COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Benedict Athletic Hall of Fame inducted six new members on Thursday, October 24, adding to an already impressive group of Hall of Famers.
This year's class includes a men's basketball sharpshooter, a record-setting football running back, a distinguished baseball player, a member of the 2004 men's golf team which won the HBCU Minority Golf Championship, and a pair of successful coaches who brought multiple championships to Benedict.
The event was held at the Doubletree by Hilton ballroom, and a large number of previous Hall of Famers attended to welcome in the new class.
The six new inductees brings the total number of members in the Benedict College Athletic Hall of Fame to 237.
Mr. Willie J. Green, 1994
Basketball
1990-1994
Willie Green was a three-year starter for the men's basketball team and considered one of the best 3-point shooters in school history, as well as a defensive specialist. The Tigers were EAIC champions each of his four years, and Green was named the Player of the Game at the NAIA championship.
In addition to being instrumental in the success of the basketball team, he was also a part of the Benedict College Concert Choir, a mentor for the Minority Male Partnership Program, and was the campus barber.
Following his graduation, he continued his basketball career, playing overseas for a few years. He also continued to sing with UNISOGHN (a singing group formed at Benedict College under the direction of Dr. Linda Kershaw), representing Benedict College as far away as Osan, Korea when they traveled there in 2000 to perform for U.S. troops at their New Year's Eve celebration.
He currently is a Master Barber and owner of Phat Headz Barbershop, which was voted Best Barbershop at the 2024 Columbia Neighborhood Awards.
Mr. Yancy D. King
Baseball Coach
1997-2002
As the head baseball coach at Benedict College from 1997 to 2002, Yancy King won four conference championships, three conference tournament championships, and was named Coach of the Year four times. He was also the first African American coach to win the USA Team Handball tournament in 1998 at Benedict College.
He currently works for the City of Columbia Parks and Recreation, where he has been employed with them for over 40 years. He also worked and retired from Richland School District One after 33 years of service-working with Autistic Children. He continues to support the Benedict athletic department in many ways, including working with intramurals and game-day operations, and serves on the Sports Management advisory committee.
Yancy is married to Alfreda Smalls King, and they have two sons, Yancy II and Yari King, along with two beautiful grandchildren, Mia and Cori King.
Mr. Cedrick L. Richie, 2003
Football
1999-2003
After a stellar high school career at E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg, Va., Cedrick Richie came to Benedict, where he was a four-year starter at running back. Standing at an imposing 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, Richie's blend of speed, size, and raw power made him a nightmare for opposing defenses and earned him the nickname "Bruiser." In his collegiate debut against Langston University, Richie rushed for 135 yards on 12 carries and scored two touchdowns. His remarkable collegiate career saw many other standout performances, including a career-best 199-yard game against Fort Valley State and a 130-yard, 2-touchdown game on just six carries during Homecoming against Lane College, featuring a career long 75-yard touchdown run. In his final game at Bolden Stadium, Richie closed out his career with a 151-yard effort on a rain-soaked field against Edward Waters.
By the end of his time at Benedict, Richie had amassed 3,162 rushing yards and 32 rushing touchdowns, both of which ranked second in school history at the time. His career rushing average of 5.8 yards per carry set a school record, and his 7.3 yards per carry as a freshman remains a season-best at Benedict.
After his playing days, Richie transitioned into a highly successful career as an educator, coach, consultant, and author. For the past 19 years, he has served as a teacher and administrator with Richland School District One. As the head boys track coach at Lower Richland High School, he led his teams to back-to-back state titles in 2009 and 2010. Richie was named South Carolina Track Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2010 and earned Region Coach of the Year honors for five consecutive years from 2007 to 2011. He also coached football during his time at Lower Richland.
Mr. Freddrell D. Watson, 1999
Basketball
1994-1998
Fred Watson spent 16 seasons as coach at his alma mater, Benedict College, and consistently had his teams among the elite in the SIAC and on the national level. Watson had eight 20-win campaigns, five SIAC Regular Season titles and five SIAC Tournament championships. His record with the Tigers was 320-150 (.681 winning percentage), and finished with a winning record for the final 15 seasons of his tenure.
He currently serves as the Director of Athletics at Miles College and is also in his fifth season as head men's basketball coach. In four seasons, he has produced the highest winning percentage in school history (92-25, .786) with a slew of individual and team accomplishments never seen before at Miles.
Overall, Watson is 412-175 (.702 winning percentage) and has been named SIAC Coach of the Year eight times. His teams have earned 13 NCAA South Region Tournament berths with one Sweet 16 Appearance. Just as important, Watson has done an outstanding job matriculating his players, with an 85 percent graduation rate of his student-athletes. He is the co-founder of Black Coaches United, which is dedicated to empowering, developing and advancing the professional careers of racial and ethnic minority coaches in athletics. He also recently was named one of the Top 50 Most Influential Coaches in the NCAA Division II and NAIA ranks by Silver Waves Media, an outlet based on the west coast that covers multiple sports over different platforms. He was the only SIAC coach on the list and just one of two from Historically Black Colleges/Universities.
Mr. Montrele Wells 2005
2004 National Minority Championship Golf Team
2003-2005
Montrele Wells earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Benedict College in 2005, where he was a member of the 2004 team that won the National Minority Golf Championship.
He is a professional golfer who has played all over the United States and South America for the past 12 years. Before joining the APGA Tour staff as the Director of Player Development and Performance, he was an 11-year member of the APGA Tour and the winner of the Inaugural APGA Adrian Stills Award presented by Cisco in 2022. He has been involved in growing the game for over 15 years through organizations like Fairway Outreach, The First Tee, Moore-Myers Children's Fund, and The Advocates Foundation. Helping golfers advance and get better has always been a passion and he continues to do that on the professional level.
Mr. Brandon Young 2011
Baseball
2010-2011
Brandon Young was an All-Conference shortstop at Los Angeles City College, where he played for his father, Selwyn. He followed his father to Benedict, where he ended his college career with a .345 batting average, stole 45 out of 54 bases and drove in 82 runs and finished his Benedict career in the all-time top ten list with 115 hits.
Young was named Benedict's Defensive Player of the Year for 2010 and 2011, and was named All NCAA South Region, Palmetto All State and First Team All SIAC. He was a part of a Benedict College program that led all NCAA baseball in stolen bases as a team over the last three seasons.
After Benedict, he signed his first of seven professional baseball contracts with the Newark Bears of the CanAm League in 2011. He spent a couple of seasons as player/coach, including once where he played all nine positions in a game. In 2018, Brandon spent a year as coach at St. Bernard High School, where he helped lead the team to the league championship for the first time in 30 years.
