Snyder, Tillman head class of eight for ASU Sports Hall of Fame

August 27, 2008

Arizona State University will welcome eight new members into its Bill and Judy Schaefer athletic Hall of Fame this year, Vice President for Athletics <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/genrel/love_lisa00.html">Lisa Love</a> has announced. The 2008 class includes Hall of Distinction inductee <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/snyder_bruce00.html">B… Snyder</a> (football coach) and student-athletes <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/tillman_pat00.html">Pat Tillman</a> (football), Eric Allen (football), Jacinta Bartholomew (track and field), Brandie Burton (golf), Lisa Dacquisto (softball), Markus Mollica (wrestling) and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/veal_jeremy00.html">Je… Veal</a> (basketball). The inductees will be honored at the Hall of Fame football game on Oct. 25 vs. Oregon at Sun Devil Stadium/Frank Kush Field.<a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/snyder_bruce00.html"><… /> Bruce Snyder</a> (football head coach/1992-2000) Head football coach at Arizona State University for nine seasons (1992-2000)...second-longest-tenured head coach in school history, behind only Frank Kush (22 seasons)...posted a 58-47 (.563) record during his time at ASU...led the Sun Devils to four bowl games, which trails only Kush's mark of seven for the most in school history...had five winning seasons and finished .500 or better in Pacific-10 Conference play seven times while at ASU...his best season came in 1996, when he coached Arizona State to an undefeated regular season, a Pac-10 championship and a spot in the Rose Bowl...ASU finished the 1996 season ranked No. 4 in the nation with an 11-1 record...he received National Coach of the Year honors from at least 12 different sources in 1996 (American Football Coaches Association, Sporting News, Walter Camp Foundation, Football News, Sportsline USA, Playboy, Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year, American Football Quarterly, Columbus Touchdown Club, Downtown Athletic Club of Glenwood, Iowa, The Maxwell Football Club, Touchdown Club of Washington, D.C.), and he is one of only three ASU coaches to win Pac-10 Coach of the Year (along with John Cooper and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/erickson_dennis00.html… Erickson</a>)...the 1996 season also featured the only win in ASU history over an Associated Press No. 1 ranked team, as the Sun Devils defeated two-time defending national champion Nebraska 19-0 on Sept. 21...in 1997, Snyder led the Sun Devils to a 9-3 finish, a victory over Iowa in the Sun Bowl and a No. 14 national ranking at the end of the season...in each of his final two seasons at Arizona State, 1999 and 2000, he coached ASU to wins over Arizona in the regular season finale to put the Sun Devils in a bowl game...coached two Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year winners (<a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/tillman_pat00.html">Pat Tillman</a>, 1997, and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/archuleta_adam00.html"… Archuleta</a>, 2000), one Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year (Jake Plummer, 1996) and one Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (<a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/suggs_terrell00.html">… Suggs</a>, 2000)...other standout players at Arizona State during Snyder's tenure included Mario Bates, Shante Carver, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/flowers_erik00.html">E… Flowers</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/heap_todd00.html">Todd Heap</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/redmond_j.r.00.html">J…. Redmond</a>, Derrick Rodgers, Juan Roque, Grey Ruegamer, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/smith_marvel00.html">M… Smith</a> and Jeremy Staat. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/tillman_pat00.html"> Pat Tillman</a> (football/1994-97) is one of the most famous Sun Devil football players in history. As a junior, Tillman started every game as ASU went unbeaten through the regular season, won the Pac-10 championship and made its second appearance in the Rose Bowl in 1996. The following year, Tillman was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and was a Second-Team All-American while also receiving numerous academic honors as he helped lead the Sun Devils to a 9-3 season and a Sun Bowl victory over Iowa. He went on to play four seasons in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals before joining the U.S. Army Rangers in 2002. He was killed in Afghanistan April 22, 2004, but he continues to be an inspiration to Americans everywhere. Eric Allen (football/1983-87) was a part of three bowl teams while at ASU, including the 1986 team that defeated Michigan 22-15 in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 1987. Allen finished his career with 15 interceptions, including eight as a senior in 1987. He was an All-Pac-10 selection and received honorable mention AP All-America honors for his senior season, and he was a six-time Pro Bowl selection during a 14-year NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders.<separator></separator>Jacinta Bartholomew (track and field/1986-89) was a four-time All-American and holds school records in the long jump (6.62 meters) and the 4x100m relay (43.58). Bartholomew was a member of the 4x100m relay team that won the national championship at the 1988 NCAA Outdoors, and she also garnered All-America accolades that same year as a part of the 4x400m relay team at the Outdoors and in the long jump at both the Indoors and Outdoors. In addition, before attending ASU, she competed in the long jump in the 1984 Summer Olympics.<separator></separator>Brandie Burton (golf/1989-90) made her mark at ASU in just one season. As a freshman, Burton won the first five college tournaments she finished. She would later add the Pac-10 individual title, giving her six wins on the season, and she helped lead the team to its first national championship. Burton was named National Player of the Year and a First-Team All-American, and after playing for the U.S. Curtis Cup Team, she moved on to an LPGA career where she has won five times, including two majors.<separator></separator>Lisa Dacquisto (softball/1994-97) was a four-time All-Pac-10 selection and a First-Team All-American as a junior and senior. She hit over .400 in both her junior and senior seasons, hitting .413 in 1997 to help the team reach the NCAA Tournament. She finished with a .378 career batting average and 87 RBI, and she is ASU's all-time leader in both hits (296) and stolen bases (102).<separator></separator>Markus Mollica (wrestling/1993-96) is one of the most decorated wrestlers in ASU history. He is one of only two wrestlers in the program's history to win multiple national championships, winning the title at 158 pounds in 1993, becoming the first freshman in school history to win a national championship, and he then captured the title at 167 pounds as a junior in 1995. He was also the first wrestler in school history to be both a four-time Pac-10 champion and four-time All-American.<separator></separator><a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/veal_jeremy00.html">Je… Veal</a> (basketball/1995-98) left ASU as the all-time leading scorer in school history and his 1,984 points currently rank second behind only <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/house_eddie00.html">Ed… House</a>. In his freshman season, he played in all 33 games and helped the Sun Devils reach the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in 20 years. He then became a regular starter over the next three seasons, and he finished his career by leading the Pac-10 with 20.8 points per game in 1997-98. Veal earned All-Pac-10 honors for both his junior and senior seasons, making him one of just six Sun Devils to be named All-Pac-10 multiple times.