Austin College Celebrates Alumni at Legends Gala

Austin College celebrated the career achievements of former members of the Kangaroo family on Saturday at its annual Legends Gala, with legendary former ’Roo head swimming and diving and assistant football coach Sylvan “Sig” Lawson among those being honored as a posthumous recipient of the Coach Joe Spencer Award for Meritorious Service and Lifetime Achievement in Coaching. 

Lawson joined the Austin College staff in 1976 as a member of the physical education faculty in addition to his two coaching positions. He served as an assistant for the football team until 1988 and also served as the athletic trainer for all sports. Lawson continued coaching the swimming and diving team until his retirement in 1999. He died suddenly in May of that year. Lawson was inducted into the Southwest Swim Coaches Association Hall of Fame in April 1999, and was inducted into the Austin College Athletics Hall of Honor in 1998. 

In conjunction with Lawson being honored with this lifetime achievement award, Austin College also inducted alumni David L. Adams, Dale Anderson, Brent G. Badger, Dr. George “Trey” Crosthwaite III and Tony Toro into the Athletics Hall of Honor, with Dr. Clyde L. Hall also being inducted as an honorary Hall of Honor inductee. 

In addition to the Coach Joe Spencer and Athletics Hall of Honor honorees, the school also announced Larry Fedora, currently the head coach at the University of North Carolina after leading the University of Southern Mississippi to the Conference USA title last season, as this year’s Kedric Couch Alumni Coach of the Year recipient. Fedora led USM to a 33-19 record and four straight bowl games in his four seasons at the helm, culminating in last season’s 11-2 record, a victory in the Hawai’i Bowl and a top 25 national ranking. 

Austin College athletic teams participate as a member of the NCAA Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. 

About Austin College 

Austin College is a leading national independent liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas. Founded in 1849, making it the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original charter and name, the college is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA). Recognized nationally for academic excellence in the areas of international education, pre-professional training, and leadership studies, Austin College is one of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges that Change Lives.