Rick Samuels and Heather Brown are elected to the Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame for their outstanding service, with Samuels recognized for his achievements as EIU's head men's basketball coach for 25 years.

By the Numbers
  • Samuels finished his career with 360 victories, the most in EIU men's basketball program history.
  • Henry Domercant, under Samuels' coaching, became the 2002 OVC Player of the Year with a career-high of 2,602 points.
State of Play
  • Rick Samuels and Heather Brown will be officially inducted into the Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame at the annual OVC Honors Brunch on Friday, May 31 in Franklin, Tennessee.
  • Samuels transitioned EIU's basketball team from Division II to Division I and led the team to two NCAA Tournament appearances.
  • Heather Brown, who worked with the OVC until her death in October 2023, was posthumously awarded the Achievement Award - University Division by the College Sports Communicators in January 2024.
Bottom Line

Rick Samuels and Heather Brown's induction into the OVC Hall of Fame highlights their significant contributions to college athletics, with Samuels' coaching legacy and Brown's longstanding dedication to the OVC shining through their achievements.