Pitt Celebrates 2023 Hall of Fame Class
PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers' ACC opener was extra special as the athletic department recognized its 2023 Hall of Fame class in the middle of the first quarter.
The group includes 12 members across Pitt's football, men's basketball, wrestling, swimming and diving, women's swimming and both men's and women's soccer programs. The class was officially inducted during a ceremony at the Petersen Events Center on Friday night and was honored once again at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday.
Larry Fitzgerald, Football
Fitzgerald is widely recognized as one of the best players in program history. In 26 career games, he tallied 2,677 receiving yards and 34 touchdowns, all Pitt records. He won both the Walter Camp Player of the Year and Fred Biletnikoff awards in 2003 on his way to a second-place finish in Heisman Trophy balloting.
Chris Doleman, Football
Doleman was a dominant presence for Pitt in the early '80s, putting up 25 sacks while playing a big part in two top-10 finishes for the Panthers in 1981 and 1982 as well as a top-20 finish in 1983.
Doleman was selected fourth overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1985 NFL Draft and picked up where he left off, recording 150.5 sacks, 975 tackles and 44 forced fumbles across his career as he went on to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
Ruben Brown, Football
Brown was a four-year starter on the Panthers' offensive line after entering college as a defensive lineman. He was a three-time All-Big East selection as well as a first-team All-American as a senior in 1994. He was named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
Matt Cavanaugh, Football
Cavanaugh was the Panthers' quarterback during the program's most recent title season, helping lead them to a perfect 12-0 campaign as well as a win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. He earned first-team All-American honors during his senior season in 1977 after leading Pitt to another top-10 finish and capped off his collegiate career by taking home Gator Bowl MVP honors in a win over Clemson.
Clive "Clyde" Vaughan, Men's Basketball
Vaughan garnered a reputation as an elite shooter and scorer during his time with the Panthers, evidenced by his 2,033 career points and 770 career field goals that both rank second in school history. He was a two-time All-Big East selection and starred during Pitt's back-to-back Eastern 8 Tournament titles in 1981 and 1982.
Allison Williams-Murphy, Women's Track and Field
Williams-Murphy, an accomplished hurdler, took home seven Big East championships and was a three-time outdoor All-American before eventually being named Pennsylvania's NCAA Woman of the Year after her final season at Pitt.
Maureen McCandless, Women's Track and Field
McCandless, a distance runner, received All-American nominations three times over the course of her career and was a two-time individual Big East champion. She possessed eight school records after her career ended.
Joe Luxbacher, Men's Soccer
Luxbacher made his mark as both a player and coach at Pitt. He set the record for career goals and points during his playing days before spending over 30 years as the head coach of the program, during which he won 224 matches and was a two-time Big East Coach of the Year.
Suzanne Pulley-Klacik, Women's Swimming
Pulley-Klacik was an All-East nominee in 1979, 1980 and 1981 in addition to being a six-time All-American at Pitt.
Richard Bradshaw, Swimming and Diving
Bradshaw handled head coaching duties for the men's team from 1971 to 1978 as well as 1987 to 1990 and led the women's program from 1975-1981, with whom he boasted an overall record of 46-8.
Keith Gavin, Wrestling
Gavin, who currently heads the wrestling team, was an NCAA national champion in 2008 and helped Nino Bonaccorsi break that 15-year drought in 2023. He was named ACC Co-Coach of the Year in 2021 while the Panthers have put up three consecutive top-25 finishes at the NCAA Championships under his tutelage.
Bobby Lewis, Baseball
Lewis coached Pitt for 36 seasons and posted 438 wins, which is the most by any manager in school history.
Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!
Pitt Adds New Faces to Starting Lineup vs UNC
Pitt Down Two Starting OL Against North Carolina
Pitt Missing Starting LB vs North Carolina
Pitt vs North Carolina: Game Info, Odds, Three Storylines
Pitt's Odds to Win ACC Fall Further
- Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt