Liberty University’s Athletics Hall of Fame inducted its seventh class at a ceremony on the club level of Williams Stadium on Sept. 18. The newest members were also recognized at the Flames Football game against the University of Montana the following day.
Erin Green
Football: 1985-89
Green was Liberty’s first NCAA Division I Associated Press football All-American, following a standout senior season (62 receptions for 905 yards and 10 touchdowns). Green caught the game-winning touchdown in a 25-24 win over Eastern Michigan in 1989, the program’s first victory over an FBS opponent. The native of Savannah, Ga., was the 21st overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was named the NFL’s Rookie of the Year and finished his 10-year professional career with 362 career receptions for 4,390 yards and 36 touchdowns, twice being named to the NFL Pro Bowl (1993 and 1994).
Mike Hatch
Wrestling: 1984-87
Hatch was Liberty’s most dominant wrestler, finishing his four-year career with a program record 120 victories (120-28-1). He helped guide the Flames to four consecutive NCAA Division II South Regional championships (1984-87), earning individual heavyweight titles his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons, and the team’s highest NCAA Division II national championship finish (fifth place) in 1986. The native of Middleboro, Mass., was a two-time NCAA Division II All-American as the national runner-up in 1986 and 1987, when he went on to place 15th in the NCAA Division I national tournament.
Katie (Feenstra) Mattera
Women’s Basketball: 2002-05
Mattera helped put the women’s basketball program on the national map, guiding the Lady Flames to the 2005 NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. The 6-foot-8-inch center from Grand Rapids, Mich., became the program’s first NCAA Division I All-American and the first in Big South Conference history to be named Player of the Year three years in a row (2003-05). She led the country in field goal shooting percentage her junior (65.7) and senior (67.2) seasons and completed her career with 1,845 points scored. She was the program’s first player to be selected in the WNBA Draft (No. 8 overall selection in 2005) and was a unanimous selection to the WNBA All-Rookie team.
Sam Rutigliano
Football Coach: 1989-99
Following an 18-year coaching career in the NFL, Rutigliano helped establish Liberty as an NCAA Division I football program and finished his 11-year coaching career as the program’s winningest coach (67-53). The 1980 NFL Coach of the Year came to Liberty in 1989, the program’s second season at the Division I level. Rutigliano’s teams were consistently ranked in the Top 25 and he coached 11 NCAA All-Americans.
Patrick Sipe
Baseball: 1983-86
Sipe finished his four-year career as the Flames’ all-time leader in runs scored (179), total bases (489), home runs (59), and RBI (226), earning team MVP honors in 1985 and 1986. As a freshman, Sipe posted a .332 batting average with 61 RBI and 12 home runs, helping the Flames win 40 games for the first time in program history. During his senior campaign in 1986, he led Liberty to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Tournament and a fifth-place finish at the NAIA World Series.
Facts:
- Established in 2009
- Located on the concourse level of the Vines Center
- Has 37 members, including six past coaches
- Liberty founder, Jerry Falwell Sr., was a member of the inaugural class
