Memphis Announces M Club Hall Of Fame Honorees

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – It's M Club Hall of Fame weekend for University of Memphis athletics Feb. 11-12.

The 2016 University of Memphis Athletics M Club class has four inductees, and they are Stephen Gostkowski (football), Chris Garner (men's basketball), Katherine Lehman-Patnode (volleyball) and Dusty Farmer (baseball). Others being honored this weekend are: John and Anne Stokes (Golden Tiger Award), Kippy Brown (Billy J. Murphy Award), Dr. Arthur Franklin (Ralph Hatley Silver M Award) and the late Jim Cook (Murray Armstrong Award).

The M Club Hall of Fame induction banquet is set for Saturday, Feb. 11 in the Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway Hall of Fame on the University of Memphis campus. The induction class and honorees also will be recognized at halftime of the Memphis-Temple men's basketball game Sunday, Feb. 12. The Tigers and Owls tip off their American Athletic Conference match-up at 1 p.m. (CT) at FedExForum.

The following are biographical sketches on the M Club Hall of Fame inductees and honorees:

M CLUB HALL OF FAME/CLASS OF 2016

STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI, Football & Baseball (2002-05)
Stephen Gostkowski enrolled at the University of Memphis as a Tigers baseball signee before being added to the football roster prior to the 2002 campaign. Over the next four seasons, Gostkowski became one of the program's all-time greats. In his illustrious career, Gostkowski earned six All-America honors, including ones from Sports Illustrated, Street & Smith and Athlon Magazine. At the time he completed his college career in 2005, Gostkowski held Memphis' and Conference USA's all-time scoring record with 369 points (159-of-165 PAT; 70-of-92 FG) and ranked 13^th in kick-scoring and 14^th in field goals made in Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history. His 70 field goals made remain a Conference USA record. The 2005 Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year, Gostkowski was twice named to the All-C-USA first team (2004, 2005). He was the only student-athlete in Conference USA history to be named to the All-Freshman Team for both football and baseball. After playing in the Senior Bowl and ESPN's College All-Star Challenge following his senior season, Gostkowski was selected by the New England Patriots in the 2006 NFL Draft. From 2012-15, Gostkowski led the NFL in scoring, and he is the Patriots' all-time scoring leader (1,457 points). A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Gostkowski also holds the NFL record for consecutive PAT made in regular-season play only (479) and PAT made in regular season/postseason (523). Gostkowski, a three-time All-Pro pick, is a two-time Super Bowl champion (2015, 2017). Gostkowski and his wife, Hallie, have three children: sons, Slayden and Gannon, and daughter, Lyla Kate.

CHRIS GARNER, Basketball (1994-97)
A native Memphian, Chris Garner became the third-consecutive point guard from Treadwell High School to sign with the late Larry Finch and began his collegiate career in 1993-94. As a freshman, Garner started 12 of 28 games and had 179 points, 78 steals and 124 assists. He scored a career-high 23 points in a win over Texas-San Antonio his initial college campaign and, later that same season, broke the 20-point mark against Purdue and Georgetown. He was named to the Great Midwest Conference (GMC) All-Newcomer and All-Tournament teams. The following year (1994-95), he became the starting point guard and led the Tigers to a 24-10 record and an NCAA Tournament berth. As a sophomore, he was credited with 217 assists and 90 steals in helping lead the Tigers to NCAA Sweet Sixteen. His 90 steals are a school season record, and his 217 assists rank third on the program's single-season list. Garner's numbers grew throughout his career, and as a senior in 1996-97, he was a Frances P. Naismith Award candidate, an annual college basketball award given to the nation's top player six-foot tall or shorter. Garner scored 211 points and added 127 assists and 85 steals his senior season. Garner completed his career with a school-record 321 steals, and at the time, his 321 swipes were tied for ninth place on the all-time steals chart in NCAA Division I history. His 321 steals now are tied for the No. 25 spot on that all-time list. Garner's 639 assists are the second-most in Memphis history. Garner was a member of three Tigers postseason squads (two NCAA Tournament/one NIT), including the program's 1995 NCAA Sweet Sixteen run. Garner currently works as a behavioral counselor at Craigmont High School in Memphis and is the program director for the Ira Samelson Boys & Girls Club. Garner and his wife, Veronica, have two children: son, Christopher, and daughter, Christyle.

DUSTY FARMER, Baseball (1974-77)
Dusty Farmer signed a baseball scholarship with Tigers head coach Bobby Kilpatrick and arrived in Memphis in the fall of 1973. He saw playing time as a reliever in the spring of 1974 and picked up his first career victory in the spring of 1975. Farmer was a member of the 1975 Tigers that posted a 30-8 record. As a junior in 1976, Farmer became a rotation starter and finished the season with a 2.79 ERA and a 4-2 record. He registered 42 strikeouts and allowed only 12 walks. The Tigers finished the 1976 season with a 32-11 record and earned an NCAA Tournament berth. At the time, the 32 victories were a school record for most wins in a season. As a senior, Farmer appeared in 17 games and finished the 1977 season with an 11-1 record and three saves. His 11 wins are the third-most for a season in program history. The right-hander threw 11 complete games and finished the 1977 campaign with a 1.35 ERA, which ranks second for a campaign in program history. Farmer's career won-loss record of 16-3 and his career 1.86 ERA both remain at the top of their respective charts in Memphis history. He had 117 career strikeouts and walked just 39. Memphis compiled a 120-55 four-year record in Farmer's career. Following graduation, Farmer returned to the Nashville area and began his career in the transportation and shipping industry, including the last eight years with McVantage Packaging. Farmer and his wife, Beth, live in Old Hickory, Tenn.

KATHERINE LEHMAN-PATNODE, Volleyball (1987-90)
A Wilmette, Ill., native, Katherine Lehman-Patnode arrived on the Memphis campus in the fall of 1987 and made her presence known early on as a freshman, seeing action in 104 games and posting 99 blocks from her middle blocker position. Following that campaign, she was named the team's Most Improved Player. The next season, Lehman-Patnode, a sophomore, played in all 42 matches and led the squad with a .233 hitting percentage. She totaled 305 kills and 88 block assists in 1988. As a junior in 1989, Lehman-Patnode earned All-Metro Conference honors as she led the team with a .272 attack percentage and had a career-high 25 kills against Florida State. Lehman-Patnode followed her all-conference junior campaign with another one her senior season. For a second-straight year, Lehman-Patnode earned All-Metro Conference honors and led the Tigers with 509 kills and a .313 hitting percentage in 1990. Her name is on several career lists in the Memphis record book. On the Tigers all-time charts, Lehman-Patnode is seventh in attack percentage (.256), 11^th in total kills (1,268), first in solo blocks (151), third in block assists (356) and second in total blocks (507). Following graduation and a stint in professional volleyball in Italy, Lehman-Patnode coached volleyball for several years before entering the advertising profession in Chicago. She is currently employed by the University of Utah in the Medical Billing Department. Leaham-Patnode and her husband, Craig, have two children: daughter, Parker, and son, Grayson.

HONOREES

JOHN W. & ANNE STOKES, Dr. Cecil C. Humphreys Golden Tiger Award
John W. and Anne Stokes have long been donors to both the University of Memphis and the Tigers athletics department, giving their time and financial means to support a multitude of projects on campus. A Mayfield, Ky., native, John graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1959 and began his distinguished career in financial management. After working for 10 years with Merrill Lynch, Stokes joined the staff at Morgan Keegan & Company as Vice Chairman and became the President of Morgan Keegan & Company Equity Capital Markets Group from 1990-97. Morgan Keegan was purchased by Raymond James & Associates in 2012, and Stokes retired as Financial Advisor in 2015. John is a member of the Executive Committee of the Riverfront Development Corporation, the University of Memphis Board of Visitors, the Tigers Athletics Board and the University's Scholarship Committee. He and his wife, Anne, both are Ambassadors of the Memphis Athletics Department. John is the former Vice Chairman of the Center City Commission and a former member of the Memphis Zoo Board, the Memphis Shelby County Library Foundation and the Memphis Center City Development. John's honors include: 2007 Vision Award, 2009 Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Philanthropy and 2008 University of Memphis Friend of the Law School Award. Anne, a cum laude graduate of Vanderbilt, has been a member of the Board of Trusts of MIFA, Memphis Botanic Gardens, Young Life, Regional One Health and many others. The couple has three children and 12 grandchildren.

CHARLES "KIPPY" BROWN, Billy J. Murphy Award
Kippy Brown, who quarterbacked the Tigers from 1975-77, is the recipient of the Billy J. Murphy Award. A Sweetwater, Tenn., native, Brown came to Memphis after winning two state championships at Sweetwater High School. His scrambling style of play led to a starting role as the Tigers quarterback in 1975, which included the engineering of a 31-20 road victory over No. 7 nationally-ranked Auburn. After completing his playing career and earning his degree in communications in 1977, Brown joined the Tigers coaching staff as an assistant under the late Richard Williamson in 1978. After three seasons with the Tigers, Brown took over as receivers coach at Louisville, before joining Johnny Majors' staff at Tennessee. During his time in Knoxville, Brown worked with such noted receivers as Joey Clinkscales, Tim McGee and Carl Pickens. Brown moved to the professional ranks in 1990 and was an assistant coach first with the New York Jets. He also had NFL coaching stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans and Detroit Lions, before joining Pete Carroll's staff in Seattle, where he helped the Seahawks win Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014. Since retiring from professional football, Brown and his wife, Deon, have made their home in the Franklin, Tenn., area. The couple has two children: son, Jerome, and daughter, Jennifer.

DR. ARTHUR FRANKLIN, Ralph Hatley Silver M Award
Dr. Arthur Franklin, a Tigers football letterman and current University of Memphis athletics physician, is this year's recipient of the Ralph Hatley Silver M Award. A Memphis native, Franklin graduated from Bishop Byrne High School and attended Arkansas State University for two years before transferring to the Memphis in 1985. He started every game his two seasons (1985, 1986), punting 141 times for 5,408 yards. His 77 punts in 1986 rank as the seventh-highest, single-season total in school history and his 12 punts in a single game (vs. Louisiana-Lafayette/Sept. 20, 1986) is tied for second all-time. Franklin currently ranks 12^th on the Tigers all-time career punting average chart (38.4). Following graduation from Memphis in 1987, he attended the University of Tennessee Medical School (1987-91) and also served his residency at UT (1991-94). Franklin entered private practice in Memphis in 1995 and became a member of the Memphis athletics medical team. In 2010, he replaced Dr. Tom Meriwether as the athletics department's medical director, overseeing and treating all non-orthopedic needs of Memphis student-athletes. Franklin continues in that role today, spending countless hours providing care for Tigers staff and student-athletes. A member of the Cresthaven Medical Group, Franklin and his wife, Tricia Aviotti-Franklin, have three sons, William, Cecil and Luke.

JIM COOK, Murray Armstrong Award (Posthumously)
Jim Cook, who coached the Tigers men's golf team for more than 31 years, is this year's recipient of the Murray Armstrong Award. The veteran head coach led his teams to 13 tournament titles, including three conference championships. The Tigers won their first Metro Conference championship under Cook in 1976 and also won the Metro Conference crown in 1988. Under Cook's guidance, Tony Mitchell claimed two Metro Conference individual titles (1978, 1979), and M Club Hall of Famer Paul Haire won another Metro crown (1976). Cook led his 1991-92 squad to the first Great Midwest Conference (GMC) golf championship in 1992, sweeping both the team and individual crowns. For his efforts in 1991-92, Cook was named the GMC Coach of the Year. As a collegiate coach, Cook contributed much more than his coaching abilities to the sport. He served as the Director of the Hillman Robbins Memorial Intercollegiate Tournament and served on the NCAA Golf Championships selection committee. He was an active member of the Southern Golf Association and also served as chairman of the Legislative Committee for the Golf Coaches Association of America. A native of Trenton, Tenn., Cook was in his 32^nd season as head coach when he passed away Nov. 28, 2002. Cook is survived by his widow, Mary Nelle, and the couple's sons, Jay and Christopher, and their families.

University of Memphis Athletics

Related News

Related Videos