NFL MVP from K-State, former KU football coach headline Kansas Sports Hall class
Former Kansas State running back Larry Brown, the NFL’s most valuable player in 1972, heads the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame class of 2025.
Brown started his college career at Dodge City Community College before transferring to Kansas State. He was selected by Washington in the 1969 NFL Draft, and in 1972 led the league with 1,216 rushing yards.
Over his eight-year NFL career, Brown was named All-Pro twice and to the Pro Bowl four times.
Joining Brown in the Class of 2025 is former Kansas football coach Mark Mangino. He was selected in 2024 but could not attend the ceremony. Mangino, who led KU to an Orange Bowl triumph after the 2007 season, will enter the Hall with this class.
Mangino also is a former Kansas State and Oklahoma assistant coach. He was named national coach of the year in 2007.
The class will be inducted on Aug. 2 in Topeka.
Also in the class:
Tim Jankovich, a former standout guard for Coach Jack Hartman’s teams at Kansas State, won 322 games as a head coach at North Texas, Hutchinson Community College, Illinois State and SMU. Jankovich also served as an assistant at Kansas State and Kansas. He was a two-time all-state performer at Manhattan High.
J.C. Louderback, an official and coach who led Cowley County Community College to a national runner-up finish in basketball as a player in 1953. He coached the Arkansas City High tennis team to three state championships and served as an official in the Big Eight and Conference USA. Louderback was the official for Missouri’s “fifth down” game against Colorado in 1990.
Bob Lutz spent 45 years as a reporter and columnist, including 42 years at The Wichita Eagle. He and his son Jeff have hosted a radio program in Wichita for 42 years. Lutz founded League 42, a baseball program in Wichita that allows youth to play at an affordable price.
Kendrick Maple was a two-time state champion wrestler at Wichita Heights High, who became a three-time All-America and NCAA champion at Oklahoma. He serves as the associate head coach at Missouri.
Bobby Randall was an all-Big Eight baseball player at Kansas State who spent five years with the Minnesota Twins before becoming the head coach at Iowa State, Kansas and Manhattan Christian College.
Laverne Smith left Kansas in 1977 as the school’s career leader in rushing yards and touchdowns and rushing yards in a season. In track, he holds the Jayhawks’ 100-meter record at 10.07 seconds.
Deb (Pihl) Torneden was a four-time All-American and 1984 Big Eight female athlete of the year. At one time, she held the world’s best mark in the 1,000 meters and is a national master’s 15K champion. She holds 23 Kansas road race age group records from the mile to half-marathon.
Clifford Wiley was a 13-time NCAA All-American track athlete at Kansas and member of the 1980 Olympic team. He was part of a world record-setting 4x100 meter relay team in 1977 and was a two-time national champion in the 400.