Ten Ferris State University alumni representing nine sports programs have been chosen for selection as the Ferris State University Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2025, which will be enshrined on campus this fall.
The 2025 class includes: Chad Billins (Hockey, 2008-12), Karla (Fairbanks) Griffin (Volleyball, 2001-04), Rachel (Folcik) McClure (Women's Basketball, 2004-08), Dan Hutcheson (Wrestling, 1989-93), Justin Keenan (Men's Basketball, 2007-11), Alan Morin (Men's Golf, 1989-91), Tina Muir (Women's Track and Field/Cross Country, 2008-12), Jeff Pierce (Football Athlete & Coach, 1974-2011), Rex Schuberg (Men's Track & Field, 1974-78) and Justin Zimmer (Football, 2011-15).
The event is planned for Wednesday, Aug. 27, at Jim Wink Arena on the Ferris State campus inside the Ewigleben Sports Complex.
The class includes seven people who earned All-America honors at Ferris State, including a group of the school's all-time greats in their respective sports in Billins, Fairbanks, Folcik, Hutcheson, Keenan, Muir and Zimmer.
It also features longtime football coach Jeff Pierce in addition to local benefactor, supporter and former athlete Rex Schuberg as well as Alan Morin, who has went on to achieve incredible success in the golf world.
A 10-member committee comprised of faculty, staff, alumni and community members selected the 2025 inductees from a large group of initial nominees.
"We're extremely thrilled to announce this year's class of inductees, which is a truly exceptional group," Athletics Director Steve Brockelbank said. "This class includes many of the school's all-time greats and is an outstanding group that has achieved at the highest level. They are very deserving of the recognition and we look forward to honoring these talented individuals this fall."
This year's Hall of Fame event will take place the night prior to the Bulldogs' 2025 football home opener against Pittsburg State, which is planned for Thursday, Aug. 28, at Top Taggart Field.
The Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame, which inducted its Charter Class in 2000, was established to honor those student-athletes and coaches who have distinguished themselves in their sport or honorary members who made truly exceptional contributions to athletics.
Those who are inducted must first meet the following nomination criteria - nominees must be departed from Ferris State University for at least 10 years; nominees must have earned at least one varsity letter and must have distinguished themselves by exemplary performance in the field of athletics; Secondary consideration is given for the performance of meritorious service in behalf of Ferris State Athletics after leaving Ferris State or a singular contribution to the Athletics program, and nominees must have demonstrated good citizenship and conducted exemplary professional/occupational careers which reflect credit on the individual and Ferris State University.
The 2025 Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame inductees are:
Chad Billins (Hockey, 2008-12) – Billins played a lead role in the Bulldogs' historic first-ever trip to the NCAA Division I Frozen Four and the national championship game as a senior in 2011-12. He served as a team captain as the Bulldogs captured the school's second CCHA Championship and eventually reached the title game. Billins earned All-CCHA First Team accolades as a senior and was a AHCA All-American while also being tabbed to the NCAA All-Tournament Team.
The Bulldog standout finished his senior campaign with 29 points on seven goals and 22 assists as one of the nation's top blueliners. He played in 149 games over his four-year career, totaling 67 points on 17 goals and 50 assists. Billins also received the CCHA Scholar-Athlete of the ear Award for his work in the classroom as one of the country's top all-around student-athletes. Following graduation, he inked a AHL contract with the Grand Rapids Griffins and was chosen to play in the 2013 AHL All-Star Game while helping Grand Rapids claim the Calder Cup Championship.
He earned an NHL contract with the Calgary Flames and appeared in 10 NHL games. Overall, he spent 12 seasons playing professionally in the AHL, NHL and overseas in Russia, Denmark and Sweeden. Billins was also a member of the United States Olympic Team in 2018.
Karla (Fairbanks) Griffin (Volleyball, 2001-04) – Fairbanks was a two-time All-American in volleyball for Ferris State in 2003 and 2004. The two-time All-GLIAC First Team choice also earned GLIAC All-Tournament Team accolades during her memorable career with the Bulldogs. She earned team Most Valuable Player honors and concluded her career ranked third on the school's all-time leaders list with 1,649 career kills.
She also ranked fourth in aces with 185 and owned three of the school's top eight single-match kills performances upon the conclusion of her collegiate career. She helped lead the Bulldogs to two NCAA Division II National Tournament appearances and was chosen as the school's female Dean Davenport Bulldog of the Year Award recipient as the top student-athlete in her senior campaign.
Rachel (Folcik) McClure (Women's Basketball, 2004-08) - A 2007-08 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America First Team recipient, Folcik twice picked up All-America Honorable Mention honors on the hardwood for the Bulldogs and was named to both the NCAA Division II State Farm Coaches' and Women's Division II Basketball Bulletin Honorable Mention All-America Teams following her final season. She was also both a Daktronics All-Great Lakes Region First Team selection along with being named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Region 4 First Team. Folcik was honored as an All-GLIAC North Division First Team pick and a GLIAC North Division All-Defensive Team selection for the second-straight year in her final campaign.
She concluded her FSU career listed second in school history with 1,705 career points and was only 16 shy of tying Lucy DeMartin's school-record total of 1,721 points at FSU. The 6-1 Folcik posted a school-record 677 career made field goals and is listed second with 793 rebounds all-time at Ferris State. In 2007-08, Folcik was the squad's leading scorer (19.5 ppg) and rebounder (8.3 rpg). She reached double-figure scoring in 25 of her 27 contests while posting 12 double-double (points & rebounds) efforts. The 2006-07 NCAA Division II Kodak/Women's Basketball Coaches Association Honorable Mention All-American was named to the All-Great Lakes Region First Team in both of her final two collegiate campaigns. Folcik finished her final season ranked second in the GLIAC in scoring (19.5 ppg.) along with tied for second in free throw percentage (.833) and third in rebounding (8.3 rpg.).
She totaled 81 double-figure scoring games in 113 career contests as a Bulldog player. Also, Folcik scored 20 points or more 12 times in 2007-08 with three games of 30 points or more. As a junior in 2006-07, Folcik led the Bulldogs to a school-record 23 wins (23-9) and the program's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen. Folcik's 241 made field goals and 602 total points that season were both school single-season marks while her 261 rebounds was the second-highest seasonal figure in FSU history. The two-time team captain, who averaged a team-best 18.8 points per game in 2006-07, scored in double-figures 27 times as a junior and notched 13 double-double (points & rebounds) performances.
She finished the year listed second overall in scoring and fifth in rebounds among the GLIAC's overall leaders while ranking second in both field goal (.555) and free throw (.860) percentage.
Dan Hutcheson (Wrestling, 1989-93) – He was a three-time wrestling All-American for the Bulldogs and also a two-time Academic All-American. He claimed the school's Bulldog of the Year honor in 1990-91 before later serving as an assistant wrestling coach for the Bulldogs. He went on to work for the MHSAA after a long and distinguished career as a prep coach and administrator where he was tabbed as the region's athletic director of the year while at Howell High School.
As a collegiate senior in the 1992-93 campaign, Hutcheson posted a 32-5 overall record and led FSU to a seventh-place team finish at the D2 National Championships while being chosen as the school's Most Outstanding Wrestler. He finished as the national runner-up at 167 pounds and was a two-time regional titlist and three-time GLIAC Champion on the mat.
He also claimed GLIAC All-Academic Team recognition and was a four-year letterwinner for the Bulldogs under head coach Jim Miller. In his junior season in 1991-92, Hutcheson led the Bulldogs with a 37-7 overall mark and posted eight pins. He took fifth place at nationals as a junior and also beat the nation's top-ranked Division I wrestler from Iowa at the Las Vegas Invitational in his junior campaign.
Justin Keenan (Men's Basketball, 2007-11) – Keenan finished his collegiate career as the GLIAC's all-time scoring leader and earned NCAA Division II National Player of the Year honors in 2010-11 after leading Ferris State to the NCAA D2 Sweet Sixteen and the GLIAC Championship. He led the GLIAC in scoring three consecutive seasons and was the only player in Division II to rank among the nation's top 20 players in both scoring and rebounding his final campaign. Keenan became only the third player in league annals to win the coveted GLIAC Player of the Year honor twice. Twice, he earned All-America accolades, becoming the first Bulldog player in 36 years to claim the nod and FSU's first-ever All-America pick at the D2 level as a junior in 2009-10.
He was chosen to participate in the 2011 Reese's Division II All-Star Game and was a consensus All-America choice from multiple organizations as a senior. He was also a three-time All-GLIAC and two-time all-region selection. He concluded his career by scoring 2,259 career points, ranking second all-time in school history. He also finished as FSU's all-time leader with 797 made free throws while ranking third in rebounding (901), and seventh in field goal percentage (.548) on the all-time chart. Keenan has since went on to enjoy a lengthy professional career overseas in some of the world's top leagues since the completion of his collegiate career.
Alan Morin (Men's Golf, 1989-91) – A 1992 FSU graduate, Morin was a three-year letterwinner for the Bulldogs and was the team's Most Valuable Player in 1989. He claimed individual champion honors at the 1989 GLIAC Championship and was a two-time all-conference honoree. A Professional Golf Management alum, Morin was honored as the 2022 Ferris State Distinguished Alumni Award recipient and has enjoyed a stellar professional career, including being the 2024 champion of the National PGA Senior Club Professional Championship. He twice has been on the United States of America PGA Cup Team and is a 21-time qualifier for the National PGA Club Professional Championship.
Morin has also qualified 14 times for the National PGA Assistant Professional Championship and is a five-time qualifier for the National PGA Senior Club Professional Championship. Among his many accomplishments, Morin has qualified for two US Open's (1998 and 2003) along with six PGA Championships and five Senior PGA Championships. He's also qualified for the PGA Tour Honda Classic 12 times and made the cut on three occasions.
He's made the PGA Tour Ford Championship at Doral four times and the PGA Tour Puerto Rico Open four times. In South Florida, he was selected to the section's PGA Hall of Fame in 2021 and has been the South Florida PGA Player of the Year 11 times along with four times as the Senior Player of the Year. He's also won the South Florida PGA Section Championship five times among his many other professional accomplishments.
Tina Muir (Track & Field/Cross Country, 2008-12) – One of the most decorated student-athletes in Bulldog history, Muir was an 11-time All-American for the Bulldogs during her track and field/cross country career. She earned runner-up honors in the 5,000 meters at the 2012 NCAA D2 Outdoor Championships when she also placed fourth in the 10K. Muir finished a personal-best seventh overall and sixth in scoring position at the 2011 NCAA D2 National Cross Country Championships to earn All-America honors for the fourth consecutive campaign.
She is the only four-time All-America choice in FSU women's cross country history and her performance represented the highest individual finish ever for the Bulldogs, who tied for the best team finish in school history with an eighth place showing in 2011. Muir earned GLIAC Cross Country Athlete of the Year recognition and twice won the league's individual cross country crown.
She helped FSU to a number three national ranking. Muir also claimed All-GLIAC and GLIAC All- Academic honors four-straight years and was a three-time recipient of the GLIAC Commissioner's Award in addition to claiming COSIDA Academic All-America honors and being a finalist for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. Muir went on to compete in the British Olympic Trials and had a lengthy professional elite racing career.
Jeff Pierce (Football, 1974-2011) – A Bulldog football alum, Pierce was a mainstay in the Bulldog program, first as a player and later as a coach. After playing at Ferris State from 1974-77 and graduating from FSU, he joined the Bulldog staff in 1983 under then head coach Nick Coso. He later served as a defensive coordinator for seven years, helping construct one of the country's top units in the early to mid-1990's for coach Keith Otterbein. His 1992 FSU defense led NCAA Division II in points allowed per game while his 1994 unit was tops in the MIFC. Pierce then went on to serve as the head coach at Ferris State for 17 seasons, becoming the program's all-time winningest head coach at the time with 102 career victories.
He guided the Bulldogs to three GLIAC Championships, two NCAA Division II Playoff bids and an appearance in the national semifinals in 1995, which at the time represented the highest finish in program history. Pierce received the MIFC Coach of the Year honor in 1995 and was a longtime ambassador for Bulldog Athletics and FSU Football in the Big Rapids community and across the state. After departing from Ferris State, he later served as an assistant coach in the GLIAC at then fellow conference member Northwood University.
Rex Schuberg (Track and Field, 1974-78, Benefactor) – A longtime benefactor of Ferris State University, Schuberg competed for the Bulldogs in track and field in the 1970s. He graduated from Ferris State in 1978 and served eight years on the FSU Alumni Board, including a term as president from 1998-2000. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the institution in 1994 and has actively supported Bulldog Athletics and the university in the local community. Schuberg has been a member of the Ferris' President's Society and a former chair of the Gridiron Club. He and his son, Tyler, who is a Bulldog Football alum, were honored as grand marshals of the 2015 homecoming celebration. His other son, Kyle, also competed in track and field at Ferris State University.
The Big Rapids native was one of the Bulldogs' top performers during his collegiate career on the track. Schuberg is also a member of the Mecosta County Sports Hall of Fame and has been a prominent businessman in the Big Rapids community.
Justin Zimmer (Football (2011-15) - A standout defensive tackle, Zimmer helped lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back GLIAC Championships in 2014 and 2015 as one of the nation's top linemen on the defensive front. He finished his career as a three-time All-GLIAC First Team selection for the Bulldogs and was also chosen to the 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team squad, making him a three-time Academic All-American and two-time first-team recipient. Statistically, Zimmer led the Bulldogs in tackles (81), quarterback sacks (13), tackles for loss (26) and forced fumbles (4) as a senior standout.
He helped lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back unbeaten regular seasons and the first two NCAA D2 Playoff appearances under head coach Tony Annese. Zimmer went on to enjoy a professional career in the National Football League with the Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins along with spending time in the Canadian Football League. He finished his Ferris State career with 216 tackles, 26 sacks, 48.5 tackles for loss, an interception, a touchdown, 14 pass deflections, nine forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three blocked kicks. Zimmer was also a two-time All-America choice on the field for the Bulldogs as FSU began a nation-leading playoff streak that continues to this day.
Release and photo courtesy of Ferris State Athletics.
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