By: Mark Wasik
Hall of Fame Ceremony Tickets | Football vs Missouri State Tickets
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KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State Department of Athletics is proud to announce the upcoming induction of Amir Abdur-Rahim (Coach – Men's Basketball), Scott Whitlock (Coach – Softball/Administrator) and Brenda Farrell (Softball) for the Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
"This is an outstanding group of Owls that will forever be enshrined as part of Kennesaw State Athletics history," said Director of Athletics Milton Overton. "We can't say enough about the amazing accomplishments that Coach Amir achieved, both for men's basketball and KSU Athletics. Scott Whitlock is not only a legend in the softball coaching world, but he also meant so much to this place for what he accomplished as administrator. Brenda Farrell, meanwhile, was a star in her own right, making her mark all over the KSU record books while playing for a pair of national championship teams." "
The ceremony will take place the evening of Friday, Nov. 21 at the NorthStar Church in Kennesaw, and the class will be introduced during the Saturday, Nov. 22, football game against Missouri State.
Abdur-Rahim is being inducted posthumously after engineering one of the most incredible turnarounds in men's college basketball history. Hired in April of 2019 to a program that had never produced a winning season at the Division I level, Abdur-Rahim took the Owls from one win in 2019-20 to a school-record 26 victories and a sweep of the Atlantic Sun regular season and conference tournament championships in 2022-23. KSU became the first-ever team to go from a 1-win season to the NCAA Tournament in just three years, and the Owls nearly made history in their first-round game against third-seed Xavier, leading most of the game before coming up short in the final 20 seconds, falling 82-77.
Abdur-Rahim made his mark as one of the top rising names in college basketball with the Owls' run to March Madness, and he was named the Hugh Durham Mid-Major Coach of the Year in 2022-23 along with Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year. He would move on after that season to USF, where he guided the Bulls to their first-ever regular season championship in the American Conference in 2023-24, and was set to start his second season in Tampa. He passed away in October of 2024 after complications during a medical procedure. He left behind his loving wife Arianne and three children, Laila, Lana and Aydin.
It would be hard to imagine thinking of Kennesaw State Athletics without thinking of the name Scott Whitlock, as he spent 36 total years with the Black and Gold, first coming to Kennesaw in 1985 when he was hired as the assistant women's basketball coach and assistant slow-pitch softball coach. He took over as the head softball coach in his second year at the school, and built one of the most dominant programs in the country. Whitlock guided the Owls from slow pitch at the NAIA level to fast pitch as the school moved from NAIA to Division II and then Division I in 2005-06.
The Owls truly dominated the Division II scene, with 12 straight top-10 final national rankings (1992-2002), while KSU claimed back-to-back national championships in 1995 and 1996. Whitlock's success didn't stop there with the Owls. Despite the move up to Division I and having to wait five years before being eligible for NCAA postseason play, he won 30+ games in five of his eight D1 seasons and claimed a pair of Atlantic Sun regular season titles before retiring in 2013 from coaching. He was named ASUN Coach of the Year three times, coached two ASUN Player of the Years, one Pitcher of the Year and one Freshman of the Year. Whitlock's career win percentage of .767 as a fast pitch coach currently ranks 25th all-time in NCAA history, while between his fast pitch and slow pitch coaching career he finished with 1,150 total victories.
Whitlock also made his impact on the administration side, eventually reaching the position of senior associate athletic director, where he was responsible for capital projects and served as the administrator for several teams. His efforts were critical in managing the behind-the-scenes logistics that brought Kennesaw State football to life at the start of the program, and he continued to help with scheduling and other administrative areas with the team. This fall's ceremony will mark the seventh Hall of Fame induction for him, as he has also been named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Hall of Fame in 2005, and the Atlantic Sun Conference Hall of Fame in 2024. He now joins his wife in the Hall of Fame, as she was inducted into the 2022 class.
Farrell will be the 10th member of the KSU softball team to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. A two-time Division II All-American (1997, 1998), she helped lead the Owls to back-to-back national championship titles, three total D2 World Series appearances, and an overall 198-22 record over her four years.
A two-time All-South Atlantic region and the 1998 Peach Belt Player of the Year, Farrell was one of the most dominating pitchers in Owl history. Her 0.42 ERA in the 1998 season still stands as the all-time school record, while she ranks in a tie for fourth all-time in career wins with 29. Farrell's 14 strikeouts against Bowie State on March 7, 1997 set a DII standard at KSU. She ranks seventh all-time in career strikeouts with 465, and second in career shutouts with 42.
The event will start at 6 p.m. with a mingle hour before moving onto the dinner at 7 p.m. and the ceremony at 7:45 p.m. Tickets are available to the Hall of Fame dinner, both for an individual ($75) or for a table ($500).
The inductees will be recognized at halftime of the football game against Missouri State on Nov. 22, with kickoff set for 2 p.m. at Fifth Third Stadium.
The Owls Fund
The Owls Fund is the primary fundraising arm of Kennesaw State Athletics with the goal of supporting our student-athletes, coaches and each of our 18 NCAA Division I programs. Through initiatives such as Legacy Lockers, the Dot Martin Scholarship Golf Classic, sport-specific giving opportunities, general donations and season tickets, The Owls Fund connects fans with KSU's programs and student-athletes. Members receive exclusive benefits such as hospitality seating areas and events at Kennesaw State home games, and more. Joining The Owls Fund here and discover more opportunities on how you can support Kennesaw State Athletics.
