The Charlotte 49ers have announced the second class elected to their Athletics Hall of Fame. The 2022 Class includes three legends from the men's basketball program, the school's first women's basketball All-America as well as a pair of alums whose long standing support has helped build the department's very foundation.
"We are excited to welcome another class of all-time greats into the 49ers Athletics Hall of Fame," Director of Athletics Mike Hill said. "There are so many individuals that have helped build the foundation of our department and it's an honor to be able to recognize these amazing Niners. Each in their way has had a huge impact on our program and we are thrilled to welcome them into our Hall of Fame."
Men's basketball coach Jeff Mullins, who led the 49ers to three of Charlotte's first four NCAA Tournaments, guard Byron Dinkins, who starred for the breakthrough 1988 Sun Belt Champion and NCAA Tournament team and guard Henry Williams, the program's all-time leading scorer, make up part of the class. Paula Bennett, who earned first team All-America honors for the 49ers in 1981, becomes the first women's basketball player elected into the Hall of Fame. In addition, Gene and Vickie Johnson, who have bolstered the program with their leadership, counsel and resources, have been elected as contributors.
Charlotte inducted its inaugural class, Sept. 9. The 2022 class will be inducted in the fall of 2023.
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CHARLOTTE 49ERS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE BIOS
CLASS OF 2022
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Name: Paula Bennett
Sport: Women's Basketball (1978-82)
Position: Forward
Hometown: Williamston, N.C.
Paula Bennett, the all-time leading scorer and second-leading rebounder in women's basketball history, was named First Team All-America in 1979-80 by the American Sports Foundation. She scored a career-best 2,078 points in her four-year career with 1,301 rebounds. Charlotte amassed 20 or more wins three straight times during her career and earned the program's first national ranking.
Her school-record 19.6 scoring average included a pair of seasons with over 20.0 points per game. She had a career best 21.3 points per game in 1978-79 and 21.1 points in her All-America season of 1979-80. She owns three of the 49ers' top four single-season scoring marks with over 550 points scored in 1980-81 (591), 1979-80 (571) and 1978-79 (553). The 40 points she scored at Georgia State in 1980 stood as a school-record for seven years and she owns a school-record 14 games of 30 or more points, nearly three times more than any other 49er. She averaged at least 10.0 rebounds per game in each of her four seasons for a school-record average of 12.3 rebounds in her career. She is one of four players in school history to average a double-double and she also ranks third all-time with 265 career steals.
She led Charlotte to its first four appearances in the NCAIAW Div. II Tournament in her four years with the program. Playing without a conference affiliation, Bennett was unable to be recognized at the conference level. She was named to the All-Tournament Team of the Sun Belt Invitational in both 1979 and 1980 as Sun Belt Conference members came together for a regular-season tournament. In 1979, Charlotte earned its first national ranking at 14th in Division II. Bennett led the 49ers to the Invitational title that year by averaging 19.5 points and 15.5 rebounds in a pair of victories. In 1980, she scored a tournament single-game record 40 points. In the 1979 NCAIAW Div. II state tournament, she scored 17 points with 23 rebounds in the 49ers' first-ever tournament win and added 31 points and 13 rebounds as Charlotte moved on to the semifinals. She averaged 25.0 points and 15.8 rebounds during the tournament and was an All-State selection. She was also named to the All-Tournament team in 1980 as the 49ers posted a best-ever third-place finish.
After earning First Team All-America honors in 1980, she was named Honorable Mention All-America in 1981-82. She was the first of only two 49ers to be named Team MVP in three straight seasons, earned the program's coveted Gold Nugget Award, once, and served as team co-captain as a senior. In 1998, she became the first women's basketball player to have her jersey recognized. In 2013, she was named to the Atlantic 10's Legends Inaugural Class.
"Many thanks to the 49ers family and the Hall of Fame committee for such a prestigious award," Bennett said. "So overwhelmed! I can't thank you enough for the opportunity to thrive in the growth of women's sports. Memorable times I will treasure forever. To be recognized and honored for a game I played and loved, I am truly humbled and grateful!"
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Name: Byron Dinkins
Sport: Men's Basketball (1985-89)
Position: Guard
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
The first recruit of the Jeff Mullins era, hometown hero Byron Dinkins led Charlotte back into the limelight in the late 1980s. A third team All-America, Dinkins was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and Tournament MVP in 1987-88 as Charlotte earned its first bid to the NCAA Tournament since the Final Four run of 1977. He joined Cedric Maxwell as the only 49ers that won both league Player of the Year and Tournament MVP honors in the same season. He was a two-time First Team All-Sun Belt Conference choice and is one of only seven 49ers to earn a pair of first team honors in school history.
A two-time team MVP, Dinkins averaged double-figures to lead the 49ers in scoring in each of his last three years, including a career-best 21.4 points per game in 1988 that propelled him to league Player of the Year honors. He scored 20 or more points 19 times that season, tied for third-most by a 49er in school history. His 21.9 scoring average in league play is the third-most in school history and the most during a championship run. The 49ers captured the Sun Belt Conference regular-season title as Dinkins erupted for 37 points in the title-clinching win over UAB and would win three straight in the Sun Belt Tournament, again led by Dinkins, who took home Tourney MVP honors.
Dinkins, a Charlotte-native who attended East Mecklenburg High School, ranks among the school leaders in career points (1,657) and career scoring average (15.5 points per game) and the mesmerizing point guard is one of only four players who have passed out more than 500 career assists. In 1988-89 he dished out a career-high 207 assists, one of only three 200-assist campaigns in school history. His career average of 4.8 assists per game are a school-record for players that played four seasons. He led Charlotte in scoring, assists and steals as a senior, as the 49ers reached the NIT, the first back-to-back postseason trips since the 1976 NIT Finals and the 1977 Final Four.
He was named a third-team All-American by Basketball Weekly and fourth-team All-American by Basketball Times in 1987-88, while earning back-to-back AP Honorable Mention All-America honors in 1988 and 1989.
"I am honored and humbled to be a part of the second class in the Charlotte 49ers Athletics Hall Of Fame," Dinkins said. "I never expected anything like this. The program was down when the class of 1985 got here. I wanted to help bring pride back to the program and being a hometown kid made it a special time for me. I could not have imagined this or any other award I received here."
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Gene, '73 and Vickie Johnson, '71
Contributors
Gene and Vickie Johnson are a pair of alums who have continually pushed to elevate their alma mater and especially its athletics program. For over 40 years, they have been among the University's most dedicated and active supporters.
Gene and Vickie Johnson have been instrumental in the overall development of the athletic department.
Gene has been a key driver on the department's two largest projects of the past 20 years: the addition of football and the ongoing EverGreen Athletics Facility Master Vision. Gene was campaign chair for the "It's A Rush" capital campaign as the 49ers unveiled their football program. He served as Chair of the Board of Trustees during the important leadup to football and is chair for the EverGreen fundraising campaign.
In addition to the time and expertise they have donated to the program, Gene and Vickie are longtime donors. They are among the Athletic Foundation's Top Five historical contributors to the athletic department and were founding members of the Grubstake Club, which dates to the mid-70's. They currently give to the annual fund at the Gold Standard level and have also made major capital gifts for construction of the Miltimore-Wallis Athletic Training and Academic Center/Hayward Memorial Practice Gym, Jerry Richardson Football Stadium and Hayward Memorial Practice Gym, and have contributed to the EverGreen Athletics Facility Master Vision. They've endowed two athletic scholarships and endowed an athletics develpment fund.
An offshoot of their commitment to the program was the creation of and funding for the Pride of Niner Nation Marching Band, which Gene and Vickie orchestrated. Close to their hearts, the PNNMB has enhanced the atmosphere and excitement on football game days. The Vickie & Gene Johnson Marching Band Center is home to the UNC Charlotte "Pride of Niner Nation" Marching Band and named in their honor.
Gene was the first alumnus to chair both the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees and the Foundation Board. He also chaired EXPONENTIAL: The Campaign for UNC Charlotte. EXPONENTIAL raised a record $218 million to benefit the university's campus, faculty and students. He has served as President of both the university's Alumni Board and the Athletic Foundation Board.
"It is no exaggeration to say what we do for Charlotte is a labor of love and it gives us so much pleasure to give back to the University that has meant so much to us," said the Johnsons. "We believe very strongly in the value of education and know that athletics really is the front porch of the University. We have so enjoyed our athletics program over the years and are most proud of the way we do things at Charlotte. Ethics and accountability are highly valued. While we honestly believe our contributions don't qualify us to receive this honor and know that we will stand next to giants, we will nevertheless be so pleased, humbled and honored to be inducted into the Charlotte 49ers Athletics Hall of Fame."
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Name: Jeff Mullins
Sport: Men's Basketball Head Coach (1985-96)
Former NBA Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Jeff Mullins took the 49ers to three NCAA Tournaments and two National Invitation Tournaments in his 11 years as head coach to successfully turn around the 49ers men's basketball program. The five post-season appearances over an eight-year span solidified the program as a post-season performer and conference contender.
Charlotte won league titles in three seasons during that span, including the Sun Belt Conference Regular-Season and Tournament titles in 1988, the Metro Conference Tournament title in 1992 and the Metro Conference Regular-Season Championship in 1995. Mullins owns four of the program's 11 league titles in school history, including two its seven tournament titles and two of its four regular-season crowns.
Mullins, who also served as Director of Athletics, was named the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year in 1988 and the Metro Conference Coach of the Year in 1995. He is the only 49ers' coach with two conference Coach of the Year Awards to his credit.
In his 11-year career, he posted a 182-142 win-loss record with nine straight winning seasons. He retired as the 49ers all-time winningest coach. From 1991-96, he represented the 49ers as a member of the USA Basketball Coaching staff.
After a remarkable turnaround in his second year in which Charlotte won 10 more games to rank second in the NCAA's "Turnaround" stat, Mullins led the 49ers' memorable 1987-88 season. Charlotte started 6-0 and used a seven-game win streak that included six Sun Belt Conference games to push to the top of the standings. A two-point home win over UAB clinched the 49ers first Sun Belt crown since 1978. At the Sun Belt Tournament in Richmond, Va., Charlotte won three games by a combined seven points to claim the dramatic tournament title and accompanying bid to the NCAA Tournament. Charlotte advanced to the NIT the following season before making the move to the Metro Conference in 1991.
After starting the 1991-92 season 13-3, Charlotte served notice with a 77-68 overtime victory against 24th-ranked Louisville. A late season win at #21 Tulane set the 49ers up for a run at the Metro Tourney in Louisville, where Charlotte toppled Virginia Tech and Southern Miss before claiming a one-point win, 64-63, over 25th-ranked Tulane for the title. Charlotte finished the season with a 5-2 record vs. ranked teams, spent a record nine straight weeks in the national rankings and peaked at No. 17 in the country, matching the program's previous best ranking from 1977.
After an NIT season in 1994, Charlotte went 14-2 to open the 1994-95 season with wins in its first four Metro contests. Charlotte would go on to take the league title and earn its third NCAA bid and its fifth post-season trip in eight years.
"When I was first considering going there, I was thinking this university is a diamond in the rough. A great city. A great location. It's absolutely amazing. I have very fond memories of my time there and of the players. Over the years, I've been proud to watch our players grow after basketball and do some amazing things. I'm very excited to be going in with Byron and Henry, as well. This is a wonderful thing the university is doing and another step in the right direction. The UNC Charlotte family has always been very nice to me and I enjoyed every moment I was there."
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Name: Henry Williams
Sport: Men's Basketball (1988-92)
Pos: Guard
Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.
Three-time all-American Henry Williams is the 49ers all-time scoring leader. He led Charlotte to a Metro Conference Tournament title at Louisville's famed Freedom Hall. He starred for a team that spent a record nine straight weeks in the national rankings and peaked at a program-best 17th in the country.
He was a rare three-time First Team All-Conference selection, a Metro Conference Tournament MVP and a First Team Freshman All-America. He sparked an exciting era that included a 23-win season -- tied for the most by the 49ers since the 1977 Final Four era.
He completed his career with a school record 2,383 career points, over 200 points more than his closest contender. He averaged over 17.0 points in each of his four seasons including a team-best 20+ scoring average in each of his final three seasons. His 665 points scored as a senior are the third-most in school history and his 20.2 career scoring average is second in school history. He also ranks in the all-time top five in free throws made and free throw pct. and three-pointers made and three-point pct.
Williams scored in double figures in a school-record 111 of his 118 games played, with 65 games of 20+ points. The 32 points he scored against Georgia Southern in 1990 was the most by a 49er at the Charlotte Coliseum, which the 49ers called home from 1988-93. He was the first 49er to make over 100 three-pointers in a season.
In 1992, he cemented his legacy with the 49ers by lifting Charlotte to the Metro Conference Tournament Championship at Freedom Hall. In what the Charlotte Observer's Tom Sorensen called a "WilliamsFest", Williams scored 79 points in the 49ers three wins (26.3 per game), and clinched the title with two free throws in the final seconds of a 64-63 victory over 25th-ranked Tulane. He set tournament records for three-pointers made and free throw shooting.
Williams, who passed away in 2018, was named Honorable Mention All-America in each of his final three seasons, was a UPI First Team Freshman All-America and an AP Second Team Freshman All-America in 1989. The Sporting News listed him as an Honorable Mention All-America in each of his last three years while AP did so in his junior and senior seasons. He was a member of the senior Team USA Men's Basketball Team and won a bronze medal at the 1990 FIBA World Championships under coach Mike Krzyzewski. Williams, who was drafted in the second round of the NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs in 1992, made a name for himself overseas in Italy's professional league. Williams averaged 20.2 points per game in a 10-year pro career. In 1996, he was the Italian League's Most Valuable Player.
"For Henry to be inducted into the UNC Charlotte Hall of Fame is bittersweet," said Henry's wife, Katrina Williams. "Henry dreamed big and lived life to the fullest. His goals were clear when he chose to attend UNC Charlotte. First, he wanted to join a team where he could leave a lasting impact on the organization as a whole. Next, it was important that his experience be a catalyst to his end goal, which was to play basketball professionally. I think he far exceeded his goals and was able to live out his wildest dreams. Henry left an indelible impression on people on and off the court; in Charlotte and abroad. Henry will never be forgotten, and we are forever grateful for the recognition."
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