ST. GEORGE – The fifth Dixie State Athletics Hall of Fame class has been announced. This year the inductees are Lionel Hollins (basketball), Patsy Roper (cheer and dance), Scott Brumfield (football), and the 1984-85 men’s basketball team.
All the new inductees had a significant, and sometimes long term effect on the college. A dinner and fundraiser is being held to celebrate the honorees.
Lionel Hollins
Hollins was born in Arkansas City, Kan., and raised in Las Vegas. He spent two years as the starting point guard for the Rebels from 1971-1973 and was named to the All-Conference and NJCAA All-American teams.
Following his days at Dixie, he completed and received a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and was named First Team All-American by the Sporting News Magazine.
In 1975, he was the first-round pick of the Portland Trailblazers, going sixth overall in the NBA draft. After 4 1/2 years with the Trailblazers, which included an NBA Championship and an appearance in the 1978 All-Star Game, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, then to the San Diego Clippers and spent his last two years mentoring up-and-coming players with the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets. During his NBA career he was named to the First Team All-Rookie squad (1976), First Team All-Defense (1977), West All-Star team (1978), and started at point guard in three NBA Finals appearances (1977, 1981, 1982).
Hollins’s head coach at Dixie, Doug Allred said about Hollins, “He is a tremendous talent and he lets everyone around him feel as though they are part of it.”
Allred continued by quoting an NBA television commentator who recently referred to coach Lionel Hollins as a person who made a living playing smart and as a coach he expects his players to do the same.
Hollins is currently the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies and was previously an assistant coach of the Phoenix Suns and the Vancouver Grizzlies. He led the Memphis to the postseason in two consecutive years, has coached in one NBA Finals (1993) and assisted in two All-Star Games (1993 & 1995).
He and his wife Angie are the parents of three sons and one daughter.
Scott Brumfield
Brumfield comes with a rich history at a high level of football and currently serves as the head coach of the Red Storm.
Prior to his arrival at Dixie State, Brumfield was the head football coach at Spanish Fork High School from 2000-2005. Before coaching, he was a free-agent signee of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1994 and went on to play six years in the National Football League. His career as an offensive lineman was cut short due to a spinal-cord injury. As a result of being temporarily paralyzed and having to relearn how to walk, he was the recipient of the 1997 Ed Block Courage Award. Brumfield was also awarded the United Way Unitarian of Year Award in 1998.
Prior to the NFL, Brumfield played two seasons at Brigham Young University under long-time head coach LaVell Edwards. His on-field efforts garnered him a First Team All-Western Athletic Conference selection. He was a two time Junior College All-American at Dixie State in 1988 and 1989. He was inducted into the NJCAA Football Hall of Fame in 1995. While at Dixie he played for fellow Dixie State Hall of Fame coach Greg Croshaw.
Scott and his wife Jodi are the parents of four children.
Patsy Roper
Roper was a longtime Cheer and Dance advisor for Dixie State. She spent 28 years full-time and seven years as an adjunct faculty member, teaching physical education and dance. In 1996-97, Patsy was named Dixie College’s Teacher of the Year.
Patsy played a pivotal part in creating the “Dixie Spirit” at athletic events during her 28 years as the dance advisor and 16 as the cheer coach. Her squads were at both men’s basketball NJCAA National Championships in 1985 and 2002.
Patsy and her husband Marlan have three sons and nine grandsons. They reside in St George.
The 1984-85 Dixie men’s basketball team
The 84-84 squad, guided by Dixie State Hall of Fame head coach Neil Roberts, went 35-1 and captured the Intermountain Collegiate Athletic Conference and Region 18 championship. DSC faced off against Kankakee Community College and defeated the Cavaliers 57-55 to earn the first NJCAA National Championship in the history of Dixie State College athletics.
Team members are Averian Parrish, Jay Clark, Robert Maxwell, Brent Wade, Rob Gentry, Rick Henry, Dan Bell, Darin Williams, Lyndon DeYoung, Brent Stephenson, Josh Burgon, Steve Schreiner, head coach Neil Roberts and assistant coach Tom Dobrusky.
Parrish was the tournament MVP for the national champion Rebels.
Founded in 2007, the Dixie State College Athletics Hall of Fame honors past athletes, faculty, staff and friends who, through their actions, have brought distinction through athletics to themselves and to Dixie State College. Including the 2012 inductees, the hall will include five women and 18 men. With the combination of the committee and members who have associations with the college and/or athletics department, the Dixie State College Hall of Fame has continued to make strides toward the future while honoring the past.
The 2012 inductees of the Dixie State Athletics Hall of Fame will join Doug Allred, Nolan Archibald, Sarkis Arslanian, Marcus Banks, Karl F. Brooks, Robert Conner Chapoose, Greg Croshaw, Heather Mendenhall Dahl, Corey Dillon, Caroline Heaton Durrant, Sunny Myers Evans, Leland Hafen, Richard Lee Hafen, Bruce Hurst, Averian Parrish, Charles Pickett, Neil Roberts, Gail Cooper Smith, and John Ashworth Thompson.
Reservations are being accepted for the Hall of Fame Dinner on Aug. 23 in the Grand Ballroom at the Kenneth N. Gardner Center. The evening will begin at 6 p.m., with dinner served at 6:30 p.m.
The cost of the event is $40 per individual, with tables of eight available for $320. Reservations and payment are required in advance.
For questions about the dinner and to reserve your space, contact Derek Dawes in the Athletics Community Engagement office at 435-879-4295 or by email at [email protected].
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