LOUISIANA ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES 2024 HALL OF FAME CLASS

Six-member class to be inducted during Homecoming weekend

LAFAYETTE – A legendary track and field coach, the all-time leading scorer in women’s soccer history and a pair of All-Americans in their respective sports are part of the 2024 UL Athletics Hall of Fame Class, the Board of Directors of the Ragin’ Cajuns Letterman Club announced on Tuesday.

Entering the school’s Hall of Fame are Robert “Bob” Cole (track and field), Yazmin Montoya (soccer), Elijah McGuire (football), Stacie Gremillion (softball), Eddie Mouton (baseball) and Hunter Moody (baseball).

The six-member class will be formally inducted into the UL Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, November 8 and will be recognized during Louisiana’s Homecoming Football game against Arkansas State on Nov. 9.

The University’s Hall of Fame recognizes men and women who distinguished themselves as student-athletes and have made significant contributions to their professions and their communities. They are nominated and selected through a process that is overseen by the board of directors of the Ragin’ Cajuns Lettermen Club, an organization of former student-athletes who have lettered in their sport.

In 2015, new eligibility criteria for the Hall of Fame were adopted to allow the nomination of coaches and administrators, as well as alumni whose collegiate careers were shortened by the chance to pursue professional sports.

Robert M. “Bob” Cole (1963-84) – Coach/Administrator, Head Track & Field Coach, Sulphur, La.

Served as USL track and field and cross country coach for 21 years (1963-84, also served as assistant football coach for most of those years), and built a dormant track program into a conference powerhouse. His first team finished last in the Gulf States Conference, but two years later a Cajun team of limited scholarships and numerous walk-ons to the GSC title. Before he retired in 1984, Cole had won more conference titles than any USL coach in any sport at the time – 13, including six outdoor track (there was no conference indoor track at the time) and seven cross country. Worth noting, USL was not in a conference in the last four years of his career. He coached four individual national champions and 26 All-Americans (22 track, four cross country), among them John McDonnell, a six-time All-American who went on to build the top track program in NCAA history as head coach at Arkansas (42 NCAA team championships) and who often credited Cole for lessons he learned. Cole was named as NAIA national Coach of the Year in his fifth season in 1967. He retired in 1984 and lived his final years in Toledo Bend before dying in January of 2007.

Yazmin Montoya (2013-16) – Soccer, Midfielder/Forward, West Covina, Calif.

A four-year member of UL’s soccer team and served as captain three years for coach Scot Wieland … Despite finishing her career almost a decade ago (2013-16), she still holds Cajun career records for career points (67, next closest is 59), goals (26), shots (227, next closest is 151), shots on goal (98, next closest is 72) and penalty kicks (five) … Also ranks third all-time in career assists (15), and did all that in only 70 matches due to injuries, not ranking in UL top 10 in career matches … Three-time first-team All-Louisiana selection and two-time Sun Belt Conference first-team selection … Set school records as a freshman that still stand with 31 points, 13 goals (next highest is 10), 86 shots and 38 shots on goal … Her four goals and eight points in a Sun Belt win over Texas State in 2013 are still school single-match records … Led team in goals three times and in assists twice.

Elijah McGuire (2013-16) – Football, Running Back, Houma, La.

A four-year member of UL’s football team and is still the Cajuns’ all-time leader in points scored (318) and touchdowns (52) and the second all-time leading rusher with 4,312 career yards (trailing only state career leader Tyrell Fenroy) and sixth all-time in state collegiate history … Rushed for over 1,000 yards and led Cajuns in rushing each of final three seasons after an 863-yard freshman year, and his 6.1 yards per carry is second-best career average among running backs … Shares school record for TD’s in a game (5, Northwestern State, 2015) … Also standout receiver out of backfield, and still holds record for most receptions by a running back in a game (10, twice), a season (45) and a career (129) and yards receiving by a RB in a game (125) and a career (1,383) … Had third-best single-game outing in UL history with 265 yards on only 19 carries against Arkansas State in 2014, and is only RB in UL history with two 200-yard rushing games … 16 career 100-yard rush games … Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year (with Fenroy the only UL winners in history) and Offensive Player of the Year in 2014 and Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and Newcomer of the Year in 2013 … Freshman All-America in 2013 by Football Writers Association of America and 24/7 Sports … Four-time All-Sun Belt honoree (twice first-team) … Played in three bowl games (two wins) and led team in rushing in all three (246 total yards) … Sixth-round NFL draft pick by New York Jets and played three NFL seasons with Jets and Kansas City Chiefs.

Stacie Gremillion (1984-87) – Softball, Outfielder, Baton Rouge, La.

A four-year member of USL’s softball team and upon graduation held virtually every Cajun hitting record … Four-time All-Southland Conference first team selection and SLC’s Hitter of the Year as a senior in 1987 when she was also Louisiana’s Player of the Year, the first time a Cajun won that award … Twice National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region in 1984 (along with Allison Gray the first-ever USL player to earn that honor) and in 1985 … Teams won four SLC championships and two SLC tournament titles … Part of 1987 team that made USL’s first-ever postseason appearance, the National Invitational Tournament … Upon graduation Gremillion held USL career records for at-bats (576), runs (122), hits (178), RBI (91), doubles (29), triples (16), home runs (13), stolen bases, total bases (278), slugging percentage (.482), extra base hits (58) and sacrifice flies (10); season records for hits (60), doubles (12), triples (seven), home runs (four), stolen bases (18), total bases (98), slugging percentage (.590) and sacrifice flies (5); and single game records for runs, home runs, stolen bases and extra base hits (note that teams did not play as many games when she played as they do now, and the game itself is different – in her senior year, 31 of their 47 games played were shutouts for one of the two teams) … Still ranks third in career triples (16).

Eddie Mouton (1961-63) – Baseball, Outfielder, Lafayette, La.

A three-year member of USL’s baseball team from 1961-63 and a two-year member of the basketball team from 1960-62 (freshmen were not eligible at the time), after being a five-sport athlete and All-State pick at Cathedral High in Lafayette … Earned All-Gulf States Conference honors as a junior and senior in 1962 and 1963 as an outfielder and utility player … Led team in home runs (three), doubles (five) and runs scored (23) as junior in 1962 (worth noting, team did not play nearly as many games then, only played 34, 29 and 27 games in his three years, never finishing higher than third in the GSC) … Helped Cajuns go from 12-22 in freshman year to 15-14 record and 11-8 mark in Gulf States Conference in 1962 and 16-11, 11-8 to finish second in GSC in 1963 … Drafted by the Washington Senators following senior year in 1963 and reached as high as that organization’s Class AAA Pacific Coast League team before baseball career was cut short by military service (served in Army Reserve from 1967-72) … Also served as interim coach for USL baseball during 1967 season … Came back 40 years after playing career ended to earn his bachelor’s degree in May of 2004.

Hunter Moody (2005-08) – Baseball, LH Pitcher, Clinton, La.

A four-year pitcher for UL from 2005-08 and is still the Cajuns’ all-time leader by a big margin in wins with 31 in his career (the next closest is 26) … Second-team All-America pick by Louisville Slugger and third-team All-America pick by American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) in 2006 … Two-time All-Sun Belt Conference first team (2006 and 2008) along with the SBC’s Pitcher of the Year honor as a sophomore in 2006, also second-team All-SBC in 2007 and five-time Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week … First-team All-Louisiana pitcher in 2006 and 2008 and state’s Pitcher of the Year in 2006 … First-team ABCA All-Region in 2006 and 2008 … His 12 wins in 2006 is tied for fourth-most in UL history (record is 14) and led the team in wins three straight years (12 in  ’06, eight in ’07 and nine in ’08), also led team in ERA (3.26) in 2008 and twice led team in innings pitched … Still second in UL career lists in starts (52, record is 53) and innings pitched (354.2) … Helped lead Cajuns to 162-85 record and 74-34 Sun Belt record during career and to two Sun Belt regular season titles in 2005 and 2007 … Pitched in NCAA Regionals in both 2005 in New Orleans and 2007 in College Station when UL reached the finals … All-Sun Belt Tournament in 2008 as senior … Drafted in 35th round by Toronto Blue Jays in 2008.

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Director of Athletics Communications

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