The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame has announced its Class of 2024, which features nine outstanding athletes, coaches and administrators who have made significant contributions to the state’s sports landscape. The inductees will be honored at the 65th Induction Celebration in Natchitoches, the home of the Hall of Fame and its museum. The dates for the three-day event will be announced soon.
Drew Brees leads the class as a Super Bowl champion and NFL legend
One of the most prominent names in the Class of 2024 is Drew Brees, the former New Orleans Saints quarterback who led the team to its first and only Super Bowl title in 2010. Brees, who retired after the 2023 season, holds several NFL records for passing yards, touchdowns, completions and completion percentage. He was also a 13-time Pro Bowler, a two-time Offensive Player of the Year and the Super Bowl XLIV MVP. Brees is widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and a beloved figure in New Orleans, where he helped rebuild the city after Hurricane Katrina.
Seimone Augustus and Daniel Cormier represent LSU and Lafayette in diverse sports
Another star in the Class of 2024 is Seimone Augustus, who was a dominant force in women’s basketball at LSU and in the WNBA. Augustus scored 2,702 points in her four-year career at LSU, leading the Tigers to three Final Fours and winning two national Player of the Year awards. She was also the first overall pick in the 2006 WNBA draft and went on to win four championships and eight All-Star selections with the Minnesota Lynx. Augustus was also a member of three gold medal-winning Olympic teams.
Daniel Cormier is a mixed martial arts icon who hails from Lafayette. Cormier was a two-time Olympian and a national champion wrestler at Oklahoma State before transitioning to MMA. He became a two-division champion in the UFC, holding both the light heavyweight and heavyweight titles simultaneously. He also won titles in Strikeforce and King of the Cage and is considered one of the best fighters in MMA history.
Kevin Jackson, Perry Clark, Kerry Joseph excel in different fields of competition
The Class of 2024 also includes Kevin Jackson, who won a gold medal in wrestling at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Jackson was also a two-time world champion and a four-time All-American at LSU. He later became a successful coach, leading Iowa State to three Big 12 titles and coaching several Olympic medalists.
Perry Clark was a college basketball coach who guided Tulane to unprecedented success in the 1990s. Clark led the Green Wave to three NCAA tournament appearances and two NIT berths in his 11 seasons at the helm. He also coached at Miami and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and was an assistant coach for South Carolina’s Final Four run in 2017.
Kerry Joseph was a standout quarterback at McNeese State, where he set school records for passing yards, touchdowns and total offense. He also led the Cowboys to two Southland Conference titles and two playoff appearances. Joseph went on to have a long and decorated career in the Canadian Football League, winning two Grey Cups and being named the league’s Most Outstanding Player in 2007.
Frank Monica, Ray Sibille, Wilbert Ellis round out the class with impressive resumes
The Class of 2024 also features Frank Monica, who is one of the most successful high school football coaches in Louisiana history. Monica has won state championships at three different schools: Lutcher, Riverside Academy and St. Charles Catholic. He has also coached several players who went on to play in college and the NFL, such as Ed Reed, LaRon Landry and Jarvis Landry.
Ray Sibille is a Breeders’ Cup-winning jockey who has ridden more than 4,000 winners in his career. Sibille, who is from Sunset, won the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Turf in 1984 aboard Lashkari. He also won several other prestigious races, such as the Arlington Million, the Santa Anita Handicap and the Hollywood Gold Cup.
Wilbert Ellis is the recipient of the Louisiana Sports Ambassador Award, which honors long-term exemplary contributions to the perception of Louisiana by an individual who has ties to the state’s sports landscape. Ellis was a longtime baseball coach at Grambling State University, where he won more than 800 games and 17 conference titles. He also coached several players who made it to the major leagues, such as Ralph Garr, Albert Belle and Tommie Agee.
