Zach Thomas, a recent Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, is one of six current or former Texas Tech athletes on the shortlist for the 2025 Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
The list includes former Texas Tech football and Miami Dolphins linebackers, as well as Texas Tech track coach Wes Kitley, former Texas Tech baseball coach Larry Hayes, former Texas Tech football coach Jerry Moore, former Texas Tech golfer Randy Smith and former Texas Tech rodeo member Larry Dee Guy.
The ballots were created Tuesday during the annual meeting of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee at the museum in Waco. At least six candidates will be selected for induction from the initial ballot of 20 candidates. At least two will be selected from the 12 veterans' ballot.
The induction dinner is planned to be held early next year.
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Related:Former Tech, LCU coach inducted into 2015 College Baseball Hall of Fame
Thomas, a 13-year NFL linebacker, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August in his 10th year of eligibility.
Hayes, who was inducted into the National Collegiate Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015, won more than 1,500 games as coach at Lubbock Christian University from 1971-1986 and Texas Tech University from 1987-2008. He then won a national championship as Lubbock Christian University softball coach in 2010 and has spent the past six years as the softball coach at Lubbock Christian's rival, Colorado Christian University in the Division II South Central Region, where he compiled a 241-62 record.
Kitley, who was inducted into the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame last year, led the Abilene Christian University team to 29 national championships and the Polytechnic University men's team to NCAA championships in the 2019 outdoor season and 2024 indoor season.
Moore, a 2014 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, suffered five straight losing seasons at Tech from 1981-85 before reviving his career with 24 seasons at Appalachian State, where he won three straight FCS national championships from 2005-07 and won 215 of his 242 career victories as a coach.
Smith, a 1974 graduate of Texas Tech University, was the long-time head professional at Royal Oaks in Dallas and has served as an instructor for Scottie Scheffler, Justin Leonard and Ryan Palmer, among others. Smith has won the PGA National Award a record 18 times and was inducted into the PGA Hall of Fame in 2005.
Guy has won nine world titles in breakaway roping, team roping and all-around, and was also a National Collegiate Rodeo Association champion at Texas Tech University.
