Tyler Hansbrough, Leonard Hamilton, Kelvin Sampson head 2026 NC Sports HOF class
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Tyler Hansbrough, Leonard Hamilton and Kelvin Sampson head 11-person 2026 class
- Kelvin Sampson becomes first Native American inductee; Houston reached 2025 Final Four
- Inductees span sports from golf and speedskating to soccer, football and wrestling
Three college basketball luminaries headline the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame’s 2026 induction class, which was announced on Monday.
Tyler Hansbrough, who finished his North Carolina basketball career as the storied program’s all-time leading scorer, as well as coaches Leonard Hamilton and Kelvin Sampson are included in the 11-person class.
The induction ceremony is scheduled for May 1 in Greensboro.
A 2023 College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, Hansbrough played at UNC from 2005-09. His 2,872 career points are not only tops among UNC players, he holds the ACC scoring record as well.
A Gastonia native, Hamilton is Florida State’s all-time coaching wins leader (460). He coached the Seminoles for 23 seasons prior to his retirement last spring. His teams made 17 postseason tournament appearances and won ACC championships in 2012 and 2020. Hamilton was previously head coach at Oklahoma State and Miami as well as with the NBA’s Washington Wizards.
Sampson is the first Native American included into the NC Sports Hall of Fame. A Laurinburg native raised in the Lumbee Tribe’s community in Robeson County, he’s currently in his 12th season coaching the Houston Cougars. He led them to the Final Four last season, the program’s second Final Four of his tenure. He has also been head coach at Montana Tech, Washington State, Oklahoma and Indiana, compiling an overall record of 811-356 (.695 winning percentage)
Hansbrough, Hamilton and Sampson are joined in the class by former pro golfer Chip Beck, Olympic speed skater Heather Bergsma, former NFL football players Louis Breeden and Richard Huntley, former pro tennis player John Isner, former UNC and MLS soccer player Eddie Pope, late Goldsboro and St. Aug’s basketball coach Norvell Lee and Cary High School wrestling coach Jerry Winterton.
“This class truly represents the best of the best in North Carolina sports,” Rick Webb, president of the Hall of Fame, said in a statement. “It reflects the incredible diversity of excellence across high school, collegiate, professional, and Olympic competition. Through these 11 inductees, we continue our mission to honor the men and women whose achievements and leadership have shaped — and continue to shape — the rich sports legacy of our state.”
Beck, a Fayetteville native, was a three-time All-American at Georgia before turning professional. He won four tournaments during his PGA TOUR career and played on three Ryder Cup teams.
Bergsma, from High Point, set four world records during her skating career and was on three Olympic teams, winning bronze in 2018.
Breeden starred at N.C. Central before playing 10 seasons in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Hamlet native was named All-Pro in 1982.
Huntley still holds the CIAA rushing record with 6,286 yards during this Winston-Salem State career. The Monroe native played six seasons in the NFL after the Atlanta Falcons selected him in the fourth round of the 1996 NFL Draft.
Isner, the 6-10 Greensboro native, became renowned for his powerful serve, which led John McEnroe to anoint him as the “best server ever.” He spent eight years as the top-ranked American professional player, and played in the 2012 Olympics.
Lee, who will be inducted posthumously, led Goldsboro High School to 19 conference championships and a state runner-up finish in 1983. The Smithfield native became St. Aug’s coach in 1994 and led the Falcons to their first CIAA championship in 1997. He died five months later after a heart attack.
Pope starred in soccer and football at Southwest Guilford High School before turning his full attention to soccer at UNC. He was a two-time, all-ACC selection as well as a 1994 all-American. The DC United selected him No. 2 overall in the 1996 MLS Draft.
Winterton, already a member of the National Federation of High Schools Hall of Fame, led a powerhouse Cary High wrestling program to unbeaten records in regular-season dual meets in 27 of 29 years as head coach. The Imps won 11 state titles and eight dual team championships.
This story was originally published January 5, 2026 at 1:36 PM.