FLORENCE, Ala. (May 24, 2025) — The 36th class of inductees for the University of North Alabama Athletic Hall of Fame has been selected and will be inducted on Saturday, October 18, as part of UNA's Homecoming celebration.
The North Alabama Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2025 includes former Lion football players Tim Garner and Tavarius Wilson, former assistant football coach Willie Slater, softball standout Lindsey Greene (Gable), men's basketball star Casey Holt and golfer Brett Munson.
Wilson was the National Defensive Player of the Year in Division II in 2013, while Munson was the DII National Golfer of the Year in 2010. Slater coached three national championship football teams at UNA, while Holt led the Lions to the Elite Eight in his senior season. Greene is one of just 10 student-athletes in school history to be first-team all-conference four straight years, and Garner led the Lions to the Division II National Championship Game in 1985 and went on to a career in the space program that spanned four decades.
Following its creation in 1990, the UNA Athletic Hall of Fame has inducted at least four members each year. This year's induction brings the total number of inductees into the UNA Athletic Hall of Fame to 173.
TIM GARNER - (Football 1985-88)
Garner was a four-year letterman and quarterback on North Alabama football teams from 1985 to 1988, then for almost four decades he worked in the space industry, including as part of the Space Shuttle program at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. In March of 2021, he received the NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal from the Marshall Space Flight Center. The award is for sustained exceptional service in the performance of systems engineering and integrations for the Space Launch System Stages element. NASA's Exceptional Public Service Medal is a United States government awarded to any non-Government individual for sustained performance that embodies multiple contributions on NASA projects, programs, or initiatives. The criteria must include all of the following: Sustained performance has made a significant improvement to NASA deliverables, operations, or image; Employee's record of achievements sets a benchmark for other non-Government contributors to follow; substantial improvement to a NASA program that yielded high quality results or improvements; Impact and importance of the employee's services have made a lasting impact on the success of the Agency.
In 2015 he received the Space Launch System Manager's Commendation as a MSFC SLS Program Manager
The manager's commendation is highest honor the Marshall Space Flight Center Space Launch System (SLS) Program Office can bestow on an employee in recognition of exemplary service and outstanding accomplishments.
In 2013 he received the Silver Snoopy Award from Marshall Space Flight Center. It is NASA's Astronauts' Personal Achievement Award for professionalism, dedication, and outstanding support that greatly enhanced space flight safety and mission success. Fewer than 1 percent of the aerospace program workforce receive it annually, making it a special honor to receive this award.
In 2011, he received his first NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal for exemplary leadership and support of the safe and orderly shutdown of the Space Shuttle Program through the development of the Transition and Retirement Project Office.
Additional honors include the Space Flight Awareness Honoree Award in 1997 and the Space Flight Awareness Return to Flight Honoree Award.
As a freshman at UNA in 1985, he earned a starting role and helped lead the Lions to a 12-2 record, a Gulf South Conference Championship and into the NCAA Division II National Championship Game in McAllen, Texas. For his career, he completed 160 of 343 passes for 1,670 yards and six touchdowns on teams with run-oriented offenses. He started 18 games over his first three seasons. He earned Academic All-GSC honors in 1987, 1988 and 1989 while pursuing a Math and Physics major.
Following his graduation from UNA, he was a Systems Engineer at United Space Boosters, Inc. (USBI) from 1989 to 1995. He then served as a Senior Reliability Engineer and Statistical Analyst at Hernandez Engineering, Inc., from 1995 to 1998. From, 1998 to 1999 he was a Program Manager at Benchmark Electronics and for more than nine years, from 1999 to 2009, he served as Space Shuttle Transition & Retirement Program Manager with United Space Alliance (USA) in Huntsville. Beginning in January of 2009, he served as the Vice President of Operations with DP Associates, Inc. He had the responsibility of day-to-day operations and program management of two prime contracts providing programmatic and engineering support services at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and Kennedy Space Center (KSC). He held that position for four years until he began working in Technical/Project Management in the MSFC SLS Advanced Development Office in 2013. He is currently President at Garner Technical Services, Inc., in Madison, Ala., which he established in 2013, and has also served in Technical/Project Management in the MSFC SLS Stages Project Office since 2014.
Garner received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from UNA in 1988 and added a Master of Science in Operations Research from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 1993. He has also earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Alabama in 1997.
He currently serves on the President's Cabinet at UNA.
A native of Gordo, Ala., he and his wife Beth have a son and daughter and two grandchildren, with a third on the way.
LINDSEY GREENE (GABLE) — (Softball 2005-08)
A four-year starter in softball at UNA, Greene is one of just 10 student-athletes in school history in any sport to be selected first-team all-conference four consecutive years. She helped lead UNA to a combined 136 wins in four years, including the first 40-win season and the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in the South Region in 2006. The Lions had records of 36-20, 40-20, 32-21 and 28-21 during her career.
She set UNA school career records for most at bats (713), most hits (266), best batting average (.373), most runs scored (188) and most walks (108). She set three single season records in 2006 with 66 runs scored, 52 runs batted in and 47 walks. In addition to being a first-team All-Gulf South Conference pick four straight years, she was named the 2005 GSC East Division Freshman of the Year and was also second-team All-South Region in 2007. She earned two GSC Player of the Week awards with one in 2007 and one in 2008.
She earned a degree in Fitness Management in 2008 with a minor in Business Administration. She currently works as a Shipping and Receiving Specialist at Toray Composite Materials in Decatur, Ala.
She and her husband Jeremy have three daughters.
CASEY HOLT — (Men's Basketball 2004-08)
A five-year member of the UNA men's basketball team from 2004-08, Holt holds school records for most games played in a season (36), most games started in a season (36) and most points scored in a season (640), setting all in the 2007-08 season. He broke Dabbs Earnest's single season scoring record at UNA that had stood for 46 years. He is one of just four players in school history to score more than 600 points in a season. His 123 career games played in also set a school record at the time. He was the Lions' leading scorer (740) and rebounder (308) in 2007-08. He also had the top field goal percentage that season at 54.3. He scored over 30 points in a game five times in 2008, scoring 31 against Concordia-Selma and Arkansas Tech, and 30 against Montevallo, Delta State and Blue Mountain. He also scored in double-figures in 32 of UNA's 36 games that season. He had 11 double-doubles and one triple-double with 17 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists against Carver Bible College.
He currently ranks as the 13th leading scorer in school history with 1,220 career points. He added 623 rebounds for a 5.1 average, shot 50.1 percent from the floor (445-888) and 67.3 percent from the free throw line (185-275). He also had 78 career blocked shots, 237 assists and 119 steals. For his career, he was 155-of-397 on three-point attempts. He led the Lions to a 27-9 record as a senior that included an NCAA South Region title and a berth in the Division II Elite Eight. He converted a three-point play in the closing seconds to provide the winning margin for UNA in a 72-71 win over Christian Brothers in the opening game of the 2008 South Regional. He was a three-time Gulf South Conference Player of the Week, a first-team All-GSC selection and GSC East Division Player of the Year as a senior. He was named to the first-team of both the Daktronics and ABCA All-South Region teams in 2007-08, and also to the All-South Region team and was a Division II Bulletin honorable mention All-American. He was a member of UNA's 2005-06 team that went 18-11 and played in the NCAA South Central Regional. He was named to the second-team of the Gulf South Conference Team of the Decade for 2001-10.
Holt graduated from UNA in 2008 with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Marketing/Marketing Management.
From 2008-10 he played professionally for the Hannover Tigers UBC (Germany). From 2011-2021 he was a National Sales Representative for Time Logistics, Inc., a freight management provider (3PL) specializing in logistics planning and distribution solutions.
In September of 2021, he became an insurance agent with Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee, working in Spring Hill.
He and his wife Ashley have two sons and a daughter.
BRETT MUNSON — (Golf 2007-10)
A Louisville, Ky., native, Munson was the 2010 recipient of the Jack Nicklaus Award as the top golfer in the NCAA Division II. During that 2009-10 year, he won the individual titles in five of the 12 tournaments that UNA played in and finished in the Top 8 in 10 of the 12 events. He shot in the 60s in 14 of the 29 total rounds, with four straight rounds in the 60s and seven of eight in the Fall, then five straight rounds in the 60s in the spring while winning back-to-back tournaments - the Natural State Classic and the Gulf South Conference Championship. He had a 69.2 stroke average in the Fall and 71.0 in the Spring. A first-team All-American honoree in 2010, he was the Gulf South Conference individual champion, first-team All-GSC and first-team All-South Region. He also helped lead the UNA golf program to its first Gulf South Conference Championships in 2009 and 2010.
Munson played in 41 tournaments at UNA with 10 wins, 18 Top 5 finishes, 23 Top 10 finishes and 28 Top 15 finishes. His 10 tournament wins came at the 2007 UNA Fall Classic, 2008 UNA Spring Classic, 2008 Derrell Foreman Invitational, 2009 Notre Dame-Naumr University, 2009 North Alabama Spring Classic, 2009 Derrell Foreman Invitational, 2009 North Alabama Fall Classic, 2009 Indian Bayou Classic, 2010 Natural State Classic and the 2010 Gulf South Conference Championship.In his three NCAA Regional appearances, he finished tied for 15th in 2008, tied for second in 2009 and tied for eighth in 2010. In his two NCAA Division II Championship Tournament appearances, he tied for 20th in 2008 and tied for 14th in 2009. He shot in the 60s in 21 of his 103 total rounds and finished with a career 72.56 stroke average. His career low round was a 65 at the Indian Bayou Classic in the Fall of 2009.
A 2010 UNA graduate with a degree in Business Management Entrepreneurship, he earned Academic All-GSC honors in 2010 and was named a Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Division II National All-American Scholar.
He was a two-time recipient (2009 & 2010) of the UNA Jack Karnes Award which goes to a Lion golfer for leadership, citizenship, athletic and academic performance. He was also selected as UNA's co-Male Athlete of the Year for 2009-10.
Munson played professionally on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) and won the PGM Panasonic Malaysia Championship in 2017 with an 18-under-par 270 on the Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia course. He won his breakthrough ADT title on the same course in 2014.
He continues to play professionally in numerous countries across Asia.
WILLIE SLATER — (Assistant Football Coach 1992-99)
Willie Slater served as offensive coordinator at UNA under Bobby Wallace on three consecutive NCAA Division II National Championship teams from 1993-95. During his eight total seasons at UNA, the Lions had a combined 76-21-1 record and made five NCAA playoff appearances, won three conference championships and three straight national championships. The Lions were 41-1 from 1993-95, making them the first university in the history of college football to win 40 or more games in just three seasons. UNA was also the first school in the history of NCAA scholarship football to win three straight national titles. During Slater's time at UNA, the program produced eight All-Americans on the offensive side of the ball (Tyrone Rush, Jeff Surbaugh, Kin Taylor, Jon Thompson, Jarius Hayes, Cody Gross, Michael Williams, A.J. Lamar). His UNA offenses led the nation in rushing in 1993 (371.5 yards per game) and finished fifth in 1994, third in 1995 and fifth in 1997. During his eight seasons at UNA, the Lions led the Gulf South Conference in rushing offense five times, total offense twice and scoring offense once. As a team, the Lions were nationally ranked for 51 weeks during Slater's time at UNA, including 27 consecutive No. 1 rankings. UNA also had an outstanding 41-7 record at home over that eight-year span.
Slater also enjoyed a highly successful coaching career before and after his time at UNA. A Coffeeville, Ala., native, Slater played quarterback at West Alabama from 1974-77. He was then a graduate assistant coach at UWA in 1978, followed coaching stints at Jess Lanier High School (1979–1980), T. R. Miller High School (1981–1982),Troy State (1983–1990 - OC/RB/QB), West Alabama (1991 - OC), North Alabama (1992–1999 - OC), Jacksonville State (2000–2003 - OC), Temple (2004–2005 - OC/WR), Tuskegee (2006–2021 - Head Coach) and Clark Atlanta (2022–2023 - Head Coach).
He has a 126-59 record as a collegiate head coach. He was a five-time NCAA Division II Assistant Coach of the Year and was an assistant coach on five Division II National Championship teams, including two at Troy in 1984 and 1987.
Tuskegee won the 2007 HBCU National Championship under Slater, finishing the year with a 12-0 record. The Golden Tigers won four consecutive SIAC championships from 2006 until 2009, and followed that up with titles in 2012 and 2014.
TAVARIUS WILSON — (Football 2012-13)
A native of Jackson, Miss., Tavarius Wilson was a two-time All-American linebacker at North Alabama in 2012-13 and was selected as Division II National Defensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2013. He helped lead UNA to 10-3 record in 2013 that included a share of the Gulf South Conference Championship. The Lions then advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Playoffs.
A transfer to UNA from Hinds (Miss.) Community College, Wilson earned first-team Don Hansen's Football Gazette All-American honors after leading the Gulf South Conference in tackles in 2012 with 112. He became just the fourth UNA Lion since 1999 with more than 100 tackles in a season. He was selected first-team All-GSC and was GSC Defensive Player of the Week after UNA's season-opening win over Miles. He had six games with 10 or more tackles, including a season-high 18 against West Georgia. He ranked seventh nationally in Division II in tackles.
As a senior in 2013 he was a first-team selection on six different All-American teams and was named Division II National Defensive Player of the Year by Beyond Sports Network (BSN). He was named first-team All-American by Daktronics, Don Hansen, D2Football.com, the Associated Press, the American Football Coaches Association and Beyond Sports Network. He was selected Super Region 2 Defensive Player of the Year by both Daktronics and Don Hansen and was also Gulf South Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He was a first-team All-Gulf South Conference pick and GSC Defensive Player of the Week three times. He made 123 total tackles in 2013 with 63 solo and 60 assists, 7.5 tackles for loss of 23 yards, four sacks for 16 yards, four interceptions that he returned for 69 yards and two touchdowns, forced three fumbles and blocked a kick.
Following his time at UNA, he signed a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management/Marketing focused in Interdisciplinary Studies from UNA in 2015.
He is currently Associate Director/Vice President of Tower Loan, overseeing Mississippi and Louisiana, and expanding into Florida.
He and his wife Britney have two children.
