General

Conference USA Announces 2022 Hall of Fame Class

DALLAS – Conference USA announced its 2022 Hall of Fame Class today. The five-person class is made up of three accomplished student-athletes and two influential coaches. 
 
The 2022 C-USA Hall of Fame class features student-athletes and coaches from five different sports and four institutions. Kelly-Anne Billingy is the first honoree from Marshall and the second volleyball player to be inducted. Anthony Rotich is the first men’s cross country/track and field student-athlete, as well as the first person from UTEP to be selected. Tamika Whitmore from Memphis becomes the third women’s basketball player to receive the honor. Also joining the 31 current members of the Hall of Fame is former Memphis head men’s basketball coach John Calipari. Florida Atlantic softball coach Joan Joyce, who passed away in March, enters the 2022 Class as the first selection from FAU.


“It is our honor to recognize this remarkable group for induction as our fourth Hall of Fame class,” said Judy MacLeod, Conference USA Commissioner. “Each of our 2022 inductees has made their mark on their respective sports and the history of our league. We are appreciative of their contributions and are proud to share their stories, as well as celebrate their legacy to our conference.”

Introducing the C-USA Hall of Fame Class of 2022

The league’s Hall of Fame Committee selects the nominees and the league’s Athletics Directors serve as the voting panel for the C-USA Hall of Fame. The inaugural class made its debut in 2019 with 20 student-athletes, three coaches and two administrators. Current and future C-USA Hall of Fame class size will be a minimum of one inductee and a maximum of five inductees per year. Nominees not selected in this class will remain on the ballot for future years.

Criteria to be eligible for the Hall of Fame includes the following:
  • A minimum of two years played for student-athletes; minimum five years served for coaches/administrators (coaches/administrators in current roles are eligible)
  • Student-athletes are only eligible five years after their last C-USA competition
  • Considerations for student-athletes will be based on but not limited to All-America selections and national honors, C-USA superlative awards, academic standing and off-the-field contributions
  • Considerations for coaches/administrators will be based on contributions to C-USA as a whole
     
2022 CONFERENCE USA HALL OF FAME CLASS
 
Kelly-Anne Billingy, Marshall, Volleyball (2005-07)
  • Three-time C-USA Player of the Year
  • Three-time All-Conference USA
  • Three-time AVCA All-American (four total in her career)
  • Three-time winner of AVCA All-Midwest Region honors (four total in her career)
  • In 2006, Billingy led the nation in kills per game (6.61)
  • Three-time All-Tournament Team honors, including tournament MVP in 2005
  • C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2006 and 2007
  • Led Marshall to the 2005 C-USA regular season and tournament titles and 2007 regular season title
  • Following her collegiate career, Billingy played for the Trinidad and Tobago national team
  • Inducted into the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018
 
Anthony Rotich, UTEP, Track & Field (2012-15)
  • Four-time national champion at UTEP
  • Concluded his collegiate career as an 11-time All-American and multiple C-USA Athlete of the Year award winner in cross country/track and field
  • Captured three-straight NCAA Titles in the 3,000m steeplechase
  • First C-USA student-athlete to win three-consecutive Athlete of the Year awards
  • Concluded his track and field career as the most decorated runner in conference history
  • Racked up 19 conference titles and won a total of 63 races as a Miner
  • As a sophomore, he set the school record in the steeplechase with a time of 8:21.19, claiming the NCAA crown
  • Garnered four conference titles and led the team to back-to-back NCAA Championship appearances, including an 11th-place overall team finish in 2015
  • USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year
  • C-USA Postgraduate Scholarship Award Recipient
 
Tamika Whitmore, Memphis, Women’s Basketball (1995-99)
  • Two-time C-USA Player of the Year (1999, 1998)
  • Three-time First Team All-C-USA selection (1999, 1998, 1997)
  • C-USA Women’s Basketball All-Decade team (1995-2005)
  • 1999 First Team All-American; Led Division I in scoring in 1999
  • Led Memphis to the 1998 C-USA regular season and postseason tournament titles and an appearance in the 1998 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament
  • Played 11 seasons in the WNBA
 
John Calipari, Memphis, Men’s Basketball (2000-09)
  • Three-time C-USA Coach of the Year (2006, 2008, 2009)
  • 2008 Naismith National Coach of the Year
  • 2009 Sports Illustrated National Coach of the Year
  • Won six C-USA regular season championships and four postseason tournament titles
  • Made six NCAA appearances, twice as a No. 1 seed
  • Posted eight-consecutive 20-win seasons, four-consecutive 30-win seasons and earned seven- consecutive postseason bids
  • Led Memphis to the National Championship Game in 2008
  • Won the 2002 NIT Championship
  • Inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2015
 
Joan Joyce, Florida Atlantic, Softball (2014-2022)
  • Enjoyed an illustrious playing career that spanned parts of four decades in numerous sports
  • Named head softball coach at FAU in 1994 with the 2022 season being her 28th with the Owls, she was the only FAU softball head coach in program history
  • Earned 1,000th career victory during the 2022 season
  • In 2018, Joyce received her eighth Conference Coach of the Year title after leading her team to a regular-season championship
  • Won two league championships in C-USA, paired with two NCAA appearances
  • In her career, Joyce coached several All-Conference selections, including 40 First Team, 43 on the Second Team and nine on the Third Team. Joyce had five players named as Conference Player of the Year, three as Conference Pitcher of the Year and three as Conference Freshman of the Year. She also coached several All-Americans and national/regional award honorees
  • She has been named to the Hall of Fame by 21 organizations
  • One of the pillars that FAU Athletics was built upon, Joyce passed away in March 2022 
 
About Conference USA
Conference USA is an NCAA Division I athletic conference based in Dallas, Texas, that services 11 institutions of higher education – Charlotte, FIU, Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Rice, UAB, UTEP, UTSA and WKU. Now in its third decade, Conference USA has adapted to the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics with an unwavering commitment to excellence, integrity and leadership in competition, academics and community.
 
-ConferenceUSA.com-