Widely recognized for transforming the student-athlete experience nationwide, legendary college athletics administrator will be recognized Oct. 5.
IRVING, Texas (Oct. 1, 2024) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame today announced Homer Rice, the legendary player, coach and athletics administrator, who became a nationwide leader during his 18-year tenure as the Georgia Tech athletics director, will posthumously be recognized as an NFF Leadership Hall of Fame inductee Oct. 5 during the Yellow Jackets game against Duke. Rice, who passed away June 10 at the age of 97, had been slated for induction on June 20.
"Homer Rice's passion for developing young people into "champions for life" literally became the blueprint for athletics programs around the nation," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "His vision remains the standard for ensuring student-athletes have the tools for successful careers long after their playing days, and it is important that we posthumously recognize his contributions as an NFF Leadership Hall of Fame inductee."
Established in 2013, the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame provides the NFF with a powerful platform for recognizing the country's most influential individuals who have ascended to the highest levels of success and exhibited the critical leadership qualities that transcend ordinary enterprises. Inductees of the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame must embody the same qualities in amateur football that define excellence in American life: hard work, discipline, determination, teamwork, integrity and the relentless pursuit to improve.
"On behalf of the Georgia Tech community, thank you to the National Football Foundation for bestowing this very deserving honor on Homer Rice," said J Batt, the athletic director at Georgia Tech. "Homer left a legacy as one of the most influential figures in the history of college athletics, and his leadership is especially evident in the sport of football. He not only enjoyed great success as a football student-athlete, coach and administrator — including overseeing Georgia Tech's run to the 1990 national championship as athletics director — but his focus on developing the Total Person has made an impact on the lives of millions of student-athletes and will continue to do so for generations to come."
"Homer Rice understood the profound impact that athletics can have on the development of a young person, and he helped create a nationwide framework for others to follow," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "His influence extends far beyond college athletics, and college athletics administrators nationwide are indebted to Homer Rice. Adding his name to the list of NFF Leadership Hall of Fame inductees is a fitting tribute to his legacy."
A product of the gridiron and an All-American football player at Centre College in Kentucky, Rice embarked on a career that encompassed every level and every aspect of athletics, and he is credited with inventing the triple option offense. He coached at the high school level for 11 seasons before becoming an assistant football coach at Kentucky and Oklahoma and then the head coach at the University of Cincinnati. He then became an administrator as the athletics director at North Carolina, followed by a period where he was both the athletics director and the head coach at Rice. He left the college ranks to take a shot at the NFL as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. He then returned to the administration side as the athletics director at Georgia Tech for the final 18 years of his career.
His pioneering work, which created the Student-Athlete Total Person Program at Georgia Tech, placed him in the vanguard of developing college athletics programs that focused on graduation rates and the long-term success of their student-athletes, and his vision became the foundation for the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills program.
He transformed the Georgia Tech athletics department, raising more than $100 million. The Yellow Jacket teams won 14 ACC championships, including a national football title in 1990 and an appearance in the 2004 NCAA Men's Final Four. The Georgia Tech baseball team advanced to the College World Series for the first time in 1994. There were also three Olympic gold medalists during his tenure, and he led the effort to launch the women's athletics program.
After serving as athletics director at Georgia Tech, Dr. Rice, continued to make his home in Atlanta while mentoring the next generation as an adjunct professor at Georgia Tech's Ivan Allen College in Sports, Society, and Technology. The chair of the program bears his name. Among his countless distinctions and honors, the Homer Rice Award is presented annually to an NCAA Division I FBS athletics director that has made significant and meaningful contributions to intercollegiate athletics.
In 2021, a statue of Rice was dedicated outside of Bobby Dodd Stadium. He is one of only three athletics figures to be commemorated with a statue at Georgia Tech, joining John Heisman and Bobby Dodd. In addition to being legendary coaches at Georgia Tech, Heisman and Dodd also served as Tech's director of athletics during their time on The Flats. Both are also College Football Hall of Fame inductees.
He wrote a number of books on leadership success, including Leadership for Leaders in 1984, Lessons for Leaders in 2000, and Leadership Fitness in 2004.
Rice was preceded in passing by his wife of 64 years, Phyllis, who passed in November of 2013. He is survived by three daughters, Nancy Hetherington, Phyllis Ingle and Angela Miller, his wife Karen, whom he married in 2015, seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
The NFF Leadership Hall of Fame events serve as a centerpiece of the NFF's annual fundraising efforts, providing critical support for the organization's outreach efforts that emphasize the value of football to society. By creating a powerful fundraising opportunity, the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame allows those who have reached the pinnacle of success to help the NFF strengthen its programs and fulfill its mission of Building Leaders Through Football.
