for the Vikings
SAWYER'S UNLV CAREER STATS
YEAR UT AT TT SACKS TFL-YD
1998 41 45 86 4.0 22-66
1997 61 24 85 7.0 18-95
1996 29 21 50 4.5 6-22
1995 PLAYED AT TIGHT END
TOTAL 131 90 221 15.5 46-183
2024 SILVER REBEL AWARD WINNER
STEVE STALLWORTH
The Silver Rebel Award was instituted by the UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame Executive Board in order to honor former members of the school's athletics family, such as student-athletes, coaches or staff members, whose primary accomplishments took place after leaving campus but have brought positive recognition to the University. This year's recipient of the Silver Rebel is former Rebel quarterback and longtime Las Vegas sports executive Steve Stallworth. A four-year player from 1983-86, Stallworth as a junior took over as the team's starter following the graduation of Randall Cunningham and left ranked fourth (now sitting 10th) in career passing yards at the school with 3,789 to go with 23 touchdowns. He is well-known in Southern Nevada for his decades serving as a community leader and currently serves as the general manager of the South Point Arena, Equestrian Center and Priefert Pavilion, which is widely regarded as the premier equestrian facility in the United States. Stallworth, who earned the nickname "Strip" while playing for the Rebels, was previously vice president and general manager for the Orleans Arena and associate director of the Thomas & Mack Center, Sam Boyd Stadium and Cox Pavilion. The former director of sports marketing for the UNLV Athletics Department, he went on to work for the Canadian Football League's Las Vegas Posse, the Arena Football League's Las Vegas Sting and the Continental Indoor Soccer League's Las Vegas Dust Devils. He was inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.
-UNLV-
