Butler County Sports Hall of Fame class of 2026 announced: Meet the 7 getting the call
BUTLER TWP — Seven individuals will be enshrined into the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame at the organization’s 59th banquet April 25 at Butler County Community College’s Founder’s Hall.
The dinner begins at 6:30 p.m.
Kelly Coffield, Brad Mueller, Jence Rhoads, Melinda Rhoads, Jeff Schnur, Mike Seybert and William “Bee” Thoma have accepted induction into the BCSHOF. That will make a total of 439 individual members of the Hall, which began with the induction of MLB umpire Ed Vargo in 1966.
Tickets for the dinner are $35 each and tables of eight are available. Tickets may be reserved at butlersportshall.com.
Here is a look at the 2026 inductees:
A 1994 Knoch graduate, Coffield was a four-year letterwinner in volleyball and three-year letterwinner in track and field. She was team MVP in both sports with the Knights.
A three-time all-section volleyball player in high school, Coffield went on to be a four-year starter and two-year captain in the sport at the University of Pittsburgh. She was a four-time Big East Academic All-Star and became the first female athlete to be named Pitt Senior of the Year in 1999.
A 2003 Mars graduate, Mueller excelled in football and track for the Planets. At the time of his graduation, he held school records of 2,126 yards rushing in a season, 3,460 in a career, 25 touchdowns in a season and 403 yards and seven touchdowns rushing in a game.
Mueller won multiple WPIAL championships as a sprinter and claimed a state title in the 100 meters. He went on to play defensive back at Boston College and won a Division II national title in the indoor 60 meters for Slippery Rock University.
A 2007 Slippery Rock graduate, Rhoads became the all-time leading scorer in Butler County girls basketball, tallying 2,170 points. She also scored 100 goals in soccer and was an all-state player in both sports.
Rhoads went on to a stellar basketball career at Vanderbilt University, where she tallied 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists. She’s played on the United States handball team as well.
The mother of Jence Rhoads, Melinda was the first four-year starter in Slippery Rock University women’s basketball history. She became a member of the United States handball team and competed in two world championships.
Melinda was named MVP of the U.S. handball team at three different national championship events and was Player of the Year in 1980. She’s coached for the national team, was an Olympic torch bearer in 1996 and has coached youth basketball in Slippery Rock for many years.
A 1972 Butler graduate, Schnur set the Golden Tornado record in the mile run. He went on to compete in track and cross country at Slippery Rock University, but made his mark in soccer after his collegiate years.
Schnur founded the Butler County Youth Soccer Association and was Butler High School’s first boys soccer coach, winning six section titles in 10 years. He became an assistant girls and boys soccer coach at Butler after being named the high school principal and has been coaching soccer for 50 years.
A 1980 Butler graduate, Seybert competed in track and field during his senior year only, which proved enough to earn a track and cross country scholarship to Duquesne University. He was a three-year captain and three-time all-conference cross country runner with the Dukes.
Seybert began his 42nd year as a track and field coach at Butler this spring. His teams have won 23 WPIAL titles, boys and girls combined, produced nine individual state champions and 80 WPIAL champions. Indoor and outdoor track combined, Seybert has helped produce 256 state medalists. He’s run 10 marathons, as well.
A 1972 Butler graduate, Thoma made his mark in gymnastics. He was a WPIAL champion in floor exercise and helped the Golden Tornado win a state team title. He competed in gymnastics at Georgia Southern and was a team captain there.
Thoma competed for the Athletes in Action gymnastics team for a few years before opening the New Hope Gymnastics Club in California in 1984. Still running that organization after 42 years, Thoma works with over 1,000 gymnasts a year, many at the national elite level.
