By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – A trio of legendary head coaches and three record-setting student-athletes comprise the University of Tennessee at Martin’s Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2021, which was announced today.
Donley Canary (softball head coach, 2002-19), Jerry Carpenter (golf head coach, 2002-20), Derek Carr (football, 2008-12), Lester Hudson (men’s basketball, 2007-09), Dennis Taylor (tennis head coach, 1987-2019) and Leah Taylor Eakin (softball, 2011-13) will officially be enshrined at the 37th annual Letter Winner’s Breakfast on Saturday, Oct. 9.
Canary guided the Skyhawk softball program to 581 victories – fourth-most in Ohio Valley Conference history – during his 18 seasons at the helm. He led UT Martin to a pair of OVC regular season championships, two OVC Tournament titles and three postseason appearances – including the program’s first two NCAA Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2012. A two-time OVC Coach of the Year, the Owensboro, Ky. native coached two OVC Players of the Year, a pair of OVC Pitchers of the Year, two OVC Tournament Most Valuable Players, four OVC Freshmen of the Year and 99 All-OVC selections.
The second head coach in Skyhawk golf history, Carpenter lifted the program to new heights as UT Martin won the 2016 OVC championship – the first such title in school history. The two-time OVC Coach of the Year out of Newbern, Tenn. tutored 30 All-OVC honorees in his storied career – including two OVC Golfers of the Year, three consecutive OVC Championship medalists from 2015-17 and a trio of OVC Freshmen of the Year. He piled up 22 tournament victories over his final nine seasons in charge of a program that won the OVC Team Sportsmanship Award an unprecedented seven times in an eight-year span (2011-19).
Carr was quite simply one of the most prolific quarterbacks in OVC history as he still ranks in the league’s top-10 in pass completions (665, fifth), passing touchdowns (69, fifth), passing yards (8,428, seventh) and total offense (8,484, eighth). He was named to the All-OVC second team squad (alongside current San Francisco 49er Jimmy Garoppolo) as a senior in 2012, shattering the school’s single-season record for pass completions (264), passing yards (3,276) and touchdowns (31). That same season the McKenzie, Tenn. native also set an NCAA record for passing efficiency (42-of-46, school records of 560 yards and seven touchdowns) at OVC rival Murray State.
A two-time All-American, two-time OVC Male Athlete of the Year and two-time OVC Player of the Year from Memphis, Tenn., Hudson dazzled on the hardwood as a Skyhawk. He set the OVC record for most points in a single season (880) in 2008-09, ranking second in the nation with 27.5 points per game – trailing only eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry from Davidson. That season, he helped UT Martin to a school-record 22 wins, its first OVC regular season champion and first Division I postseason appearance. During his debut season, he compiled the first quadruple-double in NCAA Division I history (25 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals against Central Baptist on Nov. 13, 2007.
Hailing from Lawrenceburg, Tenn., Taylor was bestowed with a conference Coach of the Year award a remarkable 10 times in his career, including an OVC record seven awards. The 1973 UT Martin alum accumulated 535 wins – ranking fifth amongst active NCAA coaches before his retirement in December 2019. He directed the Skyhawks to nine conference championships during his 32-year tenure, leading the women’s squad to its first-ever NCAA Regional appearance in 2005. Overall, he coached a pair of national champions, 11 All-Americans, five OVC Players of the Year, three OVC Freshmen of the Year and 74 all-conference honorees.
Eakin was a three-time All-OVC honoree as she became just the second Skyhawk to be named OVC Player of the Year in 2012. The speedster also nabbed All-American accolades that same season, helping UT Martin sweep both the OVC regular season and tournament championships for the first time ever. Despite the fact she only played three seasons, the Brownsville, Tenn. native remains the program leader in runs scored (162), triples (18) and stolen bases (110) while ranking in eight other major offensive categories. A career .320 hitter in a Skyhawk uniform, she was also a two-time Capital One Academic All-American and was one of only three females to win the 2012-13 OVC Scholar Athlete Award.
Graphic Courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information