PORTSMOUTH, Va. --- Former Roanoke
College standout Frankie Allen '67 was inducted into the Virginia
Sports Hall of Fame at the 42nd Annual Induction Banquet at the
Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel & Waterfront Conference Center on
April 27. He joins more than 350 athletes, coaches,
administrators, educators and journalists who have made a major
impact on the world of sports in the state of the
Virginia.
The Charlottesville native joins Paul Rice '39 of the
“Five Smart Boys” and Charlie Moir, who was the head
coach at Roanoke College (1967-73) in the Virginia Sports Hall of
Fame. All three also are Roanoke College Athletic Hall of Fame
inductees. Earlier in April, Allen and Rice were named to the
Roanoke College Men's Basketball “All-Century” team at
the 100 Years of RC Hoops celebration.
Allen, a product of Lane High School, was the first
African-American boarding athlete at Roanoke, where he averaged 24
points and 15 rebounds per game for his career. Allen, who is
considered to be one of the most prolific college basketball
players in Virginia intercollegiate basketball history, was an
integral part in bringing in other big-name recruits to
Salem.
Allen's college career started in 1967 and he led the Maroons
to its first NCAA Tournament berth as a freshman. In his sophomore
year, he led the team in scoring and was named an NCAA College
Division honorable mention All-American, First-Team All-Mason-Dixon
Conference and he was named Virginia State Player of the
Year.
As a junior, Allen broke every scoring and rebounding mark at
Roanoke College and was once again named Virginia College Division
Player of the Year in 1970. Rounding out his career as a college
basketball player in 1971, Allen became the all-time leader in
points (2,780) and rebounds (1,758) at all NCAA levels in Virginia.
Over four seasons at Roanoke College, the two-time All-American set
18 individual game, single-season and career records. Allen was the
first individual to ever be named to the All-state team all four
years.
Overall, Roanoke compiled an 82-34 win-loss record during
Allen's career including two Mason-Dixon tournament championships.
He was a three-time State of Virginia College Basketball Player of
the year and the first player in Roanoke College basketball history
to have his jersey retired.
After graduating, Allen became a high school coach and in
three years won two district championships and was named Central
Virginia Coach of the Year. He served as Head Coach at Virginia
Tech (1987-91), Tennessee State (1993-01) and Howard
(2001-05). Allen is currently the head coach at the
University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
Allen enjoyed many of his accolades while at Tennessee State
University. He won three Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Championships
with the Tigers, 1993, 1994 and 1995. He went to two NCAA
Tournaments in 1993 and 1994 and had five appearances in the OVC
Final Four. He was a two-time OVC Coach of the Year, National Coach
of the Year from the American Sportswire in 1993 and National Black
Coach of the Year the same season. That same year, USA Today named
him Honorable Mention National Coach of the Year.
The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is located in
Portsmouth. Established in 1966, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame
& Museum honors the Commonwealth's greatest sports legends. The
Hall is one of only about 16 official state sports halls of fame in
the country. More than 45 National Hall of Famers are among its
ranks, as are more than 30 of the top 50 athletes of the century
recognized by Sports Illustrated.
--- This release
is courtesy of the Roanoke College sports information department.
---
http://maroons.roanoke.edu