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BLUE RAIDER HALL OF FAME
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    • Ed Bunio

    Inducted: 2010
    Sports: Football

    In 1979, Ed Bunio followed Boots Donnelly from the Austin Peay staff to MTSU to revive the sagging Blue Raider football program, starting a 16-year run as defensive coordinator and linebacker coach until he retired after the 1994 season.

    He was a driving force in the rebuilding of the Blue Raiders' football fortunes with his great defenses in the 1980's.

    Among the players he sent to the pros were Don Griffin, Marty Carter and Mike Caldwell. He also coached the OVC's Defensive Player of the Year in 1982 (Dennis Mix), 1985 (Griffin), 1988 (Don Thomas), 1989 (Anthony Coleman) and 1990 (Carter).

    Bunio also produced All-Americans Mix (1981 & 82), Tommy Barnes (1988), Kenny Tippins (1988), Jimmy McCamey (1989), and Caldwell (1992). He was described by his nominator as "a great teacher of young men, a great coach and a great friend."

    Class of 2012

    Mike Caldwell
    Football

    Diane Cummings Turnham
    Athletic Administration

    Harry Gupton
    Basketball, Baseball

    Tawanya Mucker Wilson
    Basketball

    Jayhawk Owens
    Baseball

    History of the Hall of Fame

    In the early spring of 1975, a pair of long-time supporters of Middle Tennessee State University's athletic program decided that the University should honor its greatest athletes. Homer Pittard, alumni director, and Gene Sloan, public relations director, came up with the idea and asked sports information director Jim Freeman to join them in setting up an athletic hall of fame.

    After getting approval for the Hall of Fame from President M. G. Scarlett, the trio began laying the groundwork to select the first inductees. Others, including Bob Womack and Joe Nunley, were also involved.

    "We decided not to have categories but to put all candidates in one group," said Freeman. "We also decided against inducting a large group to start with and felt that three per year was the ideal number. That way, everyone got a good share of the spotlight."

    The nominating and voting for the first several years was done by members of the old "T" Club, now reorganized and called the Varsity Club. Nominations were solicited, and the the list of candidates was mailed to the voters. They selected Horace Jones, Charles "Bubber" Murphy and Teddy Morris as the initial inductees in 1976.

    The Blue Raider Hall of Fame was originally housed in the old Blue Raider Room under the west side of the football stadium. It had to be torn down when then stadium was expanded in 1998. After several years without a home, the Hall of Fame moved into the new Rose and Emmett Kennon Sports Hall of Fame building in 2004.