JACKSON, Miss. (WDAM) – Bobby Halford has been inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2026, becoming the second William Carey University representative to receive the honor. The seven-member class will be formally enshrined this weekend.
Halford has spent 41 seasons building William Carey’s baseball program into one of the NAIA’s premier programs. This spring, he led the Crusaders back to the NAIA World Series. He has amassed more than 1,300 career wins, seventh-most in NAIA history, and was named NAIA Coach of the Year in 2017.
A record-setting résumé
Halford has won 19 conference titles and guided Carey to 26 national tournament appearances and two NAIA World Series semifinal runs.
He is the winningest coach in NAIA baseball history and Mississippi college baseball’s all-time leader in victories.
The class of 2026
Halford joins six other inductees spanning decades of athletic achievement.
Glen Collins — A first-team All-American defensive lineman at Mississippi State, Collins was a first-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1982 and played five seasons in the NFL, including time with the San Francisco 49ers. The Jackson native was named an SEC Football Legend in 2013 and selected to Mississippi State’s All-Century Team in 2014.
Louis Guy — An All-SEC performer at Ole Miss, Guy helped lead the Rebels to national and SEC championships in the early 1960s and played professionally with the New York Giants and Oakland Raiders. He later built a career as a Jackson-area orthodontist and community leader.
Michael Haddix — A two-time All-SEC running back at Mississippi State and the eighth overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft, Haddix played eight seasons in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers. His career average of 6.0 yards per carry remains a Mississippi State record.
Ronnie Mayers — A swimming and diving coach and later athletic director at Delta State University, Mayers led his teams to 11 conference titles, 15 NCAA championship appearances, and produced 56 All-Americans. The Delta State aquatics facility bears his name.
Johnny Parker — A strength and conditioning coach for 35 years at the college and professional levels, Parker won three Super Bowl rings with the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brittney Reese — A four-time Olympian and seven-time world champion in the long jump, the Gulfport native won Olympic gold in 2012 and silver medals in 2016 and 2021. A two-time NCAA champion at Ole Miss, Reese is one of the most decorated athletes in Mississippi history.
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