TOWSON, Md. - Former linebackers Mike Arbutina, '95 and Gordy Combs, '72 of the football program join soccer standout Barry Stitz, '92 and gymnastics record-setter Liane Williams, '99 as this year's inductees into the Towson University Athletics Hall of Fame.
The four standouts will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 23 at the annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner.
In addition, the 1989-90 and 1990-91 Tiger men's basketball teams, which won two consecutive East Coast Conference Tournaments and made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, will be honored as Teams of Distinction.
This year's dinner will be held on campus in the Ball Room of the brand new West Village Commons. The cocktail hour will start at 6:00 p.m., followed by dinner at 7:00 p.m. For ticket information, call (410) 704-3284.
No tickets will be sold at the door so anyone wishing to attend the dinner should get their tickets in advance.
Anyone wishing to register on-line should visit here and click on the link for the 2011 Hall of Fame on the home page.
MIKE ARBUTINA, '95 (Football): A four-year starter at linebacker for the Tigers, Mike Arbutina finished his career with 361 tackles, the second-highest total in Tiger football history. Honored as the Tigers' Defensive Most Valuable Player twice, he led the Tigers in tackles for three consecutive seasons. A durable player, he started in all 41 career games.
As a sophomore, he helped the Tigers post a 5-5 record as they started a dramatic turnaround. In the two previous seasons, the Tigers had lost 19 of 22 games. But the 1992 Tigers, coached by Combs, posted dramatic come-from-behind wins over James Madison, Indiana (Pa.) and Northeastern en route to their 5-5 record. Arbutina led the Tigers with 109 tackles.
As a junior and senior, Arbutina was one of the key players for the two best teams that the Tigers have fielded at the NCAA Division I-AA level. In 1993, he made a team-leading 83 tackles as the Tigers finished the season with an 8-2 record. Named as the team's Defensive MVP, Arbutina led the Tigers to impressive wins over Connecticut and Delaware. The Tigers, who finished the season as the 24th-ranked team in NCAA Division I-AA, barely missed out on an NCAA post-season berth. In the Tigers' memorable 32-30 win over Delaware in 1993, Arbutina made nine tackles and recovered a fumble.
One of the Tiger team captains in 1994, Arbutina enjoyed an outstanding senior season. For the third consecutive season, he led the Tigers in tackles. He made 104 tackles, including four quarterback sacks. He also recovered two fumbles while leading the Tigers to another 8-2 record, a mark which included wins over Delaware State and Hofstra. The Tigers ended the season as the 26th-ranked team in the nation and Arbutina was honored as the team's Defensive MVP for the second time.
A native of Bowie, Md. who graduated from Bowie High School, Arbutina is the owner and operator of MVP Irrigation of Centreville, Md. Founded in 1999, MVP Irrigation provides homeowners with quality landscaping and underground installation of home lighting and sprinkler systems. He and his wife, Tamra, reside in Glen Burnie, Md.
GORDY COMBS, '72 (Football): A vital part of the Tiger football program for 39 seasons, Gordy Combs contributed to the Tigers' success as an player, assistant coach and head coach.
A Baltimore native who graduated from nearby Calvert Hall High School, he transferred to Towson after spending one year at the University of Dayton. A two-year starter at linebacker for the Tigers, he earned All-Mason-Dixon Conference honors twice. In 1972, he was one of the team captains for Coach Phil Albert in his first season as the Tigers' head coach. As a senior, he led the Tigers with 106 tackles.
After graduating from Towson, he began a teaching career in Anne Arundel County. At the same time, he joined the Tiger coaching staff in 1973. In his second season as a member of the Tigers' staff, Towson posted a 10-0 record for the only undefeated season in school history. In 1976, he was a defensive assistant coach when the Tigers reached the Stagg Bowl and played for the NCAA Division III championship. The 1976 Tigers compiled a 10-3 record.
While teaching in Anne Arundel County, he was the lacrosse coach at Meade High School for three years, leading the Mustangs to two state runner-up finishes. He also coached junior varsity basketball at Meade for two years.
When the Tiger football program moved up to NCAA Division II status in 1979, Combs was named as the program's first-ever full-time assistant coach by Coach Albert. The Tigers' Defensive Coordinator, Combs played a major role in the Tigers' phenomenal success during eight seasons at the NCAA Division II level. In 1979, his first season as a full-time coach, he helped the Tigers post a stunning 9-1 record which included a 13-7 win over Maine.
In 1983, he was the architect of a dominant Tiger defensive unit that led NCAA Division II by allowing only 5.8 points per game. That defense intercepted a school record 27 passes and recovered a record 28 fumbles as the Tigers posted a phenomenal plus-27 turnover ratio. The Tiger defense recorded four shutouts and allowed only two regular season opponents to score more than nine points. When the Tigers closed out the regular season with a 10-3 win at James Madison, they had a 10-1 record and were the fourth-ranked team in NCAA Division II. Making their first appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs, the Tigers fell to eventual champion North Dakota State, 24-17.
During their eight seasons at the NCAA Division II level, the Tigers compiled a record of 60-28-2. They made three appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs and were ranked in the top ten four times. Towson also won the Lambert/Meadowlands Award as the top Division II team in the East three times (1983, 1984, 1986). The Tigers were also honored as the ECAC Division II Team of the Year three times.
When the Tigers program was elevated to NCAA Division I-AA status in 1987, Combs was named as the Tigers' Associate Head Coach. In that capacity, he continued to serve as the Defensive Coordinator.
After Coach Albert retired as the Tigers' head coach after the 1991 season, Director of Athletics Bill Hunter immediately named Combs as his successor. He became the third head coach in program history in February, 1992.
When he was named as the Tigers' head football coach, Combs inherited a struggling program that had lost 27 of its last 32 games over a three-year period of adjustment to I-AA football.
But the long-time assistant coach resurrected the program almost immediately. The 1992 Tigers overcame a 2-4 start by posting memorable wins over James Madison, Indiana of Pa. and Northeastern. In the win at IUP, the Tigers overcame a 33-14 deficit in the final six minutes for a 35-33 victory. The following week, the Tigers beat Northeastern on the final play of the game. When the Tigers finished with a 5-5 record, it was their best mark in five seasons.
In 1993, Combs led the Tigers to an impressive 8-2 record. Utilizing the talents of All-American tailback Tony Vinson, the Tigers finished the season with a three-game winning streak that included a 32-30 victory at Delaware. Ranked 24th in the nation in the final poll, the Tigers barely missed out on a berth in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. In 1994, the Tigers posted another 8-2 mark and were ranked 26th in the nation at the end of the season.
In 1995 and 1996, the Tigers competed in the ECAC IFC Conference and won 12 of 20 games. By posting back-to-back 6-4 records, the Tigers extended their streak to four consecutive winning seasons.
The program made another directional shift in 1997 when Towson joined the well-established Patriot League. After Combs endured his first losing season as a head coach in the Tigers' first Patriot League season, they improved to 5-6 in 1998. In 1999, they were picked to finish last in the PL but they surprised everyone by starting their league schedule with a 4-0 record. A heart-breaking 44-39 loss at Lehigh hurt the Tigers' championship hopes. However, they were still in the hunt for the title until the final week of the season when they fell to Colgate. The Tigers posted a 7-4 overall record in 1999 and finished third in the Patriot League. Coach Combs was named as the 1999 Patriot League Coach of the Year.
Led by All-American defensive end Andrew Hollingsworth, the 2000 Tigers went 7-4. Their 3-3 Patriot League record featured narrow losses to Holy Cross and Colgate. After slipping to 3-7 in an injury-filled 2001 season, the Tigers had a 6-5 mark in 2002 and a 6-6 record in 2003.
In 2004, the Tiger football program made another change in direction as Towson joined the Atlantic 10 Conference, a scholarship-based league which was one of the top I-AA conferences in the nation.
As expected, the Tigers struggled to a 3-8 record in their first season in the A-10 as they lost all eight conference games. In 2005, Towson showed significant improvement by posting a 6-5 overall record with a 3-5 mark in the Atlantic 10. Highlighting the season were a dramatic 35-31 Homecoming victory over #5 Delaware before a record crowd at Johnny Unitas® Stadium and a 40-19 win over Villanova.
The 2006 Tigers were nationally-ranked in the NCAA Division I-AA Top 25 for most of the season. After a 4-0 start which included a 33-30 win at Hofstra, the Tigers broke into the national rankings. En route to a 7-4 record, the Tigers posted wins over #24 Delaware and #25 Richmond. However, a loss to James Madison in the seasonal finale ended the Tigers' post-season playoff hopes.
One of the highlights of his Combs' coaching tenure occurred after the 2006 season when offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod was drafted in the fourth round of the NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints.
In his 17 seasons as the Tigers' head coach, Combs compiled a record of 92-90. He guided the Tigers to nine winning seasons and two campaigns where they posted a .500 record.
Coach Combs, who earned his Master's degree in Education from Towson in 1975, was honored as the Towson University Coach of the Year for men's sports five times.
Combs has spent the last two seasons as an assistant football coach at Johns Hopkins University. While serving as the linebackers coach for Jim Margraff, he has helped the Blue Jays win 18 of 24 games since joining the staff. In 2009, he was a member of a Johns Hopkins team that won the Centennial Conference and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. Hopkins finished the season with a 10-3 record. Last year, he helped Hopkins post an 8-3 mark.
Coach Combs is the father of three children, Meredith, Buggs and Kendall-Ann and he has two step-children, Haley and Taylor. The grandfather of four, he resides in Towson with his wife, Cindi.
BARRY STITZ, '92 (Soccer): A four-year starter in the midfield for the Tiger men's soccer team from 1987 to 1990, Barry Stitz led the Tigers to a pair of East Coast Conference championships.
While he has always been regarded as one of the top players ever to compete for the Tigers, his stature in the soccer world grew during his eight-year career playing for the Baltimore Blast indoor soccer team. A member of the National Professional Soccer League's All-Rookie team in 1992-93, he played in 318 games for the Blast during his career. He appeared in 296 regular season games and scored 131 goals with 125 assists. He ranks sixth on the Blast's all-time scoring list with 378 points. He also appeared in 22 post-season games for the Blast and scored seven goals with five assists.
During his career with the Blast, he was named as the team's Unsung Hero Award winner four times.
A Baltimore native who graduated from Archbishop Curley High School, he played in 73 career games at Towson and scored 12 goals with 10 assists. While playing for the Tigers, he led the team to a 38-26-9 record.
An All-ECC selection as a senior, he developed a reputation as a clutch performer in his career. As a sophomore, he scored three goals with two assists while helping the Tigers post a 10-5-3 record. His first collegiate goal was a game-winner as he tallied the lone goal with 9:34 remaining in a 1-0 win over Georgetown. He also tallied the game-winning goal in a 3-2 victory over UMBC.
In his junior year, he led the Tigers to a 12-6-1 mark and their first ECC championship
. The Tigers' fourth-leading scorer with three goals and five assists, he tallied the game-winner in the second half of a 1-0 victory over Kutztown. He also keyed a 3-2 come-from-behind win over Hofstra with a goal and an assist. In the ECC Tournament, he helped the Tigers post a 3-0 victory over Rider in the semi-finals and a 2-1 win over Drexel. Stitz set up Layfield's game-winning goal in the championship match with 5:17 remaining off a well-placed pass.
As a junior, he was honored as the team's Unsung Hero Award winner.
In 1990, he was the team's third-leading scorer with six goals and three assists as he guided the Tigers to a 12-6-2 record and the ECC co-championship. Towson and Drexel played to a 1-1 double overtime tie in the championship game and were named as co-champs.
In mid-October, he scored one of the Tigers' most important goals of the season as he tallied the game-winner in a 2-1 victory at Rider. He also scored the game-winner in a 2-0 overtime victory over UMBC.
Honored as the Tigers' Most Valuable Player in 1990, Stitz scored four of his goals in ECC games and was ranked fifth in the conference. He was also named to the Maryland Collegiate Division I All-State team.
After graduating from Towson with his degree in Mass Communication in 1991, he started his coaching career as an assistant coach to Frank Olszewski at Towson in 1991 and 1992. As an assistant coach, he helped the Tigers win their third straight ECC championship in 1991 with a 2-1 win over Rider.
After retiring from the Blast in 2000, Stitz was named as the head men's soccer coach at his alma mater, Archbishop Curley. In 11 years as the Friars' coach, he has established Curley as one of the top programs in the Baltimore area. In 2006, he led the Friars to the MIAA championship and was named as the Baltimore Metro Coach of the Year.
He has coached Curley to a 147-95-16 career record and eight consecutive playoff berths.
In 2008, he was inducted into the Maryland Soccer Hall of Fame.
In addition to his duties as the men's soccer coach at Curley, he serves as the Vice-President for Advancement.
He and his wife, Teresa, reside in Perry Hall with their three sons.
LIANE WILLIAMS, '99 (Gymnastics): A record-setting performer for the Tiger gymnastics team from 1996 to 1999, Liane Williams finished her career as the sixth-leading scorer in school history with 1,501.500 points. A native of Virginia Beach, Va., Williams helped the Tigers to a 63-23-1 record and three NCAA Southeast Regional appearances during her career. She was also a key member of two USA Gymnastics NIT Championship teams.
As a freshman, Williams was honored as the East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) Co-Rookie of the Year. She appeared in 13 of 14 meets as an all-around performer and led the Tigers to a second place finish behind West Virginia at the EAGL Meet.
In the second meet of her college career, she set a school record with a 9.925 score on va
ult. After leading the Tigers to a win over Pennsylvania, she was honored as the first-ever EAGL Gymnast of the Week. Named first team All-EAGL on vault, bars, floor and all-around, she won the EAGL championship on the balance beam with a 9.825 score. She also finished fifth on vault and sixth on floor at the EAGL Meet.
She capped off her freshman season by leading the Tigers to the USA Gymnastics NIT championship. She finished 13th in the all-around at the NIT Meet with a 38.45 score. She also tied for ninth on floor (9.70) and was 11th on bars (9.80).
As a sophomore, Williams suffered through an injury-plagued campaign. A stress fracture in her ankle sidelined her for three meets and limited her effectiveness all season. Early in the season, she was named as the EAGL Co-Gymnast of the Week after she led the Tigers to a win over Ohio State. In the win over the Buckeyes, she tied her own school record with a 9.85 on beam and broke the school record with a 9.90 on floor.
In her junior year, she competed in seven meets before she broke her ankle. Her ankle was placed in a cast and that ended her season prematurely. She competed as an all-around in the first five meets and won the all-around twice. She led the Tigers to a win over Rutgers by taking first in the all-around. She also won the all-around competition in a meet against West Virginia and Temple. She was honored as the EAGL Gymnast of the Week for the third time in her career.
A three-time member of the EAGL All-Academic team, Williams returned to form in 1999 and enjoyed an outstanding senior season. A first team All-EAGL selection on floor and a second team All-EAGL choice in the all-around, Williams was honored as the EAGL's Senior Athlete of the Year.
As a senior, Williams led the Tigers to a 14-10 record and a berth in the NCAA Southeast regional meet. In a win over Temple in March, she set the school record with a 9.95 score on the floor exercise. She helped the Tigers to a fifth place finish at the EAGL Meet by winning titles on vault (9.875) and floor (9.90).
In the final meet of her college career, the USA Gymnastics NIT, she competed despite a broken toe. She led the Tigers to a first place finish with a 9.70 on vault, a 9.85 on bars and a 9.875 on floor. She tied for sixth on vault and finished third on bars and third on floor. Her 9.875 score on floor enabled the Tigers to clinch the championship as they edged Rutgers by 0.125 points.
A 1999 graduate who earned her degree from Towson in Communication Studies, Williams works as an account manager with Lockton Companies. She resides in Washington, D.C.
TEAMS OF DISTINCTION: 1989-90 and 1990-91 NCAA Tournament Tiger Men's Basketball Teams: In 1990 and 1991, the Tiger men's basketball team achieved national notoriety when Coach Terry Truax led the Tigers to back-to-back East Coast Conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances.
In 1989-90, the Tigers entered the season with high hopes. In the previous season, Towson had posted a 19-10 record before dropping an overtime heart-breaker to Lafayette in ECC semi-finals. The Tigers had virtually everyone returning, including ECC Player of the Year Kurk Lee and ECC Rookie of the Year Devin Boyd.
Despite winning the Baltimore Beltway Classic early in the season, it took a while for the Tigers to put things together and live up to their pre-season expectations. In mid-February, the Tigers won five of seven ECC games to move into first place in the ECC standings and earn the top seed for the ECC Tournament in the Towson Center.
In the ECC Tournament, the Tigers pulled out a 74-63 win over eighth-seeded Rider in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, the Tigers were matched up with highly-regarded Delaware. The Tigers played one of their best games of the season while handing the Blue Hens an 85-71 loss. Before a national audience on ESPN, the Tigers won their first ECC championship with a 73-60 victory over Lehigh. Lee, who had been named as the ECC Player of the Year for the second time, was named as the ECC Tournament MVP while Boyd earned ECC All-Tournament honors. Lee averaged 27.7 points per game with a .633 field goal percentage in the tournament.
Making their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers were the 16th seed in the Midwest Region and faced number one-ranked Oklahoma in a first round game in Austin, Texas. The Sooners came into the game with a 27-4 record while averaging more than 101 points per game.
But, the Tigers represented themselves well in their NCAA Tournament debut. Rallying from a 14-point halftime deficit, the Tigers cut the lead to two points several times in the final six minutes before OU escaped with a 77-68 win. In his final game, Lee scored 30 points. He ended the year as the 13th-leading scorer in the nation with a 26.0 average.
While Lee led the Tigers in scoring, senior Kennell Jones averaged 8.7 points and a team high 6.8 rebounds. He was named as the ECC Scholar-Athlete for men's basketball. Senior forward Kelly Williamson averaged 10.9 points while 6-8 senior Mike Morin had a 4.0 scoring average.
Boyd was the Tigers' second-leading scorer with an 11.7 average while leading the team with 2.9 assists per game. Sophomore Chuck Lightening and junior guard Lewis Waller provided solid depth off the bench. Lightening averaged 8.5 points per game with a .502 field goal percentage while Waller scored 7.1 points per contest.
The 1989-90 Tigers finished the season with an 18-13 record.
Despite the loss of four seniors, the 1990-91 Tigers managed to duplicate the success they enjoyed the previous year. For the second year in a row, they won the ECC regular season title as well as the ECC Tournament championship.
A trio of juniors led the Tigers back to the NCAA Tournament as newcomer Terrance Jacobs, Boyd and Lightening all scored in double figures. Boyd, the only returning starter from the first NCAA Tournament, led the ECC with a 20.7 scoring average. He was named as the ECC Player of the Year.
Lightening also earned first team All-ECC honors while averaging 16.1 points and a team high 6.3 rebounds per game. A transfer from Allegany Junior College, Jacobs provided outstanding defense while averaging 15.9 points per contest.
The ECC Coach of the Year for the second time in his career, Truax also received strong efforts from a pair of freshmen, Matt Campbell and John James. They were both named to ECC All-Rookie Team.
The Tigers led the ECC from the start as they won their first nine conference games. Towson won its second consecutive ECC regular season title with a 10-2 record.
In the ECC semi-finals, the Tigers avoided an upset bid by UMBC when Jacobs nailed a 16-foot jumper in the final seconds for an 80-78 win. Before a national audience on ESPN, the Tigers edged Rider to win their second straight title. When Boyd completed a three-point play with 1:06 remaining to give Towson a lead it never lost. A steal and fast break slam dunk by Lightening with 45 seconds remaining put Towson ahead by 63-60 and they went on to win, 69-63.
Once again, the Tigers went to the NCAA Tournament and faced a national power, Ohio State. The Big Ten Conference champion Buckeyes were ranked second in the nation behind Nevada Las Vegas. Towson played Ohio State in Dayton, Ohio - hardly a neutral court.
Ohio State built a 45-37 halftime lead but the Buckeyes were hard-pressed to close out a 97-86 win over the Tigers. With 12:36 left in the game, Ohio State increased its lead to 64-46. But, Lightening, who was the game's high scorer with 26 points, led a 24-11 run that trimmed the deficit to 75-70 with less than five minutes to play. But, the Tiger comeback fell short when Boyd fouled out. He played only 21 minutes and scored 17 points due to foul trouble. Lightening was named as the CBS-TV Player of the Game while Jacobs chipped in with 22 points.
The head coach for both of the Tigers' NCAA Tournament teams, Truax was inducted into the Towson Hall of Fame in 2004. His assistant coaches were Jim Meil, Michael Hunt and Steve Baker.
Seven players, including Larry Brown, William Griffin, Craig Valentine, Scott Heidler, Boyd, Lightening and Waller, played for both of the Tigers' NCAA Tournament teams.
Teams of Distinction Honored by the Athletic Hall of Fame
| 1933-34 Men's Basketball Team |
1986 |
| 1968 Women's Gymnastics Team (AIAW National Champions) |
1992 |
| 1974 Men's Lacrosse Team (NCAA College Division Champions) |
1998 |
| 1981-83 Men's Swimming and Diving Team (29-meet winning streak) |
1999 |
| 1954-56 Men's Soccer Teams |
2000 |
| 1976-77 and 1977-78 Men's Basketball Teams (NCAA II nationally-ranked) |
2001 |
| 1938 Men's Soccer Team |
2002 |
| 1969 Women's Basketball Team (Women's National Invitational Tournament) |
2003 |
| 1974 Football Team (Lone undefeated team in school history) |
2004 |
| 1983-1984-1986 Football Teams (Lambert Award winners) |
2006 |
| 1958 Men's Lacrosse Team (first team in program history) |
2007 |
| 1990 Women's Gymnastics Team (Finished 9th in the nation) |
2008 |
| 1976 Football Team (NCAA Division III runners-up) |
2009 |
| 1980 Women's Lacrosse Team (USWLA Division II runners-up) |
2010 |
| 1989-90 and 1990-91 Men's Basketball Teams (NCAA Tournaments) |
2011 |
Doc Minnegan Scholarship Award Recipients
| Ramin Kazemi, '98 |
Men's Tennis |
1997 |
| Richie Moller, '99 |
Men's Soccer |
1998 |
| Bridget Harthausen, '00 |
Women's Soccer, Women's Lacrosse |
1999 |
| Brian Barber, '01 |
Men's Basketball |
2000 |
| Gregg Davies, '02 |
Baseball |
2001 |
| Aaron Krause, '04 |
Men's Swimming and Diving |
2002 |
| Brian McKenna, '04 |
Baseball |
2003 |
| Jennifer Irby, '05 |
Women's Swimming and Diving |
2004 |
| Becky Trumbo, '06 |
Women's Lacrosse |
2005 |
| Nigel Marples, '07 |
Men's Soccer |
2006 |
| John Webb, '08 |
Football |
2007 |
| Alea Murphy, '09 |
Track and Field |
2008 |
| Tommy Appel-Schumacher, '10 |
Men's Soccer |
2009 |
| Brandi Gervais, '11 |
Cross Country, Track and Field |
2010 |
| Erika Griffith, '12 |
Cross Country, Track and Field |
2011 |
The Towson University Athletic Hall of Fame was conceived in 1963 and developed by Dr. Donald "Doc" Minnegan and alumnus George Henderson to provide recognition for outstanding alumni athletes who excelled in sports while at Towson and are successful in their life. It was also their purpose to cite those members of the athletic and sports staff at Towson who had materially and significantly contributed to the total development of successful alumni athletes. In 1974, the Athletic Hall of Fame was incorporated into the Alumni Association Awards program.
To be nominated, an individual must be a Towson alumna/us or an athletics staff member for at least 10 years. For selection, an alumna/us must have made a significant contribution to the college community through excellence in athletics, achieved marked success in life after leaving Towson, and be an active supporting member of the community. An athletics staff member must have clearly demonstrated athletic proficiency, and a high personal regard and respect for alumni and students.
