Cheryl Whitaker (2022) - Hall of Fame - Murray State University Athletics

Cheryl Whitaker

Induction:
2022

Cheryl Whitaker – Administration (1995-08)
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Long time athletics administrative assistant, Cheryl Whitaker, was been announced as part of the 2022 class to the Murray State Hall of Fame.

Whitaker becomes the 12^th selection to a wing of the Hall of Fame called The Hall of Distinction. This area of the Murray State Hall of Fame highlights people who were not coaches or players, but were support staff, donors and friends of Racer Athletics.

“I was surprised to say the least and I am completely humbled to be selected,” said Whitaker who joins her husband, Bill, who was a long-time athletics faculty representative and was inducted in 2013. “For me it was the people at Murray State that were and continue to be special to me and my love of working in athletics. My time in the department allowed me to have a wonderful career. Yes, it was hard work, but it was very rewarding.”

While she worked with many of the sports teams and coaches with the Racers from 1985-08, her main duties were with the men’s basketball program. Whitaker was an amazing talent in organizing the program when it came to budget, travel and the general day to day calendar for the head coach.

Whitaker began working for Coach Steve Newton 1985 and eventually had a part of the winning program efforts for coaches Scott Edgar, Mark Gottfried, Tevester Anderson, Mick Cronin, Billy Kennedy and Steve Prohm, who is currently in his second run as MSU head coach and was an assistant on Kennedy’s staff.

Whitaker speaks fondly of her beginning with Coach Newton’s staff as they all learned together during a time when computers were changing the way work was done. For 23 years, she saw first hand how great coaches and a great university attracted great players.

“Being in athletics was great for me, because I loved it all,” Whitaker recalled. “It was wonderful to be a part of Murray State and that’s because of the people I worked with. It’s something that stays with me always.”

Whitaker worked in the MSU Athletics department for 23 years.
Whitaker becomes the 12^th to be inducted into the MSU Hall of Fame – Hall of Distinction category and the first since Dick & Jan Weaver were inducted in 2018.
Cheryl’s husband, Bill, was inducted in 2013.
The rest of the Hall of Distinction members include: Dr. Karl Hussung (2000), Frank Fazi (2012), Bill Whitaker (2013), Claire Benton (2016), Dr. Richard Blalock (2016), Phil Bryan and Chuck Shuffett (2016), Neal Bradley, Saundra Edwards and Dick & Jan Weaver (2018).