Wake Forest & North Carolina Sports Hall of Famer Ron Wellman Joins N.C. Sports Hall of Fame Board
9/18/2025 8:26:00 PM | General
RALEIGH, N.C. – Former Wake Forest athletic director Ron Wellman was among five new members elected to the board of directors of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame on Monday.
Wellman and two of the other new members — Chicago Bears veteran Donnell Woolford and former Murphy High head football coach David Gentry – are also members of the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame. Wellman and Gentry were inducted in 2024 while Woolford entered the Hall in '21.
Joining the three Hall of Famers on the Board are former N.C. A&T State quarterback Alan Hooker and long-time North Carolina sports journalist John Dell. The five new board members begin their terms on Jan. 1, 2026.
"We are delighted to welcome these five North Carolinians to our Board of Directors," President Rick Webb said. "This diverse group of athletes, administrators and media will bring a unique perspective to our mission of honoring the best of this state's rich sports history."
Wellman spent 28 years as the athletic director at Wake Forest, during which time the Deacons won five NCAA team championships, seven individual national titles and 22 Atlantic Coast Conference crowns. The 2008 Collegiate Athletic Director of the Year, Wellman served as chair of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship committee in 2013-14.
Woolford, who is from Fayetteville, North Carolina, was a first-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears in 1989. The cornerback played 10 seasons with the Bears, where he was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1993 and named All-Pro in 1994, and finished his career with the Carolina Panthers. He recently created the Donnell Woolford Dream Center to help children, military veterans and seniors grow together and help each other.
Gentry is the state's winningest high school football coach with a total of 426 victories, 366 of those coming at Murphy where he won nine state championships. He's a 1971 graduate of Elon, where he played football for Red Wilson, and is a member of the N.C. High School Athletic Coaches Association and North Carolina High School Athletic Association halls of fame.
Hooker, who lettered in four sports at Eastern Randolph High School, broke 15 school passing records during his career with the Aggies and was inducted into the A&T, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Eastern Randolph halls of fame. An educator for 25 years, he currently is senior vice president of the Haberman Educational Foundation and director of recruitment for Guilford County Schools in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Dell has been a sportswriter for the Winston-Salem Journal for nearly two decades. He covers Wake Forest football and basketball, Winston-Salem State University, local golf and stock car racing at Bowan Gray. The Averett College graduate previously worked in the sports departments at the Asheboro Courier-Tribune and the Eden Daily News.
The 30 members of the board of directors are led by President Rick Webb. Also on the board are immediate past president Dr. Jerry McGee, treasurer Ken Carrick, secretary Helen Ross, Martina Ballen, Dick Christy, James Dubose, Jeff Elliott, Donald Evans, Phil Ford, Skip Foreman, Bill Hayes, Dan Kenney, Steve Kirschner, Page Marsh, Kaila'Shea Menendez, Christy McKinney, Tim Peeler, Amy Perko, Bobby Purcell, Sandy Sands, Tommy Sevier, Wayne Smith, Gary Sobba, Debbie Southern, John Swofford, Johnny Tillett, Billy Trott, Steve Vacendak and George Williams.
McGee, Ross, Sands, Smith and Williams complete their terms on Dec. 31.
About the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
The North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1963. The NCSHOF's permanent exhibit has been located on the third floor of the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh since 1994. The exhibition, along with the entire museum, is closed for renovation. To learn more about the Hall, listen to podcasts, and watch some incredible videos, log onto ncshof.org.
About the North Carolina Museum of History
The North Carolina Museum of History, a Smithsonian Affiliate, fosters a passion for North Carolina history. This museum collects and preserves artifacts of state history and educates the public on the history of the state and the nation through exhibits and educational programs. Please refer to the museum's website to learn about the renovation. https://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/nc-museum-history-announces-start-exciting-transformation.
Wellman and two of the other new members — Chicago Bears veteran Donnell Woolford and former Murphy High head football coach David Gentry – are also members of the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame. Wellman and Gentry were inducted in 2024 while Woolford entered the Hall in '21.
Joining the three Hall of Famers on the Board are former N.C. A&T State quarterback Alan Hooker and long-time North Carolina sports journalist John Dell. The five new board members begin their terms on Jan. 1, 2026.
"We are delighted to welcome these five North Carolinians to our Board of Directors," President Rick Webb said. "This diverse group of athletes, administrators and media will bring a unique perspective to our mission of honoring the best of this state's rich sports history."
Wellman spent 28 years as the athletic director at Wake Forest, during which time the Deacons won five NCAA team championships, seven individual national titles and 22 Atlantic Coast Conference crowns. The 2008 Collegiate Athletic Director of the Year, Wellman served as chair of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship committee in 2013-14.
Woolford, who is from Fayetteville, North Carolina, was a first-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears in 1989. The cornerback played 10 seasons with the Bears, where he was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1993 and named All-Pro in 1994, and finished his career with the Carolina Panthers. He recently created the Donnell Woolford Dream Center to help children, military veterans and seniors grow together and help each other.
Gentry is the state's winningest high school football coach with a total of 426 victories, 366 of those coming at Murphy where he won nine state championships. He's a 1971 graduate of Elon, where he played football for Red Wilson, and is a member of the N.C. High School Athletic Coaches Association and North Carolina High School Athletic Association halls of fame.
Hooker, who lettered in four sports at Eastern Randolph High School, broke 15 school passing records during his career with the Aggies and was inducted into the A&T, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Eastern Randolph halls of fame. An educator for 25 years, he currently is senior vice president of the Haberman Educational Foundation and director of recruitment for Guilford County Schools in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Dell has been a sportswriter for the Winston-Salem Journal for nearly two decades. He covers Wake Forest football and basketball, Winston-Salem State University, local golf and stock car racing at Bowan Gray. The Averett College graduate previously worked in the sports departments at the Asheboro Courier-Tribune and the Eden Daily News.
The 30 members of the board of directors are led by President Rick Webb. Also on the board are immediate past president Dr. Jerry McGee, treasurer Ken Carrick, secretary Helen Ross, Martina Ballen, Dick Christy, James Dubose, Jeff Elliott, Donald Evans, Phil Ford, Skip Foreman, Bill Hayes, Dan Kenney, Steve Kirschner, Page Marsh, Kaila'Shea Menendez, Christy McKinney, Tim Peeler, Amy Perko, Bobby Purcell, Sandy Sands, Tommy Sevier, Wayne Smith, Gary Sobba, Debbie Southern, John Swofford, Johnny Tillett, Billy Trott, Steve Vacendak and George Williams.
McGee, Ross, Sands, Smith and Williams complete their terms on Dec. 31.
About the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
The North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1963. The NCSHOF's permanent exhibit has been located on the third floor of the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh since 1994. The exhibition, along with the entire museum, is closed for renovation. To learn more about the Hall, listen to podcasts, and watch some incredible videos, log onto ncshof.org.
About the North Carolina Museum of History
The North Carolina Museum of History, a Smithsonian Affiliate, fosters a passion for North Carolina history. This museum collects and preserves artifacts of state history and educates the public on the history of the state and the nation through exhibits and educational programs. Please refer to the museum's website to learn about the renovation. https://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/nc-museum-history-announces-start-exciting-transformation.
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