From Hall of Honor press release dated May 27, 1987:

Ray Mears, athletic director at the University of Tennessee at Martin since 1980, put Wittenberg on the basketball map with a 1961 college division national championship and a six-year record of 121-23. His Tigers were the best defensive team in the nation four times and won four Ohio Athletic Conference titles. Mears became head coach at the University of Tennessee in 1963 and led the Volunteers to seven post-season appearances. The Vols won or shared three Southeastern Conference (SEC) titles, and he was named SEC Coach of the year in 1967. Just as he gave Wittenberg national prominence, Mears turned Tennessee into a nationally recognized program, sending such players as Bernard King and Ernie Grunfeld into the NBA. He had a 14-year record of 278-112 at Tennessee and his overall collegiate coaching record was 399-135 for a percentage of .747.

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