VIRGINIA BEACH (WTKR) — When the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame brings its induction weekend back to Hampton Roads next April, it will do so with a legend from the 757 headlining its latest class.
Longtime Hampton High School football coach Mike Smith will be inducted along with eight other members, the Hall of Fame announced on Monday.
Smith retired in 2021 after 51 years leading the Crabber program, spending a total of 57 years at the high school. His list of accomplishments leaves him in the rare air of coaches across the country. His 506 wins are the most in Virginia history and third nationally and his 12 state championships set a Virginia High School league record.
Through his five decades roaming the sidelines, Smith coached 10 players who would go on to play in the NFL.
Joining him in the class will be Norfolk native Joe Smith, a former number one overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft. Smith was a standout at Maury High School before heading to Maryland where he would become the Naismith Player of the Year in 1995. He spent 16 seasons in the NBA with 12 different teams, scoring 11,208 points and collecting 6,575 rebounds.
Princess Anne product Brandon Adair also got the call on Monday. The Virginia Beach native has left his mark on local hoops, with his 2,100 points still the most in Virginia Wesleyan men's basketball history. He helped lead the Marlins to the 2006 NCAA DIII national championship and earned DIII Player of the Year honors in his college career. He's served as an NBA referee the last five years.
The rest of class includes: Dan Bonner, a former star forward for UVA in basketball who has transitioned into a television broadcaster on ESPN and in the NCAA Tournament; Ali Krieger, a Dumfries native and women’s soccer player who was a standout for Penn State and went on to help the U.S. Women’s National Team win two World Cups; Murray Cook, a baseball field designer with Major League Baseball for more than 30 years; Lou Whitaker, a Martinsville native who was a five-time All-Star in 19 major league seasons; and Harry Minium, longtime sports writer and the senior executive writer for Old Dominion athletics.
Along with them, Lynchburg native Ed George, is the 2025 Distinguished Virginian Award winner. George played college football at Ferrum College who went on to spend time with the Baltimore Colts and Philadelphia Eagles along with two stints in the Canadian Football League.
After moving to Henrico County last year, the Hall of Fame induction weekend returns to the Virginia Beach Town Center on April 25 and 26 of 2025.
