John McLendon, Tennessee A&I, North Carolina College, Kentucky State, Hampton Institute, Cleveland State

1979 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee; 2007 College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee; 2012 NAIA 75th Anniversary All-Star Team honoree; First college coach ever to win three consecutive national championships (Three NAIA Championships 1957, 1958, 1959); 1960 NAIA Semifinalist; 1958 NAIA Coach of the Year; Compiled a 496-179 record for a 73.5 winning percentage in 25 seasons at Tennessee State, Kentucky State, North Carolina Central, Hampton and Cleveland State (all Div. II or NAIA).  In his early years, his teams were restricted to playing only against other all-black teams. However, while coaching at North Carolina College, McLendon participated in "The Secret Game", a match against a team from Duke University, which was the first collegiate basketball contest where blacks and whites competed on the same floor. He led the Eagles to eight CIAA Championships (1941, 1943–44, 1946–47, 1949–50, 1952).  At Cleveland State, he was he first African American head coach of a predominantly white university.  McLendon's contributions to the game of basketball include the invention of the full-court press and four corners offense.