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OGDEN — Weber State Athletics announced its 2021 Hall of Fame class Wednesday.
It was highlighted by inductees Damian Lillard, an NBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist, and legendary football coach Ron McBride.
Lillard came to Weber State from Oakland, California, and played from 2008-12. During his four-year tenure as a Wildcat, Lillard earned top honors in the Big Sky Conference, including Big Sky Freshman of the Year, All-Big Sky first team, and Big Sky MVP twice. The Wildcats claimed two regular season championships while led by Lillard.
Lillard left an impressive mark in Weber's history books. During the 2011-12 season, Lillard averaged 24.5 points and finished with the second-highest average in the nation and the highest average in school history. He currently ranks fourth at Weber State in career points with 1,934 and is the all-time leader in made free throws. He is also in the top 10 in nine other career categories.
After leaving Weber State as an All-American, Lillard was selected sixth overall in the 2012 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers where he still plays. In his time in the NBA, Lillard has earned top honors, including being named the 2013 NBA Rookie of the Year and is a six-time All-Star and six-time member of the All-NBA team.
Joining Lillard in the Hall of Fame is former football coach Ron McBride, who was Weber State's head football coach for seven seasons from 2005-11. He joined the Wildcats after 13 seasons at the University of Utah. During his time at Weber State, McBride led his team to an impressive 43 wins and a Big Sky Conference title.
The Wildcats' football program was forever changed after being coached by McBride, which helped it eventually get to being a top program in the Football Championship Subdivision. Under his direction in 2008, Weber State won their first conference title in over 20 years, was nationally ranked for the first time in eight years and advanced to the FCS playoffs for the first time in 17 years where the Wildcats won its first round game.
While at Weber State, McBride developed and coached 24 players who received All-American honors, 63 who received all-conference awards and five players who were drafted into the NFL.
Lillard and McBride are joined in the Hall of Fame by three-time All-American and three-time Big Sky Champion Rebecca Bennion, who was a member of the women's cross country and track teams; football star and the program's second all-time leading rusher Nick Chournos; and 40-year administrator Jody Lake.
