Since the opening of the N.C. State Athletics Hall of Fame this past October, there has been excitement as to who will be named in the next class of inductees. We believe the following 10 Wolfpack legends would make terrific choices:

C.A. Dillon – The voice of Reynolds Coliseum from 1946 to 1999, C.A. Dillon was a fixture at Wolfpack athletic events for over 50 years. Once the sports editor for Technician, Dillon was introduced to public address announcing in 1946 when legendary Wolfpack basketball coach Everett Case asked Dillon if he could do the P.A. announcing for Wolfpack home games. 

Mainly covering football and men’s basketball, “C.A. on the P.A.” remained the only primary P.A. announcer in Reynolds Coliseum until the turn of the century. Dillon retired in 1999 and is honored with a banner in the rafters of PNC Arena among the Wolfpack greats he watched for more than a half century.

Sammy Ranzino – A consensus first team All-American in 1951, Sammy Ranzino also held the Pack’s all-time scoring record with 1,967 points until David Thompson broke the record in 1975. Among his many highlights, the Gary, Ind. native helped lead the Wolfpack to four straight Southern Conference titles and two Dixie Classic titles. Ranzino was selected as the Southern Conference’s Most Outstanding Player in 1950, the year he was also named as an honorable mention All-American. The former guard’s number 77 banner hangs in the rafters of PNC Arena.

Kelly Mitchum – Mitchum is one of only three male golfers from N.C. State to play in the NCAA tournament in all four years of his eligibility. The Southern Pines native ranks fifth in career stroke average at N.C. State (73.2) and still holds the school record for lowest single round score at 64. A four-time All-American, Mitchum also earned All-ACC honors three times and was the 1991 ACC Champion. While at State, Mitchum was a two time academic All-American and was on the winning 1993 United States Walker Cup team. 

Garry Dornburg – A radio legend in the Triangle, Dornburg started his radio career at WPTF in his teenage years. Dornburg would go on to become widely known as the voice of Wolfpack radio. The NCSU graduate’s Sunday evening sports talk radio show was a precursor to the non-stop sports radio talk of today. However, like Jim Valvano and Kay Yow, his life was cut short by cancer and he passed away in 1998. 

Pablo Mastroeni – Mastroeni played men’s soccer at N.C. State from 1994-1997. During his collegiate career, Mastroeni was selected as an All-ACC second teamer in 1996 and was first team All-ACC in 1997. In 2002, Mastroeni was selected as a member of ACC soccer’s 50th anniversary team. Mastroeni also represented the United States in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.

Todd Fuller – There have been many terrific basketball players at N.C. State over the years, but Fuller excelled in Raleigh during the Pack’s very darkest hours. After going on probation in 1990, the men’s basketball program was placed under rigid restrictions.

Fuller was a star on the floor and in the classroom. The Charlotte native was selected as the 1996 Payne Weber Scholar-Athlete of the Year (an award that covered all collegiate sports). Fuller led State in scoring and rebounding for three straight seasons and finished his senior campaign averaging 20.9 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, the highest rebounding average for a Pack player in the last 35 years.

Volire Tisdale – A volleyball player for the Wolfpack from 1984-88, Tisdale earned first team All-ACC honors in 1987 as well as the ACC tournament MVP. The 1987 team was the last Wolfpack squad to make the NCAA Tournament prior to this past season’s team. In 1988, Tisdale added another first team All-ACC honor to her resume. She is second place all-time in school history for kills with 1,598, fifth place for digs with 1,452 and eighth place for games played with 461.  

Torry Holt – Holt is one of the greatest football players in Wolfpack history. The wide receiver currently holds almost all N.C. State receiving records and set the ACC career receiving record at 3,379 yards. Holt was twice named an All-ACC performer and was named both ACC Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year for his senior season. 

As a pro, Holt would go on to become a Super Bowl champion with the St. Louis Rams in 2000 and is a fixture on the sideline at many N.C. State football games. Holt’s number 81 has been retired by N.C. State. 

Dennis Byrd – A dominating defensive lineman from 1965-67, Byrd was the first All-American in school history (he earned the honor twice). A terror for Earle Edwards’ “White Shoes” defense, the native of Pleasant Garden, N.C., was a three-time first team All-ACC performer and helped lead the Wolfpack to a league co-championship during his sophomore season in 1965.

Byrd passed away of a heart attack in 2010. 

Richard Sykes – Sykes has been the men’s golf coach since 1972. Going into his 41st season as the golf team’s head coach, Sykes has coached 19 All-Americans, 31 All-ACC golfers and six ACC champion golfers. Sykes guided the Wolfpack to its first ever ACC championship in 1990, and in 2009, Sykes coached Matt Hill to an NCAA championship. Sykes has also won the ACC coach of the year four separate times, the most recent honor coming in 2000.