DENTON, Texas — The University of North Texas will honor five former student-athletes and one former coach by inducting them into the school's Athletics Hall of Fame.
This class of inductees spans decades, dating back to the 1980s. Inductees were voted in by Hall of Fame members, current dues-paying letterwinners and the Hall of Fame committee.
Here's a look at the 2024 North Texas Athletics Hall of Fame class:
Phillip Armour is one of three football players inducted in this year's class. He was originally a defensive lineman for the Mean Green before making the switch to the offensive line. Armour started 38 games for UNT, including every game for his last three seasons. He made first-team All-Conference in three straight seasons and was even selected to play in the East-West Shrine Game and the Hula Bowl in 1989. Armour spent two seasons in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts.
Shahaf Bareni is an Israeli high jump star, holding the program's six top finishes in the event. Bareni is an eight-time champion with the Mean Green, including conference championships in 2012 (Sun Belt Outdoor) and 2015 (Conference USA Indoor). She was also a member of the 2013 Sun Belt Outdoor Championship team. Bareni even placed seventh in high jump at the 2013 NCAA Championships. She represented UNT and the State of Israel in the 2013 World University Games in Kazan, Russia, and narrowly missed a spot on the Israeli Olympic team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Now, Bareni is pursuing a doctorate at UNT.
Terriell Bradley is one of the greatest women's basketball players in UNT's history. She still stands as the program's third all-time leading scorer. Bradley also holds the title for most free throws in program history and is one of just 15 UNT players to pass 1,000 points. She led UNT in scoring for three straight seasons, was the team's leading rebounder in 2017-18 and led the team in steals in 2018-19.
Dylan Lineberry was an offensive lineman for North Texas. He started every game with the Mean Green and paved the way for running backs Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas to rush for 1,100 and 1,801 yards respectively. He is one of only five offensive linemen in program history to be named to the All-Conference team three times.
Roderick Manning was a defensive lineman for UNT in the 1980s and is tied for the second all-time record for sacks in program history with 20. Manning also holds the single-season record for sacks with 13! After his time in Denton, Manning was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chicago Bears.
Rick Watkins is the only former coach being inducted in the 2024 Hall of Fame class. Watkins is a five-time Sun Belt Coach of the Year recipient and was the 2002 South Central Region Coach of the Year in his 20-year career at UNT. He elevated 20 student-athletes to reach the NCAA Track and Field Championships.
These six UNT legends will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on November 9, 2024, at the Gateway Center prior to the Mean Green's football game against Army.
