2025 UNT Athletics Hall of Fame Class Announced
8/8/2025 9:00:00 AM | Football, Men's Basketball, Men's Golf, Women's Tennis, Track & Field/XC, Women's Soccer, Letterwinners Association
DENTON – Five former Mean Green student-athletes and one former head coach, representing six different university athletic programs, have been announced as the 2025 UNT Athletics Hall of Fame class.
This is the first time a UNT Hall of Fame class has had six different sports represented in one class. This year's inductees combined hold 18 active school records, earned 17 all-conference honors, made 13 NCAA postseason appearances and led their respective programs to 10 league titles.
The 2025 class includes: North Texas football's all-time leading passer Mason Fine (2016-19), all-American soccer defender Dominique James (2016-19), the winningest women's tennis student-athlete in program history Maria Kononova (2016-19), the UNT women's track and field 60-meter hurdles indoor record holder Lauren Wiggins (2007-09), the 1983 Southland Conference men's golf individual champion Joel Edwards (1980-83) and former men's basketball head coach Johnny Jones (2001-12) who won two conference titles and 190 total games at the helm of the program.
Fine arrived to UNT in 2016 and revolutionized the program with the air raid offense. The undersized quarterback quickly became a fan favorite with his rocket arm and a locker room leader as he guided his team to notable victories while playing hurt. As a junior he led the program to its first win over an SEC opponent in 41 years with a 44-17 thumping at Arkansas. But the game he will go down in Mean Green lore for was a 29-26 win over UTSA in 2017 where he orchestrated a 98-yard touchdown drive in the final minute of the game with no timeouts. The win propelled UNT to the CUSA West Division title. When he graduated, the four-year starter had led UNT to three bowl games, a 2017 CUSA championship game appearance and remains the program's all-time leading passer (12,505 yards), passing touchdown record holder (93), completions record holder (1,039) as well as five other program records. He was twice named the CUSA Offensive Player of the Year and was a three-time all-CUSA selection. Following his graduation, he played professionally in the Canadian Football League with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
James joined UNT's winningest athletic program and led it to its most successful four-year run. A three-year captain for head coach John Hedlund, the Fort Worth product led her team to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, two regular season conference titles, three conference tournament titles and a top 25 national ranking. An elite athlete, James set the tone on defense and developed into one of the most dominant defenders in the country. After her junior season she was named a 2018 NCAA All-American and entered her senior season on the MAC Hermann Trophy watch list, the award that is given to the nation's best all-around player. Along with her national and regional awards, James was the 2018 CUSA Player of the Year, a two-time CUSA Defensive Player of the Year honoree and was named first-team all-conference three years in a row. James never missed a match and graduated magna cum laude from UNT's G. Brint Ryan College of Business.
Kononova came to UNT from Russia and elevated the women's tennis program by setting nearly every program record. A four-year first team all-conference honoree, Kononova graduated as the program's all-time leader in career dual-match singles wins (82), single season dual-match single wins (31) and as a junior earned the highest ITA ranking in program history (41). In 2018 she became the first UNT women's tennis player selected to the NCAA Individual Championship. Earlier that season Kononova defeated the nation's No. 2 overall ranked singles player, breaking her own record for the highest ranked singles win in program history. She defeated the No. 16 nationally ranked single player the year prior. In doubles, Kononova and UNT teammate Tamuna Kutubidze won 69 total matches together and won the 2018 ITA Regional Doubles Championship title earning the program's first-ever bid to the NCAA National Doubles Tournament. The duo won a program record 17 straight doubles matches at one point.
Edwards was the 1983 Southland Conference men's golf individual champion and earned all-conference honors that season as well. A decorated collegiate athlete at UNT, Edwards turned pro in 1984 and had a 30-year career that featured three professional wins including a PGA Tour victory in 2001 when he won the Air Canada Championship, seven strokes ahead of the runner up. He competed in the U.S. Open three times and the PGA Championship three times as well. He placed 39th in the 2002 Championship. Edwards competed in nine Players Championships, twice finishing in the top 20. His highest career tour ranking was No. 93 in 2002.
Wiggins has been one of UNT track and field's most decorated female student-athletes of the 21st century. She was the 2009 Sun Belt Conference champion in the 100-meter hurdles and was a two-time conference champion in the 55-meter hurdles. In total she won seven all-conference honors and is the 60-meter hurdles indoor school record holder (8.25), which she set during the 2008 season. That season she also qualified for the 2008 NCAA Indoor Championship, placing 14th in the 60-meter hurdles.
Jones, who led the UNT men's basketball program from 2001-12, is the only head coach in program history to reach two NCAA Tournaments (2007 and 2010). Jones racked up 190 wins in his 11 seasons at the helm of the Mean Green program, including two Sun Belt Conference Tournament titles and a first-place regular season league finish in 2010. Jones' 190 head coaching wins are only second in program history to Pete Shands (224) who coached 11 more seasons at UNT than Jones. In his first season he guided UNT to its first winning season in five years. The program went on to have seven winning seasons under Jones including six in a row from 2006-12. Jones twice set the program record for single season wins, topping at 24 in 2010, which still ranks fourth all-time in program history. In total Jones won 20 or more games five times while at UNT.
Voters for the Hall of Fame are made up of current Hall of Fame members, current dues-paying letterwinners and the Hall of Fame committee.
The 2025 UNT Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place Saturday, Nov. 1 prior to the Mean Green's home football game against Navy.
This is the first time a UNT Hall of Fame class has had six different sports represented in one class. This year's inductees combined hold 18 active school records, earned 17 all-conference honors, made 13 NCAA postseason appearances and led their respective programs to 10 league titles.
The 2025 class includes: North Texas football's all-time leading passer Mason Fine (2016-19), all-American soccer defender Dominique James (2016-19), the winningest women's tennis student-athlete in program history Maria Kononova (2016-19), the UNT women's track and field 60-meter hurdles indoor record holder Lauren Wiggins (2007-09), the 1983 Southland Conference men's golf individual champion Joel Edwards (1980-83) and former men's basketball head coach Johnny Jones (2001-12) who won two conference titles and 190 total games at the helm of the program.
Fine arrived to UNT in 2016 and revolutionized the program with the air raid offense. The undersized quarterback quickly became a fan favorite with his rocket arm and a locker room leader as he guided his team to notable victories while playing hurt. As a junior he led the program to its first win over an SEC opponent in 41 years with a 44-17 thumping at Arkansas. But the game he will go down in Mean Green lore for was a 29-26 win over UTSA in 2017 where he orchestrated a 98-yard touchdown drive in the final minute of the game with no timeouts. The win propelled UNT to the CUSA West Division title. When he graduated, the four-year starter had led UNT to three bowl games, a 2017 CUSA championship game appearance and remains the program's all-time leading passer (12,505 yards), passing touchdown record holder (93), completions record holder (1,039) as well as five other program records. He was twice named the CUSA Offensive Player of the Year and was a three-time all-CUSA selection. Following his graduation, he played professionally in the Canadian Football League with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
James joined UNT's winningest athletic program and led it to its most successful four-year run. A three-year captain for head coach John Hedlund, the Fort Worth product led her team to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, two regular season conference titles, three conference tournament titles and a top 25 national ranking. An elite athlete, James set the tone on defense and developed into one of the most dominant defenders in the country. After her junior season she was named a 2018 NCAA All-American and entered her senior season on the MAC Hermann Trophy watch list, the award that is given to the nation's best all-around player. Along with her national and regional awards, James was the 2018 CUSA Player of the Year, a two-time CUSA Defensive Player of the Year honoree and was named first-team all-conference three years in a row. James never missed a match and graduated magna cum laude from UNT's G. Brint Ryan College of Business.
Kononova came to UNT from Russia and elevated the women's tennis program by setting nearly every program record. A four-year first team all-conference honoree, Kononova graduated as the program's all-time leader in career dual-match singles wins (82), single season dual-match single wins (31) and as a junior earned the highest ITA ranking in program history (41). In 2018 she became the first UNT women's tennis player selected to the NCAA Individual Championship. Earlier that season Kononova defeated the nation's No. 2 overall ranked singles player, breaking her own record for the highest ranked singles win in program history. She defeated the No. 16 nationally ranked single player the year prior. In doubles, Kononova and UNT teammate Tamuna Kutubidze won 69 total matches together and won the 2018 ITA Regional Doubles Championship title earning the program's first-ever bid to the NCAA National Doubles Tournament. The duo won a program record 17 straight doubles matches at one point.
Edwards was the 1983 Southland Conference men's golf individual champion and earned all-conference honors that season as well. A decorated collegiate athlete at UNT, Edwards turned pro in 1984 and had a 30-year career that featured three professional wins including a PGA Tour victory in 2001 when he won the Air Canada Championship, seven strokes ahead of the runner up. He competed in the U.S. Open three times and the PGA Championship three times as well. He placed 39th in the 2002 Championship. Edwards competed in nine Players Championships, twice finishing in the top 20. His highest career tour ranking was No. 93 in 2002.
Wiggins has been one of UNT track and field's most decorated female student-athletes of the 21st century. She was the 2009 Sun Belt Conference champion in the 100-meter hurdles and was a two-time conference champion in the 55-meter hurdles. In total she won seven all-conference honors and is the 60-meter hurdles indoor school record holder (8.25), which she set during the 2008 season. That season she also qualified for the 2008 NCAA Indoor Championship, placing 14th in the 60-meter hurdles.
Jones, who led the UNT men's basketball program from 2001-12, is the only head coach in program history to reach two NCAA Tournaments (2007 and 2010). Jones racked up 190 wins in his 11 seasons at the helm of the Mean Green program, including two Sun Belt Conference Tournament titles and a first-place regular season league finish in 2010. Jones' 190 head coaching wins are only second in program history to Pete Shands (224) who coached 11 more seasons at UNT than Jones. In his first season he guided UNT to its first winning season in five years. The program went on to have seven winning seasons under Jones including six in a row from 2006-12. Jones twice set the program record for single season wins, topping at 24 in 2010, which still ranks fourth all-time in program history. In total Jones won 20 or more games five times while at UNT.
Voters for the Hall of Fame are made up of current Hall of Fame members, current dues-paying letterwinners and the Hall of Fame committee.
The 2025 UNT Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place Saturday, Nov. 1 prior to the Mean Green's home football game against Navy.
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