By Malcolm Butler
Four former Louisiana Tech standouts whose careers span nearly five decades will become the newest members of the Louisiana Tech Athletics Hall of Fame this fall.
Football standouts Johnny Robinson and Wenford Wilborn, baseball star Fred McGaha and softball great Morgan Turkoly make up the Hall of Fame’s 22nd induction class, and will be enshrined during Hall of Fame Weekend on Oct. 9-10.
The Class of 2026 will be inducted during a ticketed ceremony Friday, Oct. 9, on the Club Level of the Davison Athletics Complex before being recognized as part of Hall of Fame Weekend festivities.
The weekend will be capped that Saturday when the Bulldogs host UL-Lafayette in Tech’s inaugural home Sun Belt Conference football game at Joe Aillet Stadium.
“Louisiana Tech has a long history of athletic success, and this class is a great microcosm of that tradition,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Ryan Ivey. “These four very deserving individuals led their respective teams to great heights on the diamond and the gridiron, and we are so excited about enshrining them into the Athletics Hall of Fame.”
Established in 1984 with an inaugural class of seven inductees, the Louisiana Tech Athletics Hall of Fame represents the university’s highest athletic honor. Before this year’s induction, 128 former student-athletes, coaches and contributors had earned a place in the Hall, representing generations of excellence across Bulldog and Lady Techster athletics.
This year’s class recognizes standout performers whose accomplishments helped define their respective eras at Louisiana Tech.
Robinson starred for the Bulldogs from 1977-80, becoming one of the most accomplished defensive players in program history. A three-time All-Southland Conference selection, he was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1979 after recording 138 tackles.
He helped lead Louisiana Tech to consecutive Southland Conference championships in 1977 and 1978, including the 1977 Independence Bowl championship. He finished his career ranked 10th in school history with 340 tackles and fifth with 16 career sacks and later earned a place on Louisiana Tech’s Football 100-Year Anniversary Team.
Wilborn established himself as one of the Bulldogs’ premier defensive backs and return specialists from 1971-74. A two-time All-Southland Conference selection, he remains tied for second in program history with 15 career interceptions.
He also still owns the school record with 91 career punt returns and ranks second with 742 punt return yards. His 91-yard punt return against Eastern Michigan in 1971 set a Division II record at the time and remains the second-longest punt return in Louisiana Tech history.
McGaha helped establish the foundation for Louisiana Tech baseball during his career from 1969-72. A two-time all-conference selection, he was named the Gulf States Conference Most Valuable Player in 1971 after leading the Bulldogs to the NCAA Mid-East Regional, where he also earned All-Regional honors.
He followed that by receiving the George Kell Hitting Award as the Southland Conference’s Hitter of the Year in 1972. When his career ended, McGaha owned Louisiana Tech’s career and single-season records for hits, runs scored, total bases and stolen bases.
Turkoly rounds out the class after putting together one of the most decorated careers in Louisiana Tech softball history from 2016-19. She remains the only player in program history to earn All-Conference USA honors in all four seasons, including first-team recognition in each of her final three years. Turkoly was named Conference USA Player of the Year in 2018 before earning Senior CLASS Award First Team All-America honors in 2019.
She helped lead the Bulldogs to Conference USA Tournament championships in 2017 and 2019, the 2019 regular-season title and NCAA Regional appearances in both 2017 and 2019. She still ranks first in program history in career walks, runs scored and on-base percentage while ranking second in career batting average and hits.
Together, the four helped shape the legacy of Louisiana Tech athletics. This fall, they will officially join one of the university’s most exclusive groups as the newest members of the Louisiana Tech Athletics Hall of Fame.
Additional details about Hall of Fame Weekend, including ticket information for the induction ceremony, will be announced by Louisiana Tech Athletics in the coming weeks.