Former IU basketball star Randy Wittman has been in Bloomington much more frequently of late since he played a key role in Bob Knight’s return in 2020, and he now serves as an advisor to his good friend and former Hoosier teammate Mike Woodson.
Wittman will be on campus in a few weeks to be honored by his alma mater for his “enormous contributions to IU,” along with former football star Joe Huff, and three others.
Here is the full release from IU Athletics:
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Five individuals will be honored for their enormous contributions to Indiana University during the presentation of the 60th annual Z.G. Clevenger Awards, the 15th Annual Leanne Grotke Awards, and the Bill Orwig Award in the Henke Hall of Champions Sept. 16-17.
Two individuals will be awarded the Zora Clevenger Award, which is presented to living I-Men who, as alumni, have made outstanding contributions to Indiana University through service to its athletics program.
Clevenger, a coach and athletic director, was characterized by his commitment to excellence, high ideals, and principles. He was devoted to his staff and worked untiringly to assist the coaches in developing their programs and establishing high ethical standards.
The award perpetuates the ideals Clevenger set forth in his many years of service as a student, athlete, coach, and athletics administrator. The honor is bestowed upon living I-Men who, as alumni, have made outstanding contributions through service to its athletics program. This is the highest honor given an I-Man by the Association.
This year’s Clevenger Award winners are:
Randy Wittman, BS, ’82, Men’s Basketball
A member of three Big Ten men’s basketball championship teams and the 1981 NCAA Championship squad, Randy Wittman (BS ’82) is one of the most accomplished players in the history of IU Men’s Basketball.
Wittman starred for Coach Bob Knight’s Hoosiers from 1979-83, and ranks 15th in program history with 1,549 points. He averaged 10.4 points/game as a sophomore and was a key piece to the Hoosiers’ NCAA Championship squad, capping the title run with 16 points in IU’s 63-50 win over North Carolina. As a senior in 1983, he earned Big Ten MVP and All-American honors while averaging a team-best 18.9 points and shooting 54.3 percent from the floor to lead IU to the Big Ten Championship.
Wittman’s successes at the collegiate level were followed by success in the pro ranks. After being selected with the 22nd pick in the first round of the 1983 NBA Draft, Wittman spent nine years in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks (1983-88), Sacramento Kings (1988-89) and Indiana Pacers (1989-92). He averaged 7.4 points/game during his career and averaged double figures three times, highlighted by his 12.9 points/game average with the Hawks in 1985-86.
As his playing career concluded, Wittman quickly moved into the NBA coaching ranks. After seven years as an NBA assistant, he got his first head coaching opportunity with Cleveland, leading the Cavaliers franchise from 1999-2001. He later had head coaching stints with both the Minnesota Timberwolves (2007-08) and Washington Wizards (2012-16). While with Washington, he twice guided the franchise to appearances in the Eastern Conference Playoffs semifinals.
Wittman has remained involved with the IU Men’s Basketball program in the nearly four decades since his graduation. A former teammate of current Hoosier head coach Mike Woodson, Wittman was instrumental in IU’s successful efforts to welcome Coach Bob Knight back to an IU Men’s Basketball game in 2020.
Joe Huff, BS ’89, MS ‘92
A native of Newburg, Ind., Huff developed from an undersized walk-on in 1983 to one of IU Football’s most dominant defensive presences during one of the program’s greatest runs of success.
An outside linebacker/defensive end, Huff starred for Coach Bill Mallory from 1985-88. He emerged as a force during the Hoosiers’ 1987 Peach Bowl season, recording five sacks and 11 tackles for loss on a team that beat both Ohio State and Michigan in the same season on their way to an 8-4 record. Huff elevated his game to a whole new level as a team captain during his senior season in 1988. In a campaign that culminated with a victory over South Carolina in the Liberty Bowl, Huff totaled 11 sacks and 19 tackles for loss while earning first-team All-Big Ten and third-team All-America honors. He was named Defensive MVP of the Liberty Bowl after lead IU to the 34-10 win over the Gamecocks.
Huff remains one of the most productive defensive players in program history to this day, ranking seventh in IU history with 17 career sacks and seventh in career tackles for loss with 35. His 11 sacks in 1989, meanwhile, ranks third on IU’s all-time single-season list.
Huff was inducted into the Indiana Football Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame in 2003.
The Leanne Grotke Award is presented to living I-Women who, as alumni, have made outstanding contributions to Indiana University through service to its athletics program.
Grotke played a pivotal role in establishing women’s intercollegiate athletics at Indiana University. In 1972, Title IX legislation was passed. Grotke was named the first full time Associate Athletic Director for Women’s Athletics in the Big Ten.
The Grotke Award perpetuates the same ideals as the Clevenger Award. The honor is bestowed upon living I-Women who, as alumni, have made outstanding contributions through service to its athletics program. This is the highest honor given an I-Woman by the Association.
This year’s Grotke Award winners are:
Linda Batdorf BS ‘72
Linda C. Batdorf (BS ’72) came to Indiana University from New Haven, Ind., following in the footsteps of her grandmother Leona Leach Shady, great aunt Viola Leach Kessens, and cousin Irene Tarmon, all of whom attended Indiana University during the 1920’s.
Batdorf lettered in both golf and basketball. As a member of the highly-success IU women’s basketball program, she played on the 1971-72 team that advanced to the Elite 8 of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) tournament.
Following graduation Linda embarked on a 32-year career as an educator and administrator in the Wake County Schools in North Carolina, where she served thousands of young men and women as a coach, mentor, and cheerleader. During her career, she served in multiple capacities ranging from the classroom, facility administration, and central office administrative director.
Linda’s career is exemplified by a dedication to diversity, community service, and leadership. She is a member of the Indiana University Central Carolina Alumni Club, and she’s a long-time supporter of the Food Bank of North Carolina and the American Red Cross. She’s also continued to be a staunch supporter of Indiana University and IU Athletics even though she’s removed from Bloomington area. She is a long-time season ticket holder who donates her tickets to the Bloomington Boys and Girls Club so others can experience the IU culture.
In 2021, Linda co-founded the Linda C. Batdorf and Teresa K. Batdorf Fancher Family Legacy Endowment in the Women’s Excellence Initiative. The income from this gift will be used for the leadership and community service experience for women’s varsity programs within the Indiana University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
Terri Fancher, BSN ‘77
Like her older sister, Linda, Teresa “Terri” K. Batdorf Fancher began her education at Indiana University following graduation from New Haven (Ind.) High School. Terri continued the legacy of not only her sister, but her maternal grandmother Leona, great aunt Viola, great cousin Irene, all of whom attended Indiana University.
Terri followed in her sister’s footsteps as IU student-athlete as well. Terri played for the women’s basketball program during the 1972-73 season, which culminated with a trip to the AIAW Final Four – the deepest run an IU Women’s Basketball team has ever made in a national postseason tournament. Terri was also a founding member of the Indiana University Marching Hundred RedSteppers. In that role, she helped spark a tradition of executing a beautiful kick-line during each football halftime performance.
Terri graduated from the Indiana University School of Nursing in 1977, and she was a practicing nurse for 43 years with a Board Certification in Critical Care Nursing.
In addition to those professional efforts, Terri has a long history of volunteering and community service. She served as President of the Indiana University “I” Association from 2018-21, an organization committed to bringing the men and women who battled for the cream and crimson together to serve and support IU Athletics. She is also a past president and leadership team member of the charitable Air Force Officer’s Spouses Club. She served as the President of the Tucson (Ariz.) Indiana University Alumni Club from 1995-99 and served several years on the Indiana University Marching Hundred Alumni Board.
In 2021, Terri co-founded the Linda C. Batdorf and Teresa K. Batdorf Fancher Family Legacy Endowment in the Women’s Excellence Initiative.
The Bill Orwig Award recognizes outstanding contributions made by a non-alumnus to the Indiana University athletics program. It is named for Bill Orwig, IU’s athletics director from 1961–75. It was first presented in 1975 and recipients include Bill Mallory, Bob Knight, Jerry Yeagley and James ‘Doc’ Counsilman.
The 41st individual to be awarded with the Orwig Award is:
Kurt Zorn
Currently the Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and a Professor in the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Bloomington, Zorn spent nearly 11 years as the Faculty Athletics Representative for Indiana University from 2011-2022. In that role, Zorn served on several Big Ten and NCAA committees, including the NCAA Committee on Academics and the NCAA D1 Council. He also served as President of 1A FAR, an organization comprised of the faculty athletic representatives from the ten FBS conferences, from September 2018 through May 2022.
Zorn joined the Indiana University faculty in 1980 and specializes in state and local public finance. Zorn’s expertise covers tax policy, transportation safety, economic development, and gaming. Zorn has conducted research, consulted, and taught in the general area of tax policy and fiscal decentralization in international settings including Egypt, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Russian Federation, China, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates.
Zorn is president of the City of Bloomington Economic Development Commission and a member of the Indiana Finance Authority. In the late 1990s, Zorn served as chair of the Citizens’ Commission on Taxes, created by Indiana Governor Frank O’Bannon to formulate recommendations for improving the state and local tax system in Indiana. He has also served as chairman of the Indiana State Board of Tax Commissioners, as well as consultant to the State of Indiana, Indiana Infrastructure Inc., U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Transportation, and the President’s Commission on Aviation Safety.
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