List of Eastern Kentucky University alumni

Following is a list of notable Eastern Kentucky University alumni.

Athletics edit

Name Class Major Notability References
Josh Anderson Non-degreed Professional baseball player [1][2]
Richie Bancells 1981 M.S. sports science Head Athletic Trainer for the Baltimore Orioles [3][4]
Yeremiah Bell 2002 Professional football player with Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals [5][6]
Joanna Bernabei-McNamee 1999 M.S. sports administration Head coach for Boston College Eagles women's basketball [7]
Steve Bird 1983 Professional football player and football special teams coordinator for South Carolina State [8]
Elmo Boyd Professional football player with the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers [9]
Chad Bratzke 1994 Professional football player with the New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts [10]
Wally Chambers 1973 Professional football player with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 1973 Defensive NFL Rookie of the Year Award [11]
Al Clark Professional baseball umpire [12]
Earle Combs 1919 Education Professional baseball player with the New York Yankees, member of the Baseball Hall of Fame [13]
Danny Copeland 1989 Professional footaball player with the Washington Redskins and Super Bowl XXVI champions [14][15]
Dale Dawson Professional football player with the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, and Green Bay Packers [16]
Jessamyn Duke Professional mixed martial artist formally for the UFC [17]
Jason Dunn 1995 Professional football player with the Kansas City Chiefs [18]
Matt Figger 1995 College basketball coach [19]
Charlie Fisher M.S. College football coach [20]
George Floyd 1982 Profesesional football player with the New York Jets and member of the College Football Hall of Fame [21]
Christian Friedrich 2008 Professional baseball player with the Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres [22]
Simon B. Gray M.S. sports administration Athletic director of Niagara University
Myron Guyton 1989 Professional football player with the New York Giants and New England Patriots [23][24]
Ole Hesselbjerg 2015 Physics Runner who competed in the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2016 Summer Olympics for Denmark [25]
Sam Holbrook Major League Baseball umpire [26]
Chris Isaac 1981 Professional gridiron football player with the Canadian Football League
John Jackson 1988 Professional football player with the Pittsburgh Steelers [27]
Aaron Jones 1988 Professional football player with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, and Miami Dolphins [28]
Roy Kidd 1955 College football coach and member of the College Football Hall of Fame [29]
W. H. Lyon College football coach
Antwaun Molden 2008 Professional football player with the Houston Texans
Mark Montgomery 1992 College softball head coach [30]
Tom Riginos 1993 M.A. physical education and sports administration Head baseball coach of the Winthrop Eagles [31]
Chrissy Roberts 1998 College basketball coach [32]
Dallas Robinson 2006 Bobsledder in the 2014 Winter Olympics [33]
Michael Scot M.A. physical education Director of the New South Wales Institute of Sport and chief executive officer of Sport New Zealand
Garfield Smith 1968 Professional basketball player with the Boston Celtics and the San Diego Conquistadors [34]
Steve Smith M.S. Head basketball coach at Oak Hill Academy
Teddy Taylor (football) College football coach and two-time All-American college football player [35]
Corey Walden 2015 Professional basketball player, 2019 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP [36]

Business edit

Name Class Major Notability References
Don McNay 1981 Journalism and political science Chartered financial consultant, financial author, and The Huffington Post contributor [37]

Education edit

Name Class Major Notability References
Lori Stewart Gonzalez Communication disorders 23rd President of Ohio University [38]
Kishonna Gray 2005, 2007 Criminal justice, M.S. justice studies Researcher in communication and gender studies at the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences
Teresa W. Haynes 1975, 1978, 1984 B.S. and M.A. mathematics and education, M.S. mathematics Professor of mathematics and statistics at East Tennessee State University known for her research in graph theory
Don Showalter 1964 Chemistry and math Professor emeritus and former chairman of the department of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point [39]
Aaron Thompson 1978 Political science and sociology President of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education [40]

Entertainment edit

Name Class Major Notability References
Chuckie Campbell 2007 M.A. English literature and creative writing Rapper, poet, and author [41]
Sam Champion 1983 Broadcast news Weather editor and anchor for Good Morning America and ABC News [42]
Mallory Ervin Political science Miss Kentucky 2009 and The Amazing Race contestant
Faith Esham Non-degreed M.S. clinical psychology Opera singer [43]
Carl Hurley 1966 B.S. and M.A. education Comedian and motivational speaker; former EKU professor [44]
Laura Kirkpatrick Non-degreed Art America's Next Top Model cycle 13 runner up [45]
Homer Ledford 1954 Bluegrass musician and maker of dulcimers [46]
Lee Majors 1962 History and physical education Actor known for Six Million Dollar Man and The Fall Guy [47]
Mike Morgan 1970 Education Singer-songwriter and record producer [48]
Dan Patrick Non-degreed Co-host of ESPN's SportsCenter [49]

Law edit

Name Class Major Notability References
Tom Colbert 1976 M.A. Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court [50]
Pleas Jones Education Associate justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals (subsequently renamed the Kentucky Supreme Court)
James E. Keller 1966 Justice on the Kentucky Supreme Court [51]
Debra H. Lambert 1983 Associate justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court and former Judge on the Kentucky Court of Appeals [52]
Danny C. Reeves 1978 Chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky [53]
Gregory N. Stivers 1982 Chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky [54]

Literature and journalism edit

Name Class Major Notability References
Gwenda Bond Journalism Novelist [55]
Silas House English Novelist [56]
John Samples 1978 Political science and government Author, political theorist, and vice president of the Cato Institute [57]
Crystal Wilkinson 1985 Journalist Writer, poet, educator, and winner of the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence [58]

Military edit

Name Class Major Notability References
Ken Keen 1974 Mathematics Lt. General and Military Deputy Commander of United States Southern Command [59]
Jeffrey H. Norwitz 1974 Law enforcement Counter-terrorism and law enforcement officer with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and

John Nicholas Brown Chair of Counterterrorism at the Naval War College

[60]
Craig E. Williams Philosophy Vietnam War Army veteran and co-founder of the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation [61]

Politics edit

Name Class Major Notability References
Bob Babbage 1973 Journalism and political science Kentucky State Auditor and Kentucky Secretary of State.
J. C. W. Beckham Non-degreed Governor of Kentucky and a United States Senator
Larry Belcher Kentucky House of Representatives
Linda H. Belcher Elementary education Kentucky House of Representatives [62]
Elmer Begley Secretary of State of Kentucky [63]
Leila Feltner Begley Secretary of State of Kentucky [64]
Josh Branscum 2007 Construction management Kentucky House of Representatives [65]
Josh Bray Business Administration Kentucky House of Representatives [66]
Dwight Butler Kentucky House of Representatives [67]
Josh Calloway Certificate health and safety Kentucky House of Representatives [68]
John Carney Master Kentucky House of Representatives [69]
Jared Carpenter 2000 Kentucky Senate [70]
Jack Coleman Kentucky House of Representatives and city commissioner of Harrodsburg, Kentucky [71]
Carl Day Kentucky House of Representatives
Alecia Webb-Edgington M.A. Criminal justice Kentucky House of Representatives and executive director of the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security [72]
Clyde Evans Master Ohio House of Representatives [73]
Danny Ford (politician) 1974 Kentucky House of Representatives [74]
Deanna Frazier 1991 Communication disorders Kentucky House of Representatives [75]
Terry Goodin 1989 Indiana House of Representatives [76]
J. Dudley Goodlette 1970 Political science United States House of Representatives [77]
Mike Harmon Math, statistics, and theater Kentucky House of Representatives and Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts [78]
Kim King 2004 Fitness and wellness management Kentucky House of Representatives [79]
Ashley Tackett Laferty Kentucky House of Representatives [80]
C. Ed Massey 1989 Criminal justice and police science Kentucky House of Representatives [81]
Bobby McCool 1991 Education Kentucky House of Representatives [82]
Frances Jones Mills Kentucky House of Representatives and Kentucky State Treasurer
Virgil Moore 1961 Mathematics Kentucky Senate
C. Wesley Morgan Accounting Kentucky House of Representatives [83]
Rick Nelson 1988 M.A. Kentucky House of Representatives [84]
Steve Pence 1976, 1978 Business education, M.S. business management Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky [85]
Darryl M. Scott Business administration Delaware House of Representatives [86]
Thaksin Shinawatra 1975 Criminal justice Prime Minister of Thailand [87]
Kevin Sinnette 1984 Kentucky House of Representatives [88]
Liz Stefanics New Mexico Senate and Santa Fe County Commission [89]
Brandon Storm 2000 Police administration Kentucky Senate [90]
Ken Upchurch Political science Kentucky House of Representatives [91]
Steve West 1993 Communications Kentucky Senate [92]
Janssen Willhoit 2000 Vermont House of Representatives [93]

Science and medicine edit

Name Class Major Notability References
Eula Bingham 1951 Chemistry and biology Occupational health scientist [94]
Ranthony Edmonds 2013 M.S. mathematical sciences Mathematician specializing in commutative ring theory, factorization theory, and applied algebraic topology [95]

Other edit

Name Class Major Notability References
Andrew C. Thornton II 1971 Law enforcment Head of "The Company" drug smuggling ring [96]

References edit

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External links edit