The 2025 Hall of Fame class includes Mary Taylor Cowles (Women's Basketball coach and athlete), William "Jelly" Green (Football, Track and Field), and Walt Heath (Football).
The induction of the 2025 class will bring the number of former WKU athletes and coaches to earn berths in the school's Athletic Hall of Fame to 176 since its founding in 1991.
The 2025 class will be inducted in a ceremony highlighting the annual W-Club Homecoming Brunch, set for 9:30 a.m. CT on Saturday, Nov. 1, on the main floor (John Oldham Court) in E.A. Diddle Arena on the WKU campus in Bowling Green.
Tickets for the event, which is open to the general public, are $50 each and can be purchased and/or reserved:
- Online at alumni.wku.edu/wclubbrunch25 (then click on "Registration" and fill out the reservation form).
- By calling the Hilltopper Athletic Foundation (HAF) office at 270-745-5321.
Each active W-Club member who has paid his/her 2025-26 dues (or is a Lifetime member) may purchase up to two seats at the member discounted rate of $25 each (additional seats will be at the general public rate – $50 each). However, seating is limited and reservations MUST be made – either online or by phone with the HAF – to ensure seating is available. The event is open to the public, but seats must purchased. WKU letterwinners who have not yet paid their 2025-26 dues may do so online with a credit card (at alumni.wku.edu/joinwclub) or at the door (exact cash or check only) with a prior reservation for the event.
The inductees will also be honored in ceremonies on Jimmy Feix Field at halftime of the annual Homecoming football game, set to kickoff at 2:30 p.m. WKU Head Coach Tyson Helton will pit his Hilltoppers against Conference USA foe New Mexico State at Houchens-Smith Stadium. Tickets for the game are available by calling 1-800-5-BIGRED (or 270-745-5222). W-Club members who have paid their 2025-26 membership dues (or are Lifetime Members) may purchase game tickets at a discounted rate at the W-Club Window at Gate 5 prior to the game.
Now, more about the members of the 2025 WKU Athletic Hall of Fame class:
Mary Taylor Cowles / Basketball, 4 letters (1988-91); Assistant Coach (1994-01); Head Coach (2002-12) – Cowles was a part of Lady Topper basketball for a record 21 seasons – four as an outstanding player, seven as an assistant coach and 10 as head coach. Those teams posted 19 winning seasons, including 15 20-win years (seven in her 10 years as head coach). She represented WKU in 664 games and was a part of 447 Lady Topper victories, both numbers the most ever for anyone affiliated with the program, and including 199 wins as head coach (Second only to Hall of Fame Coach Paul Sanderford). Her teams made 18 postseason tournament appearances – 13 in the NCAA (three as a player, eight as an Assistant Coach and two as Head Coach), plus five in the WNIT. Her teams won eight Sun Belt regular-season crowns and six league tourney titles. She earned SBC Coach of the Year honors three times (2003, 2006 and 2008). She completed her playing career on The Hill as the 16th Lady Topper to score 1,000 points (1,072) and ranked in the top 10 in four stat categories, including rebounding and blocked shots. She was an SBC All-Tournament pick in both 1988 and in 1991 when she was elected the event's Most Outstanding Player. She was a one of 15 named to the All-Time Lady Topper Team selected as a part of WKU's Centennial Celebration in 2006.
William "Jelly" Green / Football, 4 letters (1967-70); Track, 1 letter (1971) – An All-America defensive back, "Jelly" Green enjoyed a sparkling career on The Hill that included berths on the All-Ohio Valley Conference Team both his junior and senior seasons. He etched his name in the Hilltopper record books, setting four marks that still stand here 55 years later: career punt returns (96), career punt return yardage (1,294), career punt return TDs (5) and season average per return (17.8 yards in 1967). And he remains tied for second in the books for both longest punt return (90 yards) and longest pass interception return (95 yards). His four Topper teams were a collective 28-7-4 (77%), winning the OVC crown in 1970 after finishing as the runner-up in league play his first three seasons. A talented and versatile athlete, he topped off his collegiate career in the spring of 1971 when he took top honors in the 100-yard dash at the OVC Championship Meet, covering the distance in 9.9 seconds. He was claimed in the 15th round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.
Walt Heath / Football, 4 letters (1965-68) – A four-year starter as a defensive lineman for the Hilltoppers, Heath earned All-America honors as a senior in 1968. Also a two-time first-team pick on the All-OVC Team (1967 and 1968), he started at defensive tackle four straight years, ranking in the top three on the club in tackles every season. He earned a reputation as "the most dependable defensive lineman in the OVC." Heath narrowly missed league Defensive Player of the Year honors as a junior, finishing a close second in the balloting. He recorded 93 tackles (49 main stops/44 assists) as a freshman, 66 (44/25) as a sophomore, 69 (40/29) as a junior and 78 (53/25) his senior season, totaling 306 tackles for his career (183 main tackles/123 assists). His freshman-dominated team struggled in 1965, improved considerably in 1966 and then enjoyed outstanding seasons his last two years, going 7-1-1 (5-1-1 in the OVC) in 1967 and 7-2-1 (5-2 in the league) in 1968 – 14-3-2 overall and 10-3-1 in the OVC. He captained the Toppers as a senior.
