The annual Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame (TSHF) Induction Banquet is Saturday, July 19, at the Nashville Downtown Omni Hotel. Headlining the honorees is NASA astronaut and Mt. Juliet native Barry “Butch” Wilmore, the 2025 Tennessean of the Year. Honorees include standout athletes, coaches, and programs from Olympic champions to NCAA title winners.
The TSHF 2025 class features an impressive lineup of sports icons, including Tony Allen, Joe Behling, Bob Brown, Tamika Catchings, Phillip Clark, Stephen Gostkowski, Deon Grant, Chamique Holdsclaw, Jack Jenkins, Andy Kelly, Larry Kenon, Derrick Mason, Doug Mathews, George Pitts, Ronnie Robinson, Ron Slay, Priscilla Gary Sweeney, Elston Turner, Shea Weber, and Chris Woodruff.
Tennessean of the Year Captain Barry “Butch” Wilmore, a Mt. Juliet native, a decorated NASA astronaut, U.S. Navy Captain and test pilot, recently returned from space in early 2025 after commanding NASA’s Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test, remaining aboard the International Space Station for nine months. A former Tennessee Tech football standout, Wilmore has logged multiple spaceflights and is an inspiration to all Americans for his courage, leadership, and commitment to exploration.
The Pat Summitt Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Tennessee Men’s Basketball Head Coach Rick Barnes, who transformed the Volunteers into a perennial powerhouse since taking over in 2015. Multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, an SEC Championship, and back – to – back trips to the Elite Eight in 2024 and 2025 have built a winning program rooted in culture, character and development.
Professional Athlete of the Year Reed Blankenship, an MTSU product, emerged as one of the NFL’s most reliable safeties during the 2024 season. Blankenship led the Philadelphia Eagles in tackles, anchored the secondary, and became a defensive leader both on and off the field.
Female Amateur Team of the Year is Union University Women’s Basketball team, continuing its tradition of excellence in 2025 with a dominant 33 – 4 season, making a deep run in the NCAA Division II Tournament. Their consistent success reflects their strong leadership and elite – level performance.
Male Amateur Teams of the Year are Tennessee Baseball AND Chattanooga Men’s Basketball (TIE). The UT Baseball team claimed the 2024 College World Series Championship, their first national title. Their dominant season showcased elite pitching, powerful hitting, and unwavering team chemistry under head coach Tony Vitello. The UT Chattanooga Men’s Basketball team earned national recognition for their grit and determination, capturing the 2025 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) Championship.
Female Amateur Athlete of the Year Olivia Reeves, Olympic Weightlifter, a native of Chattanooga, has emerged as one of the most dominant figures in international weightlifting. In 2024, she broke multiple American and Pan American records while medaling at the IWF World Championships and Pan American Championships. Reeves captured a Gold Medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Male Amateur Athlete of the Year Seth Henigan, University of Memphis quarterback, led the Tigers to a 10 – 3 record in 2024, and then led to them to win the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, earning All – AAC honors, and becoming the school’s all-time leader in career passing yards and total touchdowns.
“TSHF Class of 2025 Special” debuts as a one – hour televised event on Saturday, July 12 at 6:00 p.m. CDT at: www.tshf.net , and through TSHF’s Twitter, YouTube and Facebook pages. Mike Keith hosts the event, on Nashville’s NewsChannel 5+ , Comcast Xfinity channel 250, Charter Spectrum channel 182, Digital Channel 5.2, and on the NewsChannel5 app, on Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
For more information, and profiles of all of the honorees, and how to get tickets, visit: www.tshf.net
