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Two pivotal figures in the history of HCU athletics have been inducted into Red River Athletic Conference Hall of Fame with Ron Cottrell and E.D. Hodo among the second class of inductees. Houston Christian University (HCU), formerly Houston Baptist University (HBU), underwent a name change in September 2022.

Dr. E. D. Hodo served as the second President of Houston Baptist University from 1987-2006 and as President Emeritus until 2016.  

Hodo was committed to the highest quality of life and learning, and both academic and athletic endeavors during his tenure always reflected an emphasis on Christian values and ethics. He felt a strong athletic program was the "front porch" of a university and provided a positive image and camaraderie with the public and campus community.  

In 1998, the Mississippi native, along with Tony Stigliano and Ron Cottrell, helped in the formation of the Red River Athletic Conference in an effort to give like-minded colleges and universities in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico a conference home.  

During HBU's membership in the RRAC, Hodo served on the NAIA Council of Presidents, the governing board of the NAIA.
 
Ron Cottrell was both Head Men's Basketball Coach and Athletic Director at Houston Baptist University during the school's time in the Red River Athletic Conference. 
 
Along with Hodo and Stigliano, Cottrell helped in the formation of the RRAC.
 
Cottrell restarted the basketball program at HBU in 1990-91 after it had been on a two-year hiatus. Now in his 32nd year at the helm, he enters the 2022-23 season as the winningest basketball coach in school history with 508 wins.  
 
Cottrell's teams posted a 240-62 overall mark during HBU's stint in the RRAC, including a 134-17 record in Red River play. The Huskies captured nine regular season titles and six tournament titles while reaching nine consecutive NAIA National Tournaments in that span.  
 
He built the Huskies into one of national prominence, perennially ranked in the NAIA Top 25 and finishing in the Top 10 six times. He was a five-time RRAC Coach of the Year, including a National Coach of the Year season in 2002-03, when the Huskies finished ranked No. 1 in the nation. 
 
Serving as Athletic Director at HBU from 1994-2008, Cottrell was honored by his peers as Region Athletic Director of the Year in 2001.
 
Cottrell, who was inducted into the HCU Athletics Hall of Honor in 2012, helmed HBU's nine years in the Red River, a span that saw five sports accumulate 42 regular season titles, 24 tournament titles and 29 national tournaments. During that time, the Huskies had 94 All-Americans and 74 Academic All-Americans, while winning the conference's All-Sports Award as a department every season in the league.