TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler athletics has announced that Dr. Howard Patterson, Brittany Mahomes (formerly Matthews), and the 2016 Softball Team will make up the departments sixth class entering the UT Tyler Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
The ceremony will take place March 28^th at 9 a.m. at Green Acres Baptist Church Crosswalk Conference Center.
 
"The 2026 UT Tyler Hall of Fame class is truly elite," Director of Athletics Sam Ferguson said. "Dr. Patterson's leadership built a championship culture that continues to shape our university today. Brittany's outstanding playing career was unmatched, as she found the net with frequency. Her career pales only in comparison to the incredible work she has been doing to advance women in sport. Our 2016 NCAA Championship softball team left a lasting legacy on the field and continues to impact lives beyond it. We are deeply grateful for the excellence, leadership, and difference this remarkable group continues to make. This class is a great example to our student-athletes of what it means to be a Patriot. We are beyond excited to honor them and hear their stories in March."
 
Dr. Howard Patterson served as the Director of Athletics for the Patriots for 23 years from 2001 to 2024, leading the department into its Division III era and later into Division II, while also developing 17 NCAA programs.
 
"It is truly an honor to be chosen by the Athletic Department staff to be inducted into the UT Tyler Athletic Hall of Fame," Dr. Howard Patterson said. "I have been blessed to be a part of the program for over 23 years. There is no more joy than watching programs grow to become highly successful, win national championships and graduate outstanding men and women. The year I retired the Patriots athletic program was one of the top D2 programs in the country without football. The Tyler community is amazing and full of wonderful people, as is the University. My sincere thanks to Dr. Rob Mabry and Dr. Dale Lunsfrod for giving me the chance to help UT Tyler grow and succeed."
 
Under his leadership, the Patriots delivered 10 NCAA National Championships (nine in Division III, one in Division II), 80 total conference championships, and over 100 All-American selections. He was named the NACDA Director's Cup Athletic Director of the Year in both 2013 and 2016 and led the department to the men's and women's LSC Academic Excellence Award in 2020-21, becoming the first school to win the award outright in LSC history.
 
Brittany Mahomes put together one of the strongest careers in UT Tyler women's soccer history from 2013-2016. She stands second all-time in total points (78) and goals (31), third in game-winning goals (10) and assists (16), and tied for third in total games played (74).
 
She also put together arguably the best single-season in program history in 2016, scoring the most points (40), goals (18), and game-winning goals (7). In that same season, she posted four different games with three goals, tied for the best mark in program history for a single match.
 
Matthews (Mahomes) is a founding co-owner of the Kansas City Current in the National Women's Soccer League and helped spur construction of the first soccer stadium in the world specifically built for women's soccer. She was also appointed to the inaugural NWSL Advisory Board in November alongside names such as Chris Paul, Julie Foudy, Brandi Chastain, Sue Bird, Eli Manning, Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Morgan, Lindsey Vonn, and Magic Johnson.
 
"I'm honored to be inducted into the UT Tyler Athletics Hall of Fame. My time at UT Tyler played a huge role in shaping my life, career, and the person I am today," said Brittany Mahomes. "I'm especially grateful to Coach Webb—her belief in me, leadership, and constant support had an incredible impact on my journey both on and off the field. UT Tyler will always hold a special place in my heart. I'm so thankful for the experiences and the people who were part of making my time in Tyler one I will never forget."
 
The 2016 UT Tyler softball team will go down as the first team in the program's history to win the National Championship with their Division III triumph. The team went 49-5 for the year, including a 32 game winning streak to finish the regular season as ASC Regular Season Champions.
 
The Patriots fell to East Texas Baptist in the ASC Championship game, but then went undefeated in their NCAA Regional and Super Regional to head to the Division III World Series. There, the Patriots won their first two games before falling to St. John Fisher. They came back to beat them in the second game to punch their ticket to the championship series, where they swept #11 Messiah College in scores of 3-0 and 7-0 to win the National Championship for the first time in program history.
 
Leading that team was NFCA Hall of Fame coach Mike Reed, along with NFCA National Player of the Year Kelsie Batten, All-Americans Batten and Raven Rodriguez, five different NFCA All-Region Selections, and 10 different All-ASC selections.
 
"Coaching this team to UT Tyler softball's first national championship is something I will carry with me forever," Mike Reed said. What these young women accomplished in 2016 was bigger than a trophy—it was belief, sacrifice, and an unbreakable bond that changed our program's history. Seeing them being honored and inducted into the UT Tyler Athletics Hall of Fame fills me with immense pride and gratitude for them and for every alumni that helped build our program from day one of program to that last out in 2016!"
 
The trio of honorees will now become the 24^th, 25^th, and 26^th members of the UT Tyler Athletics Hall of Fame. They will be officially enshrined on March 28^th in a ceremony open to inductee family and special guests only.
 
Press Contact for Brittany Mahomes:
Jessica Sciacchitano – 2PM Sharp
jsciacchitano@2pmsharp.com