Idaho athletics announces inductees for 2026 Hall of Fame Class

From news services

MOSCOW — Idaho Athletics announced the Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026 Thursday, the 10th class of former student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and community members who have contributed immensely to University of Idaho Athletics.

“Vandal Athletics is really excited about this class of 2026 Hall of Fame inductees, as we would be with any class!” Idaho athletic director Terry Gawlik said. “One of my favorite things to do as an athletic director is call the inductees and let them know they will be joining many other Vandal greats in the Idaho Athletics Hall of Fame. Everyone is so appreciative, honored, and excited to get the call. Congratulations to this new class, as well as all of the previous classes! GO VANDALS!”

This year’s class features seven individuals and the 1980-81 Big Sky winning men’s basketball team that was led by the late Don Monson and conference MVP Brian Kellerman. Headlining the individual inductees is Keith Gilbertson, who led Idaho Football to a 28-9 record over three seasons, reaching the FCS Playoffs each year, including a birth in the semifinals. Gilbertson will be joined by three-time All-Big West soccer player Megan Cummings Knowles, legendary linebacker Jason Shelt, NCAA national champion, and two-time All-American high jumper Steve Brown, and golfer Kevin Burton.

The honorees will be inducted at the 2026 Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday, Sept.11. The ceremony will take place at the Best Western University Inn’s Silver and Gold rooms in Moscow, beginning with a no-host cocktail reception at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6:45 p.m., and the program to follow. Cost is $100 per person. Please contact Shelly Robson to RSVP at [email protected] or 208-651-7992. Hall of Fame Weekend extends to Saturday, as the class will also be honored during Vandal Football’s game against Lamar on September 12. 

1980-81 Men’s Basketball

Under third-year head coach Don Monson, the 1980-81 Vandals reached heights not experienced by the program in nearly two decades, going 25-4 on their way to an NCAA Tournament birth. Kellerman, Idaho’s all-time assists and steals leader, who also ranks second in made baskets and fourth in points scored during a career in Black and Gold, featured alongside Big Sky Tournament MVP Ken Owens, Phil Hopson, and Ron Maben, all of whom earned All-Big Sky second team honors. 

UI won 11 straight to open the season, with major road wins against Nebraska, Washington State, and Gonzaga, before going 12-2 in conference play to secure the regular season title and tournament hosting privileges by a game. After beating Idaho State and Montana in the Big Sky Tournament, the Vandals earned a seven seed for the NCAA Tournament, where they would lose to Pittsburgh by one in overtime. 

The season saw Idaho ranked for the first time in school history, taking a spot for three weeks in the UPI Coaches Poll, rising to as high as 16. 1980-81 also saw the Vandals draw north of 8,000 for three games inside the Kibbie Dome, including a record breaking 9,000 against Montana on February 21. 

Keith Gilbertson

The Snohomish, Wash., spent two separate stints in Moscow as Idaho’s offensive coordinator before taking the head coaching job in 1986. In his first season, Gilbertson led a squad that included nine all-conference selections to as high as 12th in the Division I-AA Poll, winning eight games, and defeating Boise State for the fifth straight season, before losing to the top team in the country, Nevada, in the first round of the playoffs. 

1987 saw the Vandals roll to their second conference title in three seasons, as College Football Hall of Famer John Friesz was named the Big Sky’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player and 14 other players earned all-conference honors. 

Friesz repeated as the Most Outstanding Offensive Player in 1988 and was a first-team All-American, while defensive end Marvin Washington and guard Mark Schlereth were both selected in that spring’s NFL Draft. Following a 26-20 road win against Boise State that completed Idaho’s 9-1 regular season, the Vandals were the top seed in the Division I-AA Playoffs, beating Montana and Northwestern State, before falling to Furman in the semifinals. 

Over three seasons, Gilbertson’s teams went a combined 28-9 overall, a .757 winning percentage that remains the best in school history, and 19-4 against Big Sky opponents, the best in conference history to this day. 

Megan Cummings Knowles

A standout Vandal on the pitch and in the classroom, Cummings is one of three players in the nearly 30-year history of Idaho women’s soccer to score multiple hat tricks in their career, with both coming during a stellar 1999 season where she netted 11, to go with four assists. The prolific attacker ranks second in school history in total points (66), assists (22), and third in both goals (22) and game-winning goals (6). 

The Spokane native earned multiple all-Big West academic honors for her work in the classroom and was named to the Verizon Academic All-District team in 2001. 

Jason Shelt

After taking over as Idaho’s starting middle linebacker in the first game of his college career, the Kennewick, Washington native would be a star in the Vandals’ defense over four of the next five seasons. Shelt was named the team’s Defensive MVP in 1993 and 1996, leading Idaho in tackles in 1993, 1995, and 1996. During his sophomore season in 1993, Shelt amassed 148 tackles, the second most in a season in school history, and was named second-team All-Big Sky while helping the Vandals to an impressive 11-3 record. 

Shelt is the program’s second-leading career tackler and finished his four-year Vandal career with seven interceptions and six fumble recoveries, the fifth most in UI history. 

Steve Brown

Steve Brown is one of three Vandal men to win an outdoor track national title, as he took the high jump crown in June of 1967 in front of nearly 20,000 in Provo, Utah. Named as one of the Big Sky’s 50 Greatest Male Athletes in 2012, the New York native jumped 7’ 1.5” to set the school record. He won two Big Sky titles in the event, setting the conference record at the 1966 meet.

Kevin Burton

A graduate of Boise High, Burton played four years in Black and Gold, before becoming a decorated career as a touring and teaching professional. The Tree City native is a multiple time winner of the Western PGA Club Professional Championship, Rocky Mountain Section PGA Championship, Snake River Championship, and Idaho Open. Burton spent the 1997 season on the PGA Tour, two seasons on the Nike Tour, and three years competing on the Australian PGA Tour. 

Burton served as head men’s golf coach at Boise State from 2005 to 2014, capturing multiple conference titles and helping to produce two of the most successful alumni in the program's history, Graham DeLaet and Troy Merritt.

Karl and Kristin Johnson

Karl and Kristin Johnson’s impact can be found across Vandal Athletics. Their names are emblazoned on the sidelines of the practice court at ICCU Arena, and the couple have been supporters of University projects for decades, donating to facility improvements, like the upgraded Vandal Fueling Center that reopened in 2025.