By Steven Kramer, Coppin State Director of Athletic Communications
BALTIMORE – Coppin State University proudly released today the five individuals who will comprise the CSU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2022-23. Paige Arnold (softball), Gary ‘Tank’ Barnes (men’s basketball), Derek Brown (Women’s Basketball Head Coach/ Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach), Jamie Imhof (softball) and John Koenig (Baseball) make up the inductees.
An outstanding two-way player for the Eagles, Arnold was a two-time MEAC Pitcher of the Year and a three-time First Team All-MEAC selection and still holds CSU career records in home runs (20), runs batted in (90) and total bases (244). Arnold also ranks second in doubles (31), triples (12) and slugging (.582), fourth in runs (99), sixth in walks (46) and seventh in hits (129). In the circle, Arnold is Coppin’s all-time leader in appearances (131), starts (120), complete games (101), wins (56) and innings pitched (766.2). As a sophomore in 2010, Arnold had arguably the best season in CSU history, setting single-season records for wins (20), innings pitched (200.1), home runs (10) and total bases (80).
Starting at point guard for the 1976 NAIA National Championship Team, Barnes led the Eagles to a 39-2 mark that season, recording 398 assists and 10.8 assists per game, both of which are CSU records. During the school’s only championship season, Barnes dished out 17 assists against Rutgers-Camden on November 29, 1975, which is also a school-record. Named Mr. Eagle following the season, Barnes was also a member of Groove Phi Groove, a social fellowship founded in Baltimore during the 1960s as an alternative to mainstream historically black fraternities. Following graduation, Barnes was the Founder of Real Harlem Basketball Players and has had roles in numerous documentaries highlighting the history of basketball in HBCU’s, New York City and Rucker Park.
Taking over as the Coppin State’s women’s basketball head coach during the 1999-00 campaign, Brown went 269-237 in his 17 seasons as head coach with an impressive 181-90 mark in MEAC play. A two-time MEAC Coach of the Year, Brown led the Eagles to three NCAA Tournament appearances, two trips to the WNIT and three MEAC Regular Season Championships. During his tenure, Coppin racked up a 49-game winning streak against MEAC foes which was a conference record at the time. Under his tutelage, five Eagles went on to be named MEAC Player of the Year and 22 players earned All-Conference honors. Brown’s career at Coppin began as an assistant men’s basketball coach under Ron ‘Fang’ Mitchel for 15 years where the Eagles won nine regular season championships with three NCAA tournament appearances which included a first round upset of No. 2 South Carolina in 1997.
The softball program’s first-ever All-MEAC selection, Imhof was the 2002 MEAC Rookie of the Year and twice earned All-Conference accolades, receiving First Team honors as a freshman and Second Team in 2003. Imhof played just three seasons but still holds the Coppin record for strikeouts (751) and earned run average (2.21) while ranking second in wins (38), innings pitched (539.0) and complete games (64). In her first two season with the Eagles, Imhof ranked in the top five nationally in strikeouts per seven innings and threw the program’s first-ever no-hitter with a 12-strikeout performance against Morgan State on April 29, 2003. Imhof is also one of the program’s all-time best hitters, ranking in the top ten in eight different categories.
Graduating in 1987, Koenig is still the Coppin all-time leader in runs scored (137), doubles (44) and total bases (282) and previously held school-records in hits (179), walks and on-base percentage. His totals in runs, doubles, total bases and walks stood as MEAC records for over 20 years. A four-year captain and 1986 CoSIDA Academic All-American, Koenig was selected to the 1986 MEAC All-Tournament team and helped the Eagles lead the Nation in steals that season after swiping 25 bases himself. Koenig’s three doubles against University of District of Columbia is still a CSU record. Hitting an impressive .372 in his collegiate career, Koenig is still in the top ten in nine offensive categories at Coppin.
The Hall of Famers will be inducted in an on-campus during during Homecoming Weekend on February 18 at 8:30 am. Please contact Ruffin Bell at (410) 951-3742 or rubell@coppin.edu for more information. Tickets for the breakfast can be purchased at www.coppinstatesports.com
