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Oklahoma Athletes and Sports Leaders

Learn from the oral histories of Oklahoma's most influential athletes, coaches, owners, and other sports leaders and how their legacies shaped Oklahoma.

Learn From These Influential Oklahomans

Allan Trimble

Allan Trimble

Jenks High School Football Coach

Beloved high school coaching legend who won championships, battled ALS, and left an incredible legacy of leadership.

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Barry Switzer

Barry Switzer

Football Royalty

This football legend rose from an unconventional childhood to Super Bowl royalty.

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Bart Conner

Bart Conner

Gold Medalist American Gymnast

Our nation's most accomplished male gymnast, the only American to win gold at every level of competition.

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Becky Dixon

Becky Dixon

Television Broadcaster & First Woman Co-host of ABC’s Wide World of Sports

Becky Dixon, an American television broadcaster and 2016 Oklahoma Hall of Fame inductee, shares the story of her life as a trailblazer in sports broadcasting.

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Bill Rollings

Bill Rollings

Tulsa Baseball

Bill Rollings saved professional baseball for the city of Tulsa. He tells of the rocky history of the Oilers and the Drillers.

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Bob Barry, Sr.

Bob Barry, Sr.

Sportscaster

For half a century, his voice was synonymous with Oklahoma football.

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Bob Kurland

Bob Kurland

Basketball Player

Oklahoma's own "7-footer" Olympic medalist.

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Bud Wilkinson

Bud Wilkinson

Football Coach

American football coach, broadcaster, and politician.

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Dale McNamara

Dale McNamara

Golfer and Coach, TU

Dale built the TU women's golf program from the ground up and it grew to be the gold standard in the sport.

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Dave Whitlock

Dave Whitlock

Fly Fisherman

World-renowned fly fisherman whose talents include painting, illustrating, writing, photography, fly tying, and lecturing.

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David Morgan

David Morgan

Race Car Driver

A Tulsa insurance executive during the week with a very successful 10-year weekend racing career.

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Dr. Don Nelson

Dr. Don Nelson

Internal Medicine Doctor, Pulmonologist, Triathlete

Dr. Don G. Nelson, an internal medicine doctor and pulmonologist for over 60 years and triathlete, shares the history of his life, his medical career, and how he participated in 300 triathlons.

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Eddie Sutton

Eddie Sutton

Basketball Coach

With 804 career wins, he has earned a place in Oklahoma college basketball history.

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Gerome Riley

Gerome Riley

Historian, Semi-pro Baseball Player

Gerome Riley, a native of Claremore, OK, shares his story of being a successful student-athlete and semi-professional baseball player and how he dedicated himself to chronicling and preserving the Black history of Oklahoma.

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JV Haney

JV Haney

Coach, Legendary Oklahoma High School Sports Broadcaster

JV Haney, a coach renowned for his unwavering positivity and encouragement, became the face and voice of high school sports in Oklahoma, inspiring players, coaches, parents, and fans alike throughout his legendary 30+ years in Oklahoma high school sports broadcasting.

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Johnny Bench

Johnny Bench

Baseball Player

The small-town Oklahoman who grew up to be "Baseball's Greatest Catcher."

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Julius Pegues

Julius Pegues

First Black Varsity Basketball Player at Pittsburgh University, USAF Weather Forecaster, FAA Advisor, Activist

Julius Pegues was best known for his work to memorialize Tulsa’s 1921 Race Massacre and the history and culture of Black Tulsans through the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation, with his efforts laying the groundwork for the Greenwood Rising History Center.

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Ken Trickey

Ken Trickey

ORU Basketball Coach

An influential leader who brought national attention and competitive success to ORU basketball.

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Marques Haynes

Marques Haynes

Harlem Globetrotter

A unique talent for basketball took him from small-town America to the world.

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Porter Reed

Porter Reed

Baseball Player, Negro League

As an athlete in the Negro Leagues, he played baseball with the greats.

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Reuben Gant

Reuben Gant

Football Player

After a successful career in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills, Gant returned to Tulsa and became a community leader.

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Richard Chapman

Richard Chapman

Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall of Fame Member

A legendary Oklahoma athletics coach, Richard Chapman shares the story of his life, including how he lived in a box car, his days in the Navy, why he was fired from a coaching job, and shares his advice to parents of Oklahoma's future generations.

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Ted Owens

Ted Owens

Basketball Coach

With nine Big Eight tournament titles, he's widely recognized as one of the top collegiate coaches in the country.

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Voices of Sports Legends

Voices of Sports Legends

A collection from Wayne McCombs

This collection of events and interviews from sports historian Wayne McCombs is a treasure trove of sports history.

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Warren Spahn

Warren Spahn

Baseball Pitcher

The greatest major league left-handed pitcher of all time.

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