The Legacy Vault™ | 2.08.2016 at 9:00 AM
SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- The John Brown University Golden Eagle Hall of Fame will hold its ninth induction banquet in February, honoring a Class of 2016 that includes two athletes, one coach, one meritorious service recipient and one pioneer recipient, as announced today by Director of Athletics Robyn Daugherty.
The now biennial ceremony and luncheon will include longtime director of athletics Bob Burns, who will be joined by Larry Seward (meritorious) and legendary head men's basketball coach John Sheehy. Men's basketball greats Gaylord Browne and Brandon Cole will also enter the Hall, and will be officially inducted at noon on Feb. 27, 2016, at the Simmons Great Hall on the campus of John Brown University in Siloam Springs.
The banquet is open to the public at a cost of $15 per person. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact the JBU Events Office at 888-JBU-ALUM or purchase tickets online here.
The ninth Golden Eagle Hall of Fame class will be inducted as part of an event-filled day as the John Brown men's and women's basketball teams will be in action. The teams will face Science & Arts (Okla.), with the doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.
BRANDON COLE
Athlete
Easily the most decorated men's basketball player in program history, Brandon Cole is most recognized for being the current record-holder of career three-pointers across all divisions of collegiate basketball. Not only do his 527 triples lead all NCAA, NAIA, NCCAA and NJCAA record books, he also garnered national recognition for hitting a triple in a collegiate record 120 consecutive games. Despite graduating in 2006, Cole still owns numerous program records including career points (2,378), field goals attempted (1,878) and triples attempted (1,331). He also leads in multiple single-season categories including points (663), triples made (126), field goals attempted (553) and triples attempted (389). An all-time 39.3 percent shooter behind the arc, Cole earned Most Valuable Player honors at the 2005 NAIA Men's Basketball National Championships where he led the Golden Eagles to a Cinderella run and its first and only NAIA title, earning tournament MVP in the process. As a senior, Cole capped off a tremendous career by landing the 2005-06 NAIA Men's Basketball Most Valuable Player and being named the 2006 Dr. Leroy Walker National Champions of Character Award winner. A John Brown athlete from 2002-06, Cole finished as a four-time NAIA All-American and was also the recipient of the Fred Harper Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year honors at JBU a record three times.
GAYLORD BROWNE
Athlete
One of the first tremendous multi-sport athletes in John Brown University athletics history, Gaylord Browne finished his Golden Eagle career with eight varsity letters, suiting up each year for both the men's basketball and baseball teams from 1968-72. Finishing his career as an Academic All-American in 1972, Browne would then be selected in the 10th round of the 1972 Major League Baseball draft by the New York Yankees. Beyond his draft to the big leagues, Browne was approached by multiple National Basketball Association teams, including recent Midwest Division champions Milwaukee Bucks. Browne's name still appears in multiple prominent spots in the men's basketball record book including one he still holds at the time of induction. On Nov. 17, 1970, Browne set a still-standing single-game record of free throws made and attempted in a single game, a 19-of-24 effort in JBU's 89-82 loss to Ouachita Baptist (Ark.). Still, Browne's 1,664 points is fourth all-time while his 16.6 points per game is fifth-most in program history. Also notable career superlatives include 638 field goals (fourth), 388 free throws (third) and 550 free throws attempted (third).
BOB BURNS
Pioneer
With 31 years of service to John Brown University in total from 1975-2006, Dr. Bob Burns spent 25 years in the role of Director of Athletics. Burns, a two-time NAIA Region VI Athletics Director of the Year, was inducted into a prestigious group in 2009 when he entered the National Association of College Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Hall of Fame. An integral part in shaping the now widely-implemented Champions of Character program with the NAIA, Burns served on the committee that crafted a piece of intercollegiate athletics now synonymous with the NAIA. For his years of service and his efforts on the Champions of Character committee, Burns was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 2013. During his three-decade tenure, Burns also served as the NAIA Region VI chair for six years, the NAIA District 17 executive committee for eight years, the NAIA Council of Athletic Administrators and was a member of the NACDA executive committee for four years. Burns will be the sixth inductee in the prestigious Pioneer category, which includes JBU greats such as Bill George, John Brown, Jr. and Glenna Belle Davis.
JOHN SHEEHY
Coach
Widely known as the most-winningest coach in program history, John Sheehy led the Golden Eagles to a pair of national championships, including the institution's lone NAIA title, the 2004-05 Men's Division I National Championship. Sheehy, who had a career .548 win percentage and accumulated 314 wins in 18 seasons, also led the men's basketball program to a 1990-91 National Christian College Athletic Association men's basketball championship. The sixth coach to be inducted into the Golden Eagle Hall of Fame spent 18 seasons (1989-2007) as bench boss and guided the program to multiple watershed moments, including the program's first national top-25 ranking in the 1999-00 season. Also at the helm during JBU's first-ever trip to the NAIA National Championships, Sheehy led the Golden Eagles to four appearances at college basketball's oldest tournament from 2002-06. Beginning in 2000, Sheehy oversaw JBU's recognition in 19 separate weekly top-25 rankings and mentored 15 All-Sooner Athletic players. While also serving as Assistant Director of Athletics each year as head coach, Sheehy was named the 2006 Sooner Athletic Conference Co-Coach of the Year and has the court inside Bill George Arena named in his honor.
LARRY SEWARD
Meritorious Service
Honored as just the fourth meritorious service inductee into the Golden Eagle Hall of Fame, Larry Seward joins Lee Netherton, Mark Latham and Roy Englebrecht after nearly four decades of service to John Brown University. Seward's role in the Department of Athletics began in 1970 when he served for 25 years as the Faculty-Athletics Representative (FAR). Concurrently from 1970-2007, Seward also chaired the Faculty Athletic Committee.
