The following Arizona athletes will be honored by the Arizona Sports & Entertainment Commission. This week, the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023 was inducted into the Hall of Fame. The state has a deep and rich sports history, with past members including Frank Kush, Misty Hyman, Jerry Colangelo and Charles Barkley.
The 51st Arizona Sports Hall of Fame class features seven members: Abi Abdirahman, Rich Dozer, Terry Francona, Richard Jefferson, Jerry Kindall, Charlie Turner Thorne and Bobby Winkles.
The group was honored at an awards ceremony on April 13 at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort. Get to know this year's class ahead of the ceremony.
Abdi Abdirahman
Year: 47 years old.
Sports: Cross country, track and field.
School/Team: Tucson High School (1995); Pima Community College (1997): University of Arizona (1998).
performance: NJCAA Cross Country Champion (1996, 1997). Pac-10 5,000m and 10,000m conference champion (1998). Pac-10 Cross Country Male Athlete of the Year (1998). He was a four-time U.S. champion in the 10,000 meters (2001, 2005, 2007, 2008). Participated in the Olympics five times (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2020). He is the oldest Olympic athlete (43 years old).
rich dozer
Year: 62 years old.
Sports: basketball, baseball.
School/Team: Phoenix Suns (1987-1995); Arizona Diamondbacks (1995-2006).
performance: He rose to fame with the team as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Phoenix Suns. He also served as chairman of Talking He Sticks Arena (now Footprint Center) (from 1989 to 1995). He served as the first team president of the Arizona Diamondbacks (1995-2006), including the team's only World Series championship (2001).
Terry Francona
Year: 64 years old.
Sports: baseball.
School/Team: As a player: University of Arizona (1979-1980). Montreal Expo (1981-1985). Chicago Cubs (1986); Cincinnati Reds (1987); Cleveland Indians (1988). Milwaukee Brewers (1989-1990). As a manager: Philadelphia Phillies (1997-2000). Boston Red Sox (2004-2011). Cleveland Guardians (2013-2023).
performance: As a player: Pac-10 MVP, first-team All-American, helped lead Arizona to the NCAA Championship, Most Valuable College World Series and Golden Spikes Award (1980). Member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame (2011). As a manager: his two-time World Series championship (2004, 2007), including his historic 3-0 come-from-behind victory over Boston in his 2004 ALCS.
richard jefferson
Year: 43 years old.
Sports: basketball.
School/Team: University of Arizona (1998-2001). New Jersey Nets (2001-2009); San Antonio Spurs (2009-2011); Toronto Raptors (2011-2012); Golden State Warriors (2012-2013): Utah Jazz (2013-2014); Dallas Mavericks ( 2014-2015); Cleveland Cavaliers (2015-2017); Denver Nuggets (2017-2018).
performance: At the University of Arizona, he played under Lute Olson and appeared in the NCAA Championship Game (2001). He was a first round NBA draft pick (2001). NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2001-2002); NBA Finals Champion (2016). Current ESPN NBA Analyst.
jerry kindall
Year: 82 years old (passed away on December 24, 2017).
Sports: baseball
School/Team: As a player: University of Minnesota (1954-1956). Chicago Cubs (1956-1961). Cleveland Indians (1962-1964). Minnesota Twins (1964-1965). As a coach: University of Arizona (1973-1996).
performance: As a player: Won NCAA title at University of Minnesota (1956). Appeared in 742 MLB games (1965). As a coach: He was at the University of Arizona for 23 years and won three national championships, including the school's first team title in 1976. He coached 34 first-team All-American players and had 71 Wildcats earn all-conference recognition. Under Kinder, 209 players signed professional baseball contracts, 32 of whom went on to play in the MLB. He is the school's all-time winning leader with a record of 860 wins, 579 losses, and 7 losses. The first person to win a College World Series title as both a player and a head coach. Member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame (2007).
charlie turner thorne
Year: 58 years old.
Sports: basketball.
School/Team: As a player: Stanford (1985-1988). As a coach: NAU (1993-1996). Arizona State University (1996-2022).
performance: He coached at ASU for 25 seasons. Second most wins ever by a Pac-12 coach. He has appeared in the NCAA Tournament 14 times (including a school record six consecutive appearances). three Pac-12 championships; He is a two-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year Award winner (2001, 2016). He is the school's all-time wins leader (488 wins, 294 losses). His overall record is 528 wins and 334 losses. She was the head coach of Team USA at the 2007 Women's World University Games (gold medal). She is a past president of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.
bobby winkles
Year: 90 years old (passed away on April 17, 2020).
Sports: baseball.
School/Team: ASU (1959-1971); California Angels (1973-1974). Oakland Athletics (1974-1975); San Francisco Giants (1976-1977). Oakland Athletics (1977-1978); Chicago White Sox (1979-1985); Montreal Expos (1986-1988).
performance: He coached at ASU for 13 seasons. He is the first college baseball coach in ASU history. He won the College World Series three times (1965, 1967, 1969). He won the NCAA Coach of the Year Award twice (1965, 1969). He won the Sporting News Coach of the Year Award three times (1965, 1967, 1969). He coached 16 first-team All-American players, 20 ASU Hall of Famers and 39 All-WAC honorees. He also coached 45 MLB draft picks, including 12 first-round picks and 21 players who went on to play in MLB. His overall record at ASU was 524-173. Charter member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame (2006). Former MLB executive.
