University of North Texas Athletics
UNT Athletics Announces 2026 Hall of Fame Class
8/18/2026 11:00:00 AM | Football, General, Men's Basketball, Women's Soccer
Mean Green set to induct seven person Hall of Fame class
DENTON, Texas – After receiving nearly 250 total ballots, UNT Athletics and the Mean Green for Life Letterwinners Association have announced the seven-person Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
The association has announced Jeremiah Chapman (Football, 2004-07), Jaelon Darden (Football, 2017-20), Javion Hamlet (Men's Basketball, 2019-21), John Lott (Football, 1983-86), Karla Pineda (Women's Soccer, 2012-15) and Rick Villareal (Athletic Director, 2001-16) and Ray Braswell (Lifetime Achievement Award) as the Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
Collectively, the class earned 10 All-Conference Awards, nearly 40 total conference championships, and two All-American accolades. In addition, Braswell was named the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, which is an award bestowed upon letterwinners who, after graduation, gained prominence in industry, government, technology, athletics, or other worthy endeavors.
The Class of 2026 was voted on by dues-paying members of the Mean Green for Life Letterwinners Association, members of the UNT Athletics Hall of Fame, and members of the Hall of Fame Committee.
The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 10th in conjunction with the home football game vs. Charlotte. Tickets to the ceremony will go on sale soon. For questions regarding the ceremony, please direct all questions to MeanGreenForLife@unt.edu.
UNT Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026 (in alphabetical order):
Ray Braswell – Lifetime Achievement Award
Ray Braswell is a name familiar to many throughout the Denton community. As a two-time UNT graduate, Braswell's contributions to UNT Athletics began as a student athletic trainer in the mid-1970s. After he left UNT in 1979, Ray stayed in Denton, working for Denton High School as a biology teacher and athletic trainer. Braswell then transitioned to work as an associate principal at DHS and later moved into administration. From 1998 until his retirement in 2012, he was the superintendent of Denton Independent School District. In 2015, DISD opened its 4th high school, with Ray given the honor of being the namesake of the brand-new, state-of-the-art campus.
Jeremiah Chapman – Football (2004-07)
Jeremiah Chapman's accomplishments as a defensive lineman cement him among the greatest in program history. He is one of just 29 players in school history to be named to an All-Conference team three times. Chapman led the team in sacks and tackles for loss in three consecutive seasons and currently ranks fourth in career TFLs and 10th in career sacks. Upon leaving UNT, Chapman became involved with Performance Course, a strength and conditioning program for various school districts throughout Texas and Oklahoma. Jeremiah and wife Ashley, a UNT Volleyball letterwinner, are now heavily involved in the day-to-day operations of Performance Course, with Jeremiah currently serving as Vice President and Director of Programming.
Jaelon Darden – Football (2017-20)
Bursting onto the scene in 2017 as an undersized but electrifying receiver and returner, Jaelon Darden is one of the most notable players in former Mean Green history. His greatest season came in 2020, where he was named a consensus All-American and went on to be drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the highest UNT selection since the 1970s. Darden sits comfortably inside the top 10 in school history in virtually every major statistical category for receivers and enters the Hall of Fame as the program's career leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Javion Hamlet – Men's Basketball (2019-21)
A two-year letterwinner after transferring to North Texas, Javion Hamlet is widely remembered as an offensive lynchpin in former Head Coach Grant McCasland's dominant teams of the era. Hamlet was named to the All-Conference USA team during both of his seasons in a Mean Green uniform, as well as the 2019-20 CUSA Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. In 2021, Hamlet was named CUSA Tournament MVP, where he helped lead the team to the CUSA Tournament title, defeating Western Kentucky in an overtime thriller. In the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, he led the Mean Green to yet another impressive overtime victory, this time against fourth-seeded Purdue, which stands as the first and only NCAA Tournament win in program history.
John Lott – Football (1983-86)
An offensive lineman for Hall of Fame Head Coach, Corky Nelson, John Lott was a stalwart along the offensive line, where he never missed a start in three consecutive seasons. His UNT accolades include two All-Conference selections, including in 1986, when he was named an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American. Lott was a member of the 1983 Southland Conference Championship team and is a member of the 1980s UNT All-Decade team. After North Texas, John made the jump to the NFL, where he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets. Upon retirement from playing, Lott returned to UNT, where he was named the first strength coach in school history. He eventually made his way back to the NFL, where he worked as a strength coach for the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, and the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. Over a 24-year NFL coaching career, Lott was twice named Strength Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2008, respectively. He also oversaw the bench press station at the NFL Combine for 17 years.
Karla Pineda – Women's Soccer (2012-15)
Karla Pineda is one of only 15 women in program history to be named to an All-Conference team three times. She was named Conference USA Midfielder of the Year in 2015 and is a two-time NCAA All-Region honoree. Pineda helped lead the team to five total conference championships, including two NCAA Tournament appearances. She enters the Hall of Fame ranked second in career assists, third in career shots, tied for fifth in career appearances, sixth in game-winning goals, and eighth in career points. In total, she ranks inside the top-10 in 11 single-season categories in program history.
Rick Villarreal – Athletic Director (2001-2016)
Rick Villarreal was the Athletic Director at UNT for 15 years from 2001-2016 where he took the Mean Green to new heights. He ushered UNT into the Sun Belt and Conference USA eras, where football found immediate success in both transitions. From 2001-04, the Mean Green won four consecutive Sun Belt championships, resulting in New Orleans Bowl berths at the end of each season. In 2013, North Texas won nine games en route to a 36-14 New Year's Day victory over UNLV in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. North Texas also found success in men's basketball, winning two Sun Belt Conference Tournaments and appearing in the 2007 and 2010 NCAA Tournaments under Hall of Fame Head Coach, Johnny Jones. All told, UNT won a total of 31 conference championships in the Villarreal era. His commitment to facility upgrades are also a large part of his legacy. Under his leadership, UNT Athletics constructed the Athletic Center, DATCU (formerly Apogee) Stadium, Lovelace Stadium, and the Waranch Tennis Complex. He also oversaw the purchase of the former Liberty Christian School property, which is now home to the Mean Green Village. Upon retirement, Villarreal has remained engaged with UNT Athletics, continuing to show unwavering support for the Mean Green more than a decade later.
The association has announced Jeremiah Chapman (Football, 2004-07), Jaelon Darden (Football, 2017-20), Javion Hamlet (Men's Basketball, 2019-21), John Lott (Football, 1983-86), Karla Pineda (Women's Soccer, 2012-15) and Rick Villareal (Athletic Director, 2001-16) and Ray Braswell (Lifetime Achievement Award) as the Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
Collectively, the class earned 10 All-Conference Awards, nearly 40 total conference championships, and two All-American accolades. In addition, Braswell was named the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, which is an award bestowed upon letterwinners who, after graduation, gained prominence in industry, government, technology, athletics, or other worthy endeavors.
The Class of 2026 was voted on by dues-paying members of the Mean Green for Life Letterwinners Association, members of the UNT Athletics Hall of Fame, and members of the Hall of Fame Committee.
The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 10th in conjunction with the home football game vs. Charlotte. Tickets to the ceremony will go on sale soon. For questions regarding the ceremony, please direct all questions to MeanGreenForLife@unt.edu.
UNT Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026 (in alphabetical order):
Ray Braswell – Lifetime Achievement Award
Ray Braswell is a name familiar to many throughout the Denton community. As a two-time UNT graduate, Braswell's contributions to UNT Athletics began as a student athletic trainer in the mid-1970s. After he left UNT in 1979, Ray stayed in Denton, working for Denton High School as a biology teacher and athletic trainer. Braswell then transitioned to work as an associate principal at DHS and later moved into administration. From 1998 until his retirement in 2012, he was the superintendent of Denton Independent School District. In 2015, DISD opened its 4th high school, with Ray given the honor of being the namesake of the brand-new, state-of-the-art campus.
Jeremiah Chapman – Football (2004-07)
Jeremiah Chapman's accomplishments as a defensive lineman cement him among the greatest in program history. He is one of just 29 players in school history to be named to an All-Conference team three times. Chapman led the team in sacks and tackles for loss in three consecutive seasons and currently ranks fourth in career TFLs and 10th in career sacks. Upon leaving UNT, Chapman became involved with Performance Course, a strength and conditioning program for various school districts throughout Texas and Oklahoma. Jeremiah and wife Ashley, a UNT Volleyball letterwinner, are now heavily involved in the day-to-day operations of Performance Course, with Jeremiah currently serving as Vice President and Director of Programming.
Jaelon Darden – Football (2017-20)
Bursting onto the scene in 2017 as an undersized but electrifying receiver and returner, Jaelon Darden is one of the most notable players in former Mean Green history. His greatest season came in 2020, where he was named a consensus All-American and went on to be drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the highest UNT selection since the 1970s. Darden sits comfortably inside the top 10 in school history in virtually every major statistical category for receivers and enters the Hall of Fame as the program's career leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Javion Hamlet – Men's Basketball (2019-21)
A two-year letterwinner after transferring to North Texas, Javion Hamlet is widely remembered as an offensive lynchpin in former Head Coach Grant McCasland's dominant teams of the era. Hamlet was named to the All-Conference USA team during both of his seasons in a Mean Green uniform, as well as the 2019-20 CUSA Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. In 2021, Hamlet was named CUSA Tournament MVP, where he helped lead the team to the CUSA Tournament title, defeating Western Kentucky in an overtime thriller. In the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, he led the Mean Green to yet another impressive overtime victory, this time against fourth-seeded Purdue, which stands as the first and only NCAA Tournament win in program history.
John Lott – Football (1983-86)
An offensive lineman for Hall of Fame Head Coach, Corky Nelson, John Lott was a stalwart along the offensive line, where he never missed a start in three consecutive seasons. His UNT accolades include two All-Conference selections, including in 1986, when he was named an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American. Lott was a member of the 1983 Southland Conference Championship team and is a member of the 1980s UNT All-Decade team. After North Texas, John made the jump to the NFL, where he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets. Upon retirement from playing, Lott returned to UNT, where he was named the first strength coach in school history. He eventually made his way back to the NFL, where he worked as a strength coach for the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, and the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. Over a 24-year NFL coaching career, Lott was twice named Strength Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2008, respectively. He also oversaw the bench press station at the NFL Combine for 17 years.
Karla Pineda – Women's Soccer (2012-15)
Karla Pineda is one of only 15 women in program history to be named to an All-Conference team three times. She was named Conference USA Midfielder of the Year in 2015 and is a two-time NCAA All-Region honoree. Pineda helped lead the team to five total conference championships, including two NCAA Tournament appearances. She enters the Hall of Fame ranked second in career assists, third in career shots, tied for fifth in career appearances, sixth in game-winning goals, and eighth in career points. In total, she ranks inside the top-10 in 11 single-season categories in program history.
Rick Villarreal – Athletic Director (2001-2016)
Rick Villarreal was the Athletic Director at UNT for 15 years from 2001-2016 where he took the Mean Green to new heights. He ushered UNT into the Sun Belt and Conference USA eras, where football found immediate success in both transitions. From 2001-04, the Mean Green won four consecutive Sun Belt championships, resulting in New Orleans Bowl berths at the end of each season. In 2013, North Texas won nine games en route to a 36-14 New Year's Day victory over UNLV in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. North Texas also found success in men's basketball, winning two Sun Belt Conference Tournaments and appearing in the 2007 and 2010 NCAA Tournaments under Hall of Fame Head Coach, Johnny Jones. All told, UNT won a total of 31 conference championships in the Villarreal era. His commitment to facility upgrades are also a large part of his legacy. Under his leadership, UNT Athletics constructed the Athletic Center, DATCU (formerly Apogee) Stadium, Lovelace Stadium, and the Waranch Tennis Complex. He also oversaw the purchase of the former Liberty Christian School property, which is now home to the Mean Green Village. Upon retirement, Villarreal has remained engaged with UNT Athletics, continuing to show unwavering support for the Mean Green more than a decade later.
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