July 8, 2008

RUSTON - Legendary Louisiana Tech coach Leon Barmore will be one of five people inducted into the Ark-La-Tex Sports Museum of Champions on Aug. 16 at the Shreveport Convention Center.

Joining Barmore on the list of 2008 inductees is former Fair Park High School multi-sport standout Rogers Hampton, Sr., husband and wife horsemen R.E. and Martha Josey and former all-Pro wide receiver Pat Studstill.

Barmore retired from the game of basketball following the 2001-02 season where he left as the winningest coach percentage-wise in the history of the game with his overall mark of 576-87.

The Ruston native led the Lady Techsters for 25 years, including 20 as head coach, where he amassed amazing totals on the hardwood while leading Tech to nine Final Fours and the 1988 National Championship title.

Barmore, who is also one of only three former Bulldog basketball letterwinners to have their jersey retired at Tech, is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Tech Hall of Fame.

The Sports Museum of Champions was forced to close its doors in 2002 but reopened in 2007 in its current home in the lobby of the Shreveport Convention Center. At the same time, the museum's name changed to the Ark-La-Tex Sports Museum of Champions and the selection area expanded to include more athletes from the Ark-La-Tex region.