UTEP announces 2023 Athletics Hall of Fame induction class
EL PASO, Texas - Christine Brandl (volleyball), Holly Cohen (soccer), Fred Reynolds (men’s basketball), Anthony Rotich (track and field), Bob Stull (Director of Athletics/head football coach) and the 1988 football team form the 20th induction class into the UTEP Athletics Hall of Fame.
This year’s class will be inducted on Friday, Sept. 1 in the Sun Bowl, and will be honored at the Miners’ football game versus UIW on Saturday, Sept. 2.
Brandl was a two-time first-team Verizon Academic All-America selection in 1990 and 1991.
She was a four-year starter and still holds school records for assists (4,210) and aces (148).
Her 1,137 digs rank seventh in the UTEP record book.
She led the Miners to three consecutive winning seasons, including back-to-back 20-victory campaigns in 1988 and 1989.
Born and raised in El Paso, Brandl has been a Board Certified Obstetrician Gynecologist in the Sun City since 2000.
She is also a professional bodybuilder.
An El Paso native, Cohen transferred to UTEP for the final two years of her collegiate soccer career after starting her career at Arizona State.
She was a dominant force in 34 games with the Miners, setting school records for points (51), goals (22) and game-winning goals (six) during the team’s historic 2002 season.
The Miners finished 16-3 while setting program records for points and goals.
Despite spending only two seasons in the orange and blue, Cohen ranks third in school history in goals (31) and multi-goal games (10), and fifth in points (71).
She was first team All-WAC and a first team All-American by CoSIDA as a senior.
Reynolds was the leading scorer on the 1983-84 UTEP squad that was ranked as high as fifth nationally, and ended the year rated no. 9 with a 27-4 record.
A member of the distinguished UTEP 1,000-point, 500-rebound club, he was a two-time All-WAC player, and garnered first team honors in 1984.
He was also a member of the WAC Tournament team in 1984, leading the Miners to the title in the first year of the event.
A member of Team USA at the 1983 Pan American Games, Reynolds was a teammate to Michael Jordan, Chris Mullin, Mark Price and Sam Perkins in helping the unit to an 8-0 record.
He was a second round pick by Washington in the NBA Draft before enjoying a lengthy pro career overseas.
Rotich was a four-time national champion at UTEP.
He concluded his collegiate career as an 11-time All-American and multiple C-USA Athlete of the Year award winner in cross country and track and field.
He captured three straight NCAA titles in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
He concluded his track and field career as the most decorated runner in conference history.
Rotich racked up 19 conference titles and won a total of 63 races as a Miner.
He set the school record in the steeplechase as a sophomore.
Rotich was inducted into the Conference USA Hall of Fame in 2022 as the first honoree ever from UTEP.
Stull was one of the most successful head coaches in UTEP history, leading the Miners to their only 10-win season in 1988 and 21 victories from 1986-88.
He later initiated widespread growth and achievement as UTEP’s Director of Athletics for nearly 20 years.
During the Stull era, UTEP athletic teams combined to capture a total of 29 conference titles in seven sports (men's and women's basketball, cross country, football, men's golf, women's golf, track and field).
The football team played in five bowl games, men’s basketball reached the NCAA Tournament on three occasions, and women’s basketball earned NCAA Tournament bids twice.
Stull also oversaw widespread improvement to UTEP’s athletic facilities, as construction was completed on the Larry K. Durham Sports Center, the Foster•Stevens Basketball Center and the Helen of Troy Softball Complex during his tenure as AD.
Under the direction of coach Stull, the 1988 Miners finished 10-3 to post the only 10-win season in program history.
UTEP finished 6-2 in Western Athletic Conference play (second place) and earned a bid to the Independence Bowl – the Miners’ first postseason appearance in 21 years.
UTEP was ranked as high as no. 22 nationally over the course of the season.
The Miners had five first team All-WAC players including All-American kicker Chris Jacke and All-American defensive end Tony Tolbert, both of whom enjoyed long careers in the NFL.
Further details for UTEP Hall of Fame Weekend will be announced soon.
