Per the school press release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Eleven inductees into the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame were announced Saturday by vice chancellor and athletics director Candice Lee, including 2021 class members Jan van Breda Kolff (men’s basketball), Jim Foster (women’s basketball), Harriet Brumfield (women’s basketball), Walter Overton (football), Doug Nettles (football), Ray Morrison (football), Dansby Swanson (baseball), David Williams (athletic director), Dot Poag (administration), Michelle Peloquin (bowling) and Sydney Campbell (women’s tennis).
Members of the class will be recognized Jan. 28-30 with the official induction ceremony taking place Jan. 28 at the Vanderbilt Student Life Center. Following the induction ceremony, the honorees will be recognized at the men’s and women’s basketball games during the weekend. The additions will bring the number of Hall of Fame inductees to 82 since it was established in 2008.
Jan van Breda Kolff (men’s basketball)
One of the all-time great Commodores, Jan van Breda Kolff led the Vanderbilt men's basketball team to an SEC championship as a student-athlete in 1974 and returned to his alma mater where he won 104 games as a head coach.
A 6-foot-7 guard from Palos Verdes, California, Van Breda Kolff was the SEC Player of the Year in 1974 when he led the team in rebounding (9.7/game) and assists (5.0/game), and was named second-team All-America by Converse Yearbook. Van Breda Kolff still holds the school record with 5.38 assists/game during his Commodore career. He remains the only player in school history to average more than 5.0 assists/game in three different seasons, and his 430 total assists still rank fifth all-time at Vanderbilt.
Van Breda Kolff spent seven seasons in the NBA and three in the ABA. He finished his professional career with 3,696 points, 2,572 rebounds, 1,178 assists and 468 blocks.
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Jim Foster (women’s basketball)
Jim Foster, who retired after 40 years on the bench in 2018, guided numerous teams to the apex of college basketball. He was the eighth coach in NCAA women’s basketball history at all levels to earn 900 wins and seventh on the list with a record of 903-347. Foster found success right away at Vanderbilt by making it to the NCAA Elite Eight the first season and the program’s first NCAA Final Four one year later. Legendary Commodores who played for Foster include Chantelle Anderson, Mara Cunningham, Julie Powell, Rhonda Blades, Julie Harris, Sheri Sam and Heidi Gillingham.
The Commodores finished the 1992-93 season ranked No. 1 in the country after winning the SEC Tournament with a 30-3 record. After an impressive run through the NCAA Midwest Regional, Vanderbilt reached the Final Four in Atlanta.
In 11 seasons at Vanderbilt, Foster’s record was 256-99 (SEC, 84-53) with 10 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Foster was asked about his most memorable Commodore teams. Under Foster’s tenure, the Commodores managed to defeat rival Tennessee and Pat Summit on three occasions, including one of the most historic games in Memorial Gym history, a Jan. 30, 1993, win against the top-ranked Lady Vols.
Foster is the all-time winningest coach in Commodore history, the 1985 WBCA Coach of the Year, 1993 United States Basketball Writers Association Coach of the Year, and the head coach for the gold-medal winning teams at the 2002 World Championships for Young Women and 1997 World University Games.
Harriet Brumfield (women’s basketball)
Harriet Brumfield helped guide the Vanderbilt women’s basketball to its first 20-win season and first bid to the AIAW National Tournament in 1982. Brumfield was the first Commodore to earn All-SEC honors, doing so three times. She led the Vanderbilt in scoring during three of her four seasons in Nashville. The Tampa, Florida, native left Vanderbilt as the program's all-time leading scorer and she still ranks third with 1,956 points. In addition, she is one of three Commodores to grab over 1,000 career rebounds.
Brumfield still ranks among the program's top-10 for points in a game by a freshman, field goals made in a game, free throws made in a game, rebounds in a game, points in a season, field goals made in a season, free throws made in a season, rebounds in a season, career points, career rebounds and career minutes played.
Walter Overton (football)
A pioneer at every level, Walter Overton was among the first Black football players at Vanderbilt. The Nashville native was an all-state quarterback at Pearl High School before becoming the first Black quarterback to sign with the Commodores. He was moved to receiver as a sophomore and capped his Vanderbilt career with 46 receptions for 692 yards and four touchdowns. He concluded his collegiate career playing in the Peach Bowl, as Vanderbilt tied Texas Tech, 6-6.
Overton signed with the Green Bay Packers and was cut just before the season. He signed with Birmingham in the World Football League, but the league folded and he returned to Nashville to earn his law degree. He worked in several capacities for Metro Nashville and state government, while also serving as the Small & Minority Business Coordinator for the city.
In 2001, Overton joined the Nashville Sports Authority as its executive director. After serving in that role for five years, Overton became general manager of Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans, until retiring in the spring of 2021. He has continued serving the game of football as a head referee at the high school level and was inducted into the Metro Nashville Public Schools Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.
Doug Nettles (football)
Doug Nettles was one of the first Black student-athletes to play football at Vanderbilt and the first to play in the NFL.
Nettles began his collegiate football in 1970 for Commodores’ head coach Bill Pace in an era where freshmen were ineligible for varsity competition. The 6-foot, 180-pound cornerback would start in his sophomore season never giving up his position through his senior year. He excelled on special teams returning kickoffs that placed him in the Vanderbilt record book.
Nettles led Vanderbilt in kickoff returns for all three seasons he played. He left Vanderbilt as the all-time return leader in yardage (1,450), including a 95-yard touchdown, good for sixth all-time. Nettles would play in the Blue-Gray Classic and the Senior Bowl. It was at the postseason all-star games where Nettles’ draft stock rose.
The Baltimore Colts drafted Nettles in the fifth round (129th overall). In his rookie season, Nettles played in 13 games with four starts. He notched seven career interceptions with four blocked punts. After retiring from the NFL, Nettles was in medical sales for 20 years. He later became a teacher.
Ray Morrison (football)
The hand-picked successor of Dan McGugin, Ray Morrison was a first team All-American for Vanderbilt before succeeding McGugin as head coach. Morrison played for the Commodores from 1908-11, helping Vanderbilt to a 30-6-2 record during his time. McGugin called him the greatest quarterback he ever saw as Morrison piloted Vandy to a 16-1-1 mark over his final two seasons. The lone setback came, 9-8, at the hands of Michigan.
Morrison went on to be the first football coach at Southern Methodist from 1915-16 before returning to Vanderbilt in 1918 when he served as interim coach while McGugin was in the military. Morrison returned to Southern Methodist in 1920 and introduced the forward pass to the Mustangs, capturing three Southwest Conference titles. Morrison returned to Vanderbilt upon McGugin's retirement, coaching at his alma mater for four seasons. He was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1937. He concluded his career coaching at Temple and Austin College.
Dansby Swanson (baseball)
Dansby Swanson starred three seasons for the Vanderbilt baseball team. A middle infielder for the Commodores, Swanson helped Vandy to two College World Series final appearances, including a 156-54 record across his three years. A native of Marietta, Georgia, he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2014 College World Series as the Commodores captured the program’s first ever national championship. Swanson concluded his Vanderbilt career by being selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft with the first overall pick, becoming just the second student-athlete in school history to be drafted No. 1 overall.
After advancing through the minors while being traded to Atlanta, Swanson made his Major League debut in 2016 and has been a mainstay in the lineup for the Braves since 2017. In 2021, he knocked in three runs in the World Series, helping the Braves to their first world championship since 1995.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Eleven inductees into the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame were announced Saturday by vice chancellor and athletics director Candice Lee, including 2021 class members Jan van Breda Kolff (men’s basketball), Jim Foster (women’s basketball), Harriet Brumfield (women’s basketball), Walter Overton (football), Doug Nettles (football), Ray Morrison (football), Dansby Swanson (baseball), David Williams (athletic director), Dot Poag (administration), Michelle Peloquin (bowling) and Sydney Campbell (women’s tennis).
Members of the class will be recognized Jan. 28-30 with the official induction ceremony taking place Jan. 28 at the Vanderbilt Student Life Center. Following the induction ceremony, the honorees will be recognized at the men’s and women’s basketball games during the weekend. The additions will bring the number of Hall of Fame inductees to 82 since it was established in 2008.
Jan van Breda Kolff (men’s basketball)
One of the all-time great Commodores, Jan van Breda Kolff led the Vanderbilt men's basketball team to an SEC championship as a student-athlete in 1974 and returned to his alma mater where he won 104 games as a head coach.
A 6-foot-7 guard from Palos Verdes, California, Van Breda Kolff was the SEC Player of the Year in 1974 when he led the team in rebounding (9.7/game) and assists (5.0/game), and was named second-team All-America by Converse Yearbook. Van Breda Kolff still holds the school record with 5.38 assists/game during his Commodore career. He remains the only player in school history to average more than 5.0 assists/game in three different seasons, and his 430 total assists still rank fifth all-time at Vanderbilt.
Van Breda Kolff spent seven seasons in the NBA and three in the ABA. He finished his professional career with 3,696 points, 2,572 rebounds, 1,178 assists and 468 blocks.
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Jim Foster (women’s basketball)
Jim Foster, who retired after 40 years on the bench in 2018, guided numerous teams to the apex of college basketball. He was the eighth coach in NCAA women’s basketball history at all levels to earn 900 wins and seventh on the list with a record of 903-347. Foster found success right away at Vanderbilt by making it to the NCAA Elite Eight the first season and the program’s first NCAA Final Four one year later. Legendary Commodores who played for Foster include Chantelle Anderson, Mara Cunningham, Julie Powell, Rhonda Blades, Julie Harris, Sheri Sam and Heidi Gillingham.
The Commodores finished the 1992-93 season ranked No. 1 in the country after winning the SEC Tournament with a 30-3 record. After an impressive run through the NCAA Midwest Regional, Vanderbilt reached the Final Four in Atlanta.
In 11 seasons at Vanderbilt, Foster’s record was 256-99 (SEC, 84-53) with 10 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Foster was asked about his most memorable Commodore teams. Under Foster’s tenure, the Commodores managed to defeat rival Tennessee and Pat Summit on three occasions, including one of the most historic games in Memorial Gym history, a Jan. 30, 1993, win against the top-ranked Lady Vols.
Foster is the all-time winningest coach in Commodore history, the 1985 WBCA Coach of the Year, 1993 United States Basketball Writers Association Coach of the Year, and the head coach for the gold-medal winning teams at the 2002 World Championships for Young Women and 1997 World University Games.
Harriet Brumfield (women’s basketball)
Harriet Brumfield helped guide the Vanderbilt women’s basketball to its first 20-win season and first bid to the AIAW National Tournament in 1982. Brumfield was the first Commodore to earn All-SEC honors, doing so three times. She led the Vanderbilt in scoring during three of her four seasons in Nashville. The Tampa, Florida, native left Vanderbilt as the program's all-time leading scorer and she still ranks third with 1,956 points. In addition, she is one of three Commodores to grab over 1,000 career rebounds.
Brumfield still ranks among the program's top-10 for points in a game by a freshman, field goals made in a game, free throws made in a game, rebounds in a game, points in a season, field goals made in a season, free throws made in a season, rebounds in a season, career points, career rebounds and career minutes played.
Walter Overton (football)
A pioneer at every level, Walter Overton was among the first Black football players at Vanderbilt. The Nashville native was an all-state quarterback at Pearl High School before becoming the first Black quarterback to sign with the Commodores. He was moved to receiver as a sophomore and capped his Vanderbilt career with 46 receptions for 692 yards and four touchdowns. He concluded his collegiate career playing in the Peach Bowl, as Vanderbilt tied Texas Tech, 6-6.
Overton signed with the Green Bay Packers and was cut just before the season. He signed with Birmingham in the World Football League, but the league folded and he returned to Nashville to earn his law degree. He worked in several capacities for Metro Nashville and state government, while also serving as the Small & Minority Business Coordinator for the city.
In 2001, Overton joined the Nashville Sports Authority as its executive director. After serving in that role for five years, Overton became general manager of Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans, until retiring in the spring of 2021. He has continued serving the game of football as a head referee at the high school level and was inducted into the Metro Nashville Public Schools Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.
Doug Nettles (football)
Doug Nettles was one of the first Black student-athletes to play football at Vanderbilt and the first to play in the NFL.
Nettles began his collegiate football in 1970 for Commodores’ head coach Bill Pace in an era where freshmen were ineligible for varsity competition. The 6-foot, 180-pound cornerback would start in his sophomore season never giving up his position through his senior year. He excelled on special teams returning kickoffs that placed him in the Vanderbilt record book.
Nettles led Vanderbilt in kickoff returns for all three seasons he played. He left Vanderbilt as the all-time return leader in yardage (1,450), including a 95-yard touchdown, good for sixth all-time. Nettles would play in the Blue-Gray Classic and the Senior Bowl. It was at the postseason all-star games where Nettles’ draft stock rose.
The Baltimore Colts drafted Nettles in the fifth round (129th overall). In his rookie season, Nettles played in 13 games with four starts. He notched seven career interceptions with four blocked punts. After retiring from the NFL, Nettles was in medical sales for 20 years. He later became a teacher.
Ray Morrison (football)
The hand-picked successor of Dan McGugin, Ray Morrison was a first team All-American for Vanderbilt before succeeding McGugin as head coach. Morrison played for the Commodores from 1908-11, helping Vanderbilt to a 30-6-2 record during his time. McGugin called him the greatest quarterback he ever saw as Morrison piloted Vandy to a 16-1-1 mark over his final two seasons. The lone setback came, 9-8, at the hands of Michigan.
Morrison went on to be the first football coach at Southern Methodist from 1915-16 before returning to Vanderbilt in 1918 when he served as interim coach while McGugin was in the military. Morrison returned to Southern Methodist in 1920 and introduced the forward pass to the Mustangs, capturing three Southwest Conference titles. Morrison returned to Vanderbilt upon McGugin's retirement, coaching at his alma mater for four seasons. He was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1937. He concluded his career coaching at Temple and Austin College.
Dansby Swanson (baseball)
Dansby Swanson starred three seasons for the Vanderbilt baseball team. A middle infielder for the Commodores, Swanson helped Vandy to two College World Series final appearances, including a 156-54 record across his three years. A native of Marietta, Georgia, he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2014 College World Series as the Commodores captured the program’s first ever national championship. Swanson concluded his Vanderbilt career by being selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft with the first overall pick, becoming just the second student-athlete in school history to be drafted No. 1 overall.
After advancing through the minors while being traded to Atlanta, Swanson made his Major League debut in 2016 and has been a mainstay in the lineup for the Braves since 2017. In 2021, he knocked in three runs in the World Series, helping the Braves to their first world championship since 1995.
