SAN JOSE, CA – The San Jose Sports Hall of Fame marked its 25th year of honoring South Bay sports legends when it inducted four new members on Nov. 14 at the SAP Center in San Jose. The inductees hailed from the upper echelon of collegiate, professional and/or Olympic competition. Although from different sports in different eras, they have made a lasting impact both on and off the field of play.
The San Jose Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2019 Inductees:
- John Doyle: All American, MLS Soccer Star, Olympic and US National Team Member
- John Dunning: US National Champion Volleyball Coach
- Seana Hogan: Record Setting Cross Country Cyclist
- Juli Inkster: All- American, Amateur and Professional Golf Champion
“San Jose’s incredibly rich and diverse sports history makes the Hall of Fame selection process very difficult each year,” said Charlie Faas, Chairman of the San Jose Sports Authority Board of Directors. “The Class of 2019 is a wonderful representation of the deep and meaningful impact athletes and coaches with South Bay connections have made in their respective sports, locally, nationally and internationally. We are excited to welcome these four remarkable individuals into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame.”
Each inductee was recognized with a bronze plaque permanently installed on the concourse at the SAP Center at San Jose. The annual induction is an event of the San Jose Sports Authority, San Jose Arena Authority, SAP Center Management/San Jose Sharks, and the City of San José. The event benefits Special Olympics Northern California and high school sports programs.
Executive Director John Poch of the San Jose Sports Authority states, “The San Jose Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2019 represent all that we value, including integrity, work ethic, sportsmanship, and excellence. Individually and collectively, their accomplishments, both in the Bay Area and across the world of sport, are the stuff of legend. We look forward to honoring their legacies in November at our Hall of Fame induction ceremonies at the SAP Center in San Jose.”
The ceremony kicked off with a reception followed by dinner and induction ceremony.
About the San Jose Sports Authority
The San Jose Sports Authority is a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase the City of San Jose’s economic development, visibility, and civic pride through sports. Serving as the City's sports commission since its inception in 1991, the Sports Authority has provided leadership and support to attract and host hundreds of sporting events in San Jose and the South Bay. The Sports Authority also supports and operates community, youth and amateur sports programs, including the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame and the REACH Youth Scholarship Program. To learn more, visit www.sjsa.org.
San Jose Sports Hall of Fame / Inductee Bios
John Doyle
John Doyle is a Bay Area soccer icon, starring at the high school, club, college, Olympic & professional levels who represented USA Soccer at the highest level. He was a founding member and Team Captain of San Jose’s Major League Soccer franchise, the Clash, in 1996. He played in the first game in MLS history and was named the league’s first Defender of the Year. He remained a critical component of the team for the next five years as it reclaimed the Earthquakes nickname and re-established itself as a San Jose sports institution. Following his playing career, he served as an assistant coach from 2004-05 and then become Earthquakes General Manager from 2008-16. Doyle played college soccer at the University of San Francisco and was named a second team All-American before beginning his professional career with American and European club teams, including a stint with the German first division club FC Lokomotive Leipzig. He earned fifty-three caps with the USA National Team including starting in the 1990 FIFA World Cup and played in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
John Dunning
Dunning, who led Stanford’s women to three national championships, is a college coaching icon. A graduate of Fremont High in Sunnyvale, he began his career at his alma mater in 1977 and won six straight CCS titles. In 1985, he was named head coach at University of Pacific, where his teams compiled a 437-102 won loss record and earned NCAA titles in 1985 and 1986. He moved on to Stanford University in 2001 and immediately coached the Cardinal to Pac-10 and NCAA championships while being named Coach of The Year in the Pac10, Western Region and the United States. Dunning is one of only two coaches to have captured national titles on three different levels --high school, club and college. His overall won-loss record is 888-185 for a winning percentage of .828. He was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2011. He retired in 2017 after directing Stanford to three national championships and eight league titles during his 16 years at the university.
Seana Hogan
An ultra-cycling legend, Hogan has won the grueling transcontinental Race Across America six times and holds several world records. Her 1995 transcontinental speed record of nine days, four hours and two minutes has stood the test of time and has never been bettered. Hogan commuted by bicycle to San Jose State University, where she earned a BA in Mathematics, then attained a Masters at UC Berkeley that led to her career as an IBM software engineer. She began riding after hours with a group of co-workers and discovered her calling as a distance rider. She has won the Race Across America a record six times and also holds the San Francisco to Los Angeles record of 19 hours, 11 minutes. On the track, she owns the 12-hour, 24-hour, 100-mile and 200-mile records. In 2004, she was inducted into the Ultra Cycling Hall of Fame. In 2017, Hogan set the women's 50-and-over transcontinental mark of 12 days, 13 hours and 25 minutes.
Juli Inkster
Inkster, a San Jose State graduate who resides in Los Altos, is Santa Clara County’s most accomplished golfer in history, male or female. Raised in Santa Cruz, she dominated the amateur golf scene winning the California State Amateur title and three straight U. S. Women’s Amateur titles. At San Jose State, she holds the school-record with 17 tournament victories. As a professional golfer, she has 45 tournament victories including seven major championships. Her career professional earnings places her among the top 10 female golfers of all time. In 1984, she became the first woman to win two LPGA majors in her rookie season. In 1999, Inkster won the U. S. Open with a record score of 16-under-par 272 and become just the second woman to complete the women’s modern Grand Slam -- the LPGA Championship, US Open, Dinah Shore and du Maurier Classic. She won the US Open again in 2002 and earned induction into the LPGA Hall of Fame. Inkster is also is a member of San Jose State’s Hall of Fame and the World Golf Hall of Fame. Along with her 31 LPGA titles, she represented the USA nine times as a Solheim Cup competitor and captain and set an American record for most match victories in the event.
