Tennessee Athletics Announces 2026 Hall of Fame Class

The University of Tennessee announced the 2026 Athletics Hall of Fame class on Thursday, honoring seven former student-athletes and two coaches for their significant contributions. The class will be honored in Knoxville on April 10-11, celebrating their lasting impact on UT Athletics.

The 2026 class includes five Vols and four Lady Vols.

Rod Delmonico, Baseball
Shyra Ely, Women's Basketball
Lawrence Johnson, Men's Track and Field
Chris Lofton, Men's Basketball
Erica Popson, Women's Golf
Charles Rosenfelder, Football
Kylee Rossi, Soccer
Brenda Webb, Women's Track and Field
Ralph Weekly, Softball

"Tennessee Athletics boasts a rich history of success and excellence. This new group of Hall of Fame inductees embodies everything that makes our Vols and Lady Vols remarkable," said Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Danny White. "These former standout student-athletes and coaches have elevated the standards in their respective sports, and we take great pride in welcoming this exceptional class into the Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame."

The 2026 Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame weekend will be April 10-11.

Rod Delmonico | Baseball (Coach) | 1990-2007
The winningest coach in Tennessee baseball history with 699 career victories to his credit, Rod Delmonico helped put UT's baseball program on the map during his tenure as head coach from 1990-2007. Under his leadership, the Volunteers won four SEC Eastern Division titles, back-to-back SEC regular-season championships (1994-95) and made three Men's College World Series appearances (1995, 2001, 2005). Delmonico was named the 1995 National Coach of the Year by Baseball America and was a two-time SEC Coach of the Year selection in 1994 and 1995, as well. Tennessee posted nine seasons of 40 or more wins and two years of 50 or more victories during the Delmonico era. In total, UT players racked up 102 All-America honors under Delmonico, who also coached seven first-round MLB Draft picks throughout his 18 seasons leading the program.

Shyra Ely | Women's Basketball | 2001-05
Part of four NCAA Final Four teams, including runner-up finishes in 2003 and 2004, Shyra Ely also helped Lady Vol basketball win three SEC regular season titles and an SEC Tournament. She earned WBCA All-America recognition in 2004, was named to the AP All-America Third Team that season and garnered All-SEC First Team acclaim in 2004 and 2005. During the postseason, she was named to four NCAA All-Regional Teams and was voted SEC All-Tournament in 2004 and 2005, collecting 2005 SEC Tournament MVP honors. Also picking up 2002 SEC All-Freshman and 2005 SEC Academic Roll distinction, Ely still occupies program career lists at No. 11 in rebounds (940), No. 12 in double-doubles (22) and No. 14 in points (1,673). Ely led Tennessee in season scoring average twice (14.5 ppg. in 2003-04 & 14.4 ppg. in 2004-05) and in rebounding average three times (6.6 rpg. in 2002-03, 8.0 rpg. in 2003-04 & 7.0 rpg. in 2004-05). Her 31-point effort in the SEC Tournament on March 1, 2002, remains the No. 4 single-game effort by a Lady Vol freshman, and her 7.97 season rebound average in 2003-04 is the 10th-best by a UT junior. Selected by San Antonio in the second round with the 14th overall pick of the 2005 WNBA Draft, the 2016 SEC Legend honoree played for four teams in the league over a seven-year period.

Lawrence Johnson | Men's Track and Field | 1993-96
Lawrence Johnson was a member of Tennessee's track & field program from 1993-96 and enjoyed one of the most well decorated careers in school history. He captured four NCAA championships for UT in the pole vault to go along with seven individual conference titles (six pole vault, one decathlon). Following the 1996 season, Johnson was named SEC Athlete of the Year for men's outdoor track & field. Johnson's crowning achievement as a collegian came on May 25, 1996 at Tom Black Track, as he broke the American record with a clearance of 5.98m (19-7.5). Today, that mark stands as the No. 4 collegiate and No. 8 U.S. performance of all time. A seven-time USATF pole vault champion, Johnson represented Team USA at the Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 Olympics. He placed 8th in 1996 before taking home the silver medal in 2000, becoming the first African American pole vaulter to earn an Olympic medal.

Chris Lofton | Men's Basketball | 2004-08
One of five Volunteers with his jersey in the rafters, Chris Lofton the 2006-07 AP SEC Player of the Year. A three-time First Team All-SEC selection and three-time All-American, including a two-time consensus second-team honoree, he totaled 2,131 points, fourth-most at Tennessee and No. 11 in SEC history. The SEC 3-point king's 431 makes are a top-15 mark in DI history, while his 42.2 percent career 3-point clip is second at Tennessee and fifth in the SEC. Lofton owns two of the top three single-season 3-point percentages by a Volunteer. The Maysville, Ky., native ranks first, second, third and fifth on Tennessee's single-season 3-point makes per game chart, with his 3.37 career mark atop the program list. One of four Tennessee players to average 13-plus points per game four times, Lofton owns the school single-game 3-point record (nine). A three-time team scoring leader who paced the Volunteers in 3-point makes and percentage four times, he ranks co-second at Tennessee in starts (128), fifth in steals (193) and free-throw percentage (84.2), eighth in made field goals (690), ninth in steals average (1.51) and co-No. 10 in minutes (3,859). Lofton led the SEC in 3-point percentage in 2004-05 (46.5), scoring in 2006-07 (20.8), free-throw percentage in 2007-08 (84.2) and 3-point makes per game thrice. A seven-time SEC Player of the Week, 2005 SEC All-Freshman Team designee and two-time USBWA District Player of the Year, Lofton garnered the SEC Sportsmanship Award and the NABC Career Achievement Award in 2007-08. Over his final three campaigns, he helped the Volunteers go 77-24 (36-12), with three NCAA Tournament bids and two Sweet 16 trips. In 2007-08, Tennessee won the outright SEC regular season title, claimed the program's first No. 1 national ranking and set a school wins record (31). Tabbed an SEC Legend in 2024, following an 11-year professional career, Lofton was recently named a Vol Network color analyst and was the subject of the 2025 SEC Storied documentary "Volunteer for Life."

Erica Popson | Women's Golf | 2010-13
As one of the most decorated players in University of Tennessee history, Popson finished her career as a two-time All-American, including First Team honors in 2011, a two-time SEC All-Conference First Team honoree, and the 2011 SEC Individual Champion. She still holds multiple school records for the Lady Vols, turned in six individual collegiate wins and earned a World Amateur Golf Ranking as high as #4. Popson also played on the 2012 USA Curtis Cup team. She finished with 18 top-10 finishes in 42 starts during her career on Rocky Top and led the Lady Vols in stroke average for three years. She still holds the UT women's record for lowest career scoring average (73.40) and the low single-season scoring average of 72.19 during her sophomore campaign. She became just the second Lady Vol to qualify for four NCAA Championships.

Charles Rosenfelder | Football | 1965-68
A key member of Tennessee's offensive front and a three-year starter from 1966-68, Charles Rosenfelder was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection and a 1968 consensus first-team All-American. Rosenfelder was the backbone of an offensive line that lost four starters going into his 1968 senior year, but that didn't stop the group from paving the way for 1,539 rushing yards en route to an SEC runner-up finish and a No. 13 final ranking. Chosen as the Associated Press' Lineman of the Week following a win against UCLA in 1968, Rosenfelder was a powerful guard for All-SEC fullback Richard Pickens, who rushed for the most yards by a Tennessee back since Hank Lauricella in 1951 (736). Rosenfelder received first-team All-SEC laurels as a junior in 1967 as the Volunteers won the SEC with a 9-2 record and were recognized as national champions by Litkenhous. He opened holes for Tennessee to rush for 1,933 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns that fall, which were the most for the program since 1956. Rosenfelder's first year as a starter in 1966 saw him play in 10 games and cap his sophomore campaign in an 18-12 victory over Syracuse in the Gator Bowl. A native of Humboldt, Tennessee, Rosenfelder played in 30 career games and was a member of the 1965 SEC All-Freshman Team.

Kylee Rossi – Soccer | 2005-08
Rossi, a four-time All-SEC selection and 2006 SEC Player of the Year, finished her career as Tennessee's all-time leader in goals scored (43), game-winning goals (15) and total points (102). Additionally, the Pennington, New Jersey, native became the only Lady Vol to ever lead the squad in scoring during all four years of her playing career. On top of her SEC accolades, Rossi was a four-time All-Central Region selection and 2007 Soccer Buzz Third Team All-American. In her maiden season with the Big Orange, Rossi was tabbed a 2005 Second Team Freshman All-America Team honoree after leading UT with eight goals and 20 points on the year. While Rossi has cemented her name in the record books for individual achievements, she also was a part of two historic Lady Vol soccer teams, the 2005 SEC Regular Season Championship Team and the 2008 SEC Tournament Championship Team.

Brenda Webb | Women's Track and Field | 1977-79; 1996-2000
Brenda Webb was a member of Tennessee's women's track & field and cross country programs from 1977-79 and remains one of the most decorated distance runners in Lady Vol history. An 11-time All-American, Webb captured AIAW national titles in the 5000- meter (1977) as well as the 1500- and 3000-meter (1979), while also finishing runner-up at the 1977 AIAW Cross Country Championships. She was named Tennessee's Female Athlete of the Year in both 1978 and 1979 and twice earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors for her excellence in the classroom. Webb's success extended well beyond her collegiate career. She went on to win USATF national championships in the 3000m (1981) and 5000m (1988) and represented Team USA at multiple World Cross Country Championships, helping the Americans to team gold in 1984 as well as silver and bronze finishes in previous years. After her competitive days concluded, Webb returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach for Tennessee cross country and track & field from 1996-2000, continuing her legacy of excellence on Rocky Top.

Ralph Weekly | Softball Coach | 2002–21
One of the winningest coaches in NCAA softball history, Ralph Weekly compiled a 1,450-481-2 (.750) career record across 36 seasons at Pacific Lutheran, Chattanooga, and Tennessee, ranking No. 4 all-time in career victories at the time of his retirement. During his two decades on Rocky Top, Weekly guided the Lady Vols to 16 straight NCAA Regionals, 11 Super Regionals, and seven Women's College World Series appearances, finishing as national runner-up twice and in the top three five times. Tennessee captured the 2007 SEC regular-season crown and SEC Tournament titles in 2006 and 2011, while Weekly earned SEC Co-Coach of the Year honors in 2004 and 2007. Under his leadership, the Lady Vols became the first SEC team to reach No. 1 in the national polls and the first to advance to the NCAA Championship Series. A 2011 NFCA Hall of Fame inductee, Weekly produced 38 All-Americans and coached standouts such as NCAA career strikeout leader Monica Abbott and 2014 Honda Award winner Madison Shipman. Beyond the collegiate ranks, Weekly helped Team USA to gold medals at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics and guided national teams to 15 international titles as USA Softball's Director of National Teams. A decorated Air Force veteran, Weekly's legacy as a builder, mentor, and champion for women's athletics helped establish Tennessee softball as one of the nation's premier programs.

University of Tennessee Athletics

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