For a weekend, past, present and future converged inside the T. Edward Davis Gymnasium as the Tigers Athletic Department inducted three former athletes and one team into its Hall of Fame.

Basketball players Willie Coleman and Carl Watkins, dual sports star Lisa Aten—an All-American in volleyball and softball—and members of the 1969 football team gathered in the gym to receive their plaques and relive old memories.

It was fitting seeing members of the school from different iterations of its history, from Salem College to Salem-Teikyo University through current Salem International University student athletes, all convening under the same roof as President and CEO of Salem International University Danny Finuf announced the next steps in the school's direction.

Finuf announced a school-wide rebranding, changing the name from Salem International University to Salem University, while adding new logos. It was an appropriate reflection of the school's new direction in recent years, as the athletics department has added fresh faces to dedicated staff, paying homage to the university's roots while moving forward into a new era.

And the changes go beyond the superficial.

Finuf read off a list of improvements already underway or expected to begin soon, from upgraded Wi-Fi across campus and security systems in the residence halls, to upgrades in athletics facilities, including the new Harry Hartman Fitness Center.

Important as these upgrades are, the presence of some of the greatest student-athletes in Tigers history was a reminder of what truly drives the school's long history.

"The facilities might not have always been the best," Al Tarquinio, a former Salem College football player and founder of the Salem Football and Cheerleaders Alumni Association, said while presenting the 1969 football team. "But it's the human capital that makes this school special."

That was never more apparent than in the presence of some of Salem's greatest athletes.

After the ceremony, members of the 1969 football team gathered to pick up old conversations, seemingly right where they left off. As video of an old game played in the background, there were Heisman poses and recollections of formations as they played out on screen.
The 1969 team was the first truly great team of a run that extended years, putting together what was then a school-best 8-1 record.

Led by six WVIAC All-Conference players, the Tigers outscored opponents 255-56 for the season, averaging 28.3 points per game. Its defense was dominant, ranking fifth in nation in total defense and ninth against the run, limiting opponents to just 6.2 points per game.

"Greatness is measured by what endures," Tarquinio said. "And the foundations you set drove the football program for years."

For other athletes, it's the lessons learned at Salem applied to life beyond the time spent here that's proven to be a legacy.

Lisa Aten arrived at Salem as a walk-on, making the volleyball and softball teams. In four years, she graduated with a Bachelor's degree in education and one of the most distinguished careers in the softball program's history—finishing as Salem's all-time leader in wins, shutouts and no-hitters as an All-American pitcher.

On Friday, Aten was presented by her daughter, Cayce Richards, who spoke of hours spent practicing together, throwing hundreds of pitches—passing on the work ethic Aten credited, in part, to her time in Salem.

"She was a great coach," Richards said. "And a better mother."

Family was a theme among the inductees, which, given the size of the university, tight-knit community and the small town that surrounds the campus, is no surprise.
An hour before giving a heartfelt thanks to his mother, Carl Watkins was looking over his plaque with his sons.

As one of his boys read through the inscription, he let out a giddy exclamation.

"Ten 3-pointers?!"

For a child whose only notion of basketball is in this era of Stephen Curry 3-point heaves, even this number was bewildering.

"That's in a half," his other son said, equally baffled.

Watkins 10 3-pointers and 40 points in a half stand as school records, and his 47 3-pointers attempted through a four-game conference tournament run is a WVIAC record. Watkins attended Salem-Teikyo University from 1989 to 1991, earning NAIA All-American Honorable Mention accolades and being named to the WVIAC First Team All-Conference in 1991.

Shortly after Watkin's time at Salem ended, the school landed another prized prospect, finding Logan County's Willie Coleman.

Playing under Hall of Fame Head Coach Mike Carey, Willie Coleman earned national recognition with NAIA First Team All-American honors in 1994, leading the Salem-Teikyo Men's Basketball team to a third seed appearance in the 1994 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Coleman played two seasons for Salem-Teikyo, from 1992 to 1994. A versatile athlete capable of playing all three frontcourt positions, Coleman averaged a double-double in his first season at Salem-Teikyo, leading the conference in scoring (21.8 PPG) and rebounding (10.8 RPG).

The Tigers made the national tournament in both seasons Coleman played, advancing to the second round in his first season. He was the first player in school history to win back-to-back WVIAC Player of the Year awards.

"I was pretty excited when I got the call [to be inducted]," Coleman said. "Coming from a big family, I didn't have any family members who went to college, so to go to Salem and have the success that I had meant a lot to me and my family."

Each athlete arrived from at Salem from diverse backgrounds but all found common success.

"You paved the way. We honor you for that," Finuf said to the room full of alumni. "We also want you to be proud of who Salem University is today and in the future. We will work to engage our alumni in new ways and together, Salem University will grow to be a leader in higher education and communities we serve."