The Oral Roberts Golden Eagles are the sixteen intercollegiate athletic teams that represent

Oral Roberts University Oral Roberts University (ORU) is a private evangelical university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Founded in 1963, the university is named after its founder, evangelist Oral Roberts. Sitting on a campus, ORU offers over 70 undergraduate degree programs ...

, located in

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

. The Golden Eagles compete at the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

(NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Summit League, which it officially joined on July 1, 2014.

History

The Titans began play as an independent team in

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...

. In

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...

, the Titans moved up to Division I. From

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

until

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

, the Titans were a member of the

Midwestern Collegiate Conference The Horizon League is an 11-school collegiate athletic conference in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, whose members are located in and near the Great Lakes region. The Horizon League founded in 1979 as the Midw ...

. In

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

, they became an NAIA school. In

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

, they returned to Division I. The team joined the

Mid-Continent Conference The Summit League, or The Summit, is an NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic conference with its membership mostly located in the Midwestern United States from Illinois on the East of the Mississippi River to the Dakotas and Nebraska on the W ...

(now The Summit League) effective

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...

. In 2012, the school joined the

Southland Conference The Southland Conference, abbreviated as SLC, is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States (specifically Texas and Louisiana). It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it pa ...

. In December 2013, ORU announced that it would return to the Summit League for all sports in 2014. As of 2009, ORU has had 22 players selected in the NBA draft, and 28 baseball

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

ns. Andretti Bain, who won a

silver medal A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...

for

The Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...

as part of its

4 x 400 metres relay 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...

team at the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...

, also attended ORU.

Sports sponsored

A member of the Summit League, Oral Roberts University sponsors teams in eight men's and eight women's

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

sanctioned sports:

Men's basketball

The men's basketball team reached the NCAA Elite Eight in the 1974 Tournament before losing to

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

90–93 in overtime, in what has been called "the most important basketball game ever played in Tulsa." Most recently, the men's basketball team went to the 2021 NCAA tournament as the #15 seed, advancing as a cinderella to the Sweet 16, losing to #3 seeded

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

, 70–72. In the 2006–07 season, on November 15, 2006, the unranked Oral Roberts basketball team stunned the #3 team in the nation, the University of Kansas, at the Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas, 78–71. The team went on to win the Mid-Con conference championship on March 6, 2007, defeating #2 seeded

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...

, overcoming an 11-point halftime deficit to win 71–67. In

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, the Golden Eagles captured their third consecutive Summit League title, receiving a 13 seed in the South Region of the NCAA tournament. The Golden Eagles lost to 4th-seeded

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, 63–82.

Overview of team achievement

* Overall Record of 907-641 (.586) * Six NCAA Tournament appearances * Eight NIT appearances * 17 total postseason tournament appearances * Six Summit League Regular Season Titles * Four Summit League Tournament Titles * Five Summit League Players of the Year * Two Summit League Defensive Player of the Year * Five Summit League Newcomers of the Year * Three Summit League Sixth Men of the Year * 2021 victories versus No. 2 Ohio State (72-75) and No. 7 Florida (78-81) * 2009 victories over Stanford, Missouri and No. 13 New Mexico * 2007 victory over Oklahoma State * 2006 victory at No. 3 Kansas * 1999 victory over Tulsa's Elite team * 21 First Team All-Summit League selections * Nine Second Team All-Summit League selections * 15 Summit League All-Newcomer selections * 14 Summit League All-Tournament selections * Four Mid-Con Championship game appearances * Three First Team All-Americans * Two Second Team All-Americans * Two Third Team All-Americans * 12 Honorable Mention All-Americans

Coaching staff

The Golden Eagles are currently coached by

Paul Mills Paul Kerry Mills (born April 4, 1972) is an American college basketball coach who is currently the head coach at Wichita State. Early life Mills, the son of a pastor in the Houston-area community of Aldine, Texas, grew up in a parsonage attached ...

, who took over the program prior to the 2017-18 season. Mills took over for Scott Sutton, who was the all-time winningest coach in ORU history with 328 wins (328-247) in 18 seasons. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Coaching Career Records Coach Tenure Yrs. Record Pct. *Bill White 1965–69 5 65–35 .650 *Ken Trickey 1969–74, 87–93 11 214–116 .648 *Jerry Hale 1974–77 3 61–21 .744 * Lake Kelly 1977–79 2 30–24 .556 *Ken Hayes 1979–83 4 50–43 .538 *Dick Acres 1982–85 3 47–34 .580 *Ted Owens 1985–87 2 21–35 .375 *Bill Self 1993–97 4 55–54 .505 *Barry Hinson 1997–99 2 36–23 .610 *Scott Sutton 1999–2017 18 328-247 .570 *Paul Mills 2017–pres

Baseball

The ORU baseball team has won the Mid-Con and Summit League tournament titles in 18 of the last 20 years, with the only exceptions being the 2013 and 2014 seasons in which ORU competed in the Southland Conference. In

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

, they advanced to the NCAA Super Regional. ORU continues to compete against regional rivals such as Arkansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Wichita State, as well as dominating the Summit League.

Notable players

Mike Moore Michael Moore is an American filmmaker and author. Michael Moore may also refer to: Academia * Michael G. Moore (fl. 1970s–2020s), professor of education * Michael S. Moore (academic) (fl. 1960s–2020s), American law professor * Michael Moore ...

was an ORU standout from 1979–81 and first-round draft pick. He played 14 seasons in the big leagues and was selected an American League All-Star in 1989. He played in consecutive World Series with Oakland (1989–90), winning a World Championship in 1989.

Todd Burns Todd Edward Burns (born July 6, 1963) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher from 1988 to 1993, most notably as a member of the Oakland Athletics team that won three ...

(1982–84) was Moore's teammate in Oakland and helped the A's win three straight American League pennants (1988–90) and 1989 World Series. Keith Lockhart (1985–86) played in the 1999 World Series as a member of the Atlanta Braves and helped that team win five consecutive National League Eastern Division titles. Tom Nieto (1981) played in the 1985 world Series with St. Louis Cardinals and won a World championship in 1987 as a member of the Minnesota Twins.

Doug Bernier Douglas Howell Bernier (born June 24, 1980) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He is an alumnus of Oral Roberts University. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies and Minnesota Twins. Career ...

Michael Hollimon Michael T. Hollimon (born June 14, 1982) is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) second baseman and shortstop. After a collegiate baseball career at the University of Texas and Oral Roberts University, Hollimon entered professional baseball with ...

and

Steve Holm Stephen Robert Holm (born October 21, 1979) is an American baseball coach and former catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the San Francisco Giants and Minnesota Twins between 2008 and 2011, and is currently the head baseball coa ...

all made their Major League debuts in 2008. Alex "Chi Chi" Gonzalez was drafted in the 1st round (23rd overall) in 2013 and made it to the Rangers lineup for his MLB debut May 30, 2015. Jose Trevino (6th round, 2014) and Matt Whatley (3rd round, 2017) were also drafted by the Texas Rangers.

Notable coaches

Former head coach Larry Cochell guided ORU from 1977–86, leading the school to seven NCAA Regional appearances and the 1978 College World Series. Former coach

Sunny Golloway Sunny Golloway (born in Springfield, Missouri) is the head baseball coach at NCAA Division II East Central University ( Ada, Okla.). His most recent stint as head baseball coach of a NCAA Division I institution was at Auburn. He was fired Septemb ...

was one of the winningest active skippers in the NCAA Division I, guiding the Golden Eagles to a 294–136 record and five NCAA Regional appearances in seven years at the helm. He was an assistant coach for Team USA in the summer of 2002. As first year head coach in 2004, Rob Walton guided ORU to the nation's best winning percentage (.820) while also setting a Summit League mark with a 50–11 overall record. The 2004 Golden Eagles were ranked in the Top 20 for 12 consecutive weeks, reaching a high of No. 13 in late May...Walton led ORU to its ninth consecutive Summit League Tournament title and the program's 18th NCAA Regional appearance in 2006. Walton also earned ABCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Golden Eagles to a regional championship and final Top 25 ranking in all three major, a program first. Walton also served as the head coach for USA Baseball's National Team during the summer of 2008. Since taking over for Walton in 2013,

Ryan Folmar Ryan Folmar (born November 8, 1974) in an American baseball coach and former catcher. He is the current head baseball coach of the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles. He played college baseball at Oklahoma State from 1994 to 1997 for head coaches Gary War ...

led ORU to a 132-93 record and three NCAA Tournament berths in his first five years. In 2017, the Golden Eagles were 43-16 (25-4 Summit League) and beat Oklahoma State in the second game of the Fayetteville Regional in the NCAA Tournament.

NCAA First-Team All-Americans Selections

*1977 Bob Volk *1978 Bill Springman *1981 Mike Moore *1981 Tom Nieto *1982 Keith Mucha *1984 Todd Burns *1991 Robert Collins *1999 Jeff Stallings *2004 Dennis Bigley *2008 Brian Van Kirk

Women's basketball

Having 4 conference championships under their belt in the 8 years since joining the Mid-Continent Conference (now

The Summit League ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

), the team has a solid reputation among fellow mid-major programs. Head coach Jerry Finkbeiner was hired in July 1996 and has delivered all four of the school's

NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship The NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 women's college basketball teams from the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic ...

appearances. * Overall record of 219–172 (.5607) * Five NCAA tournament appearances * One WNIT appearance * One Summit League regular season title * Five Summit League tournament titles * Two Preseason WNIT appearances * Five Summit League Players of the Year * Five Summit League Newcomers of the Year * Five Summit League Defensive Player of the year * 11 first team All-Summit League selections * Eight Second Team All-Summit League selections * 10 Summit League All-Newcomer Team selections * Six Summit League Tournament MVPs * Seven Summit League Championship game appearances * Two Honorable Mention All-American * One Freshman All-American

Women's soccer

The women's soccer team advanced to the NCAA Tournament in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

. * Overall record of 134–99–17 (.570) * One NCAA Tournament appearance * Two Summit League Regular Tournament titles * Three Summit League Players of the Year * 30 First Team All- Summit League selections * 20 Second Team All-Summit League selections * 22 Summit League All-Tournament selections * Two Summit League Tournament MVPs * Six Summit League Championship game appearances Memorable Players: Nicole Bucelluni, Tayah Schroter-Gillespie, Lindsay Ruisch, Michelle Hoogveld, Kellie Fenton

Men's soccer

* One NCAA Play-in appearance * One Summit League Tournament Title * Three Summit League players of the year * Three Summit League Newcomers of the Year * 25 First Team All-Summit League selections * 25 Second Team All-Summit League selections * 16 Summit League All-Tournament selections * One Summit League Tournament MVP

Women's golf

* 13 Summit League titles (consecutive) * NCAA's Longest Active Consecutive Conference Championships Streak * 10 NCAA Tournament appearances * One individual NCAA Championships qualifier * 10 Summit League Players of the Year * Nine Summit League Newcomers of the Year * 42 First Team All-Summit League selections * 16 Second Team All-Summit League selections

Men's golf

* Six NCAA Championship appearances ** Best finish: Second in 1981 to

BYU Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day S ...

* 13 conference championships **

Horizon League The Horizon League is an 11-school collegiate athletic conference in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, whose members are located in and near the Great Lakes region. The Horizon League founded in 1979 as the Midw ...

(6): 1980–83, 1984 (fall), 1985 ** Summit League (7): 1998–2001, 2003, 2009–10 * Six Summit League Players of the Year * Eight Summit League Newcomers of the Year * Three NCAA qualifiers * 17 First Team All-Summit League selections * 13 Second Team All-Summit League selections * PGA Tour winners: Dave Barr (two wins), Bill Glasson (seven wins) * Paul Friedlander, a Swazi golfer, played for the team and became a professional golfer

Men's and women's cross country

* Five Women's NCAA Regional appearances * Two Summit League Men's Runner of the Year * Four Summit League Women's runner of the Year * One Summit League Women's Newcomer of the Year * Ben Houltberg, 2000 Mid-Con Student-Athlete of the year * Faithy Kamangila, 2004 Cross Country All-American * Nine Men's First Team All-Summit League selections * Six Men's Second Team All-Summit League selections * 16 Women's First Team All-Summit League selections * Eight Women's Second Team All-Summit League selections

Men's indoor track & field

* One individual Nation Champion * Seven Sumit League Championships * 20 NCAA Qualifiers * Nine All-Americans * Eight Summit League Newcomers of the Year * Eight Summit League Athletes of the Year * 149 All Summit selections * Seven All-Summit Championship Event-Records

Men's outdoor track & field

* Two individual National Champions * Six All-Americans * One Summit League Championship * 40 NCAA qualifiers * One Summit League Athlete of the Year * Two Summit League Newcomer of the Year * 2006 4x800 Relay Team Ranked #1 in the World * Ranked #10 nationally in 2002 with a 3.03 GPA * 122 All-Summit League selections * Four Summit League Championship event-records

Women's indoor track & field

* Two Summit League Championships * 40 NCAA Qualifiers * Seven All-Americans * Ranked #1 nationally in 2001 & 2002 in team G.P.A. * 115 All-Summit League selections * 13 Summite League Championship event-records * Six Athletes of the Year * Three Newcomer of the Year

Women's tennis

* Seven NCAA appearances * Seven Summit League Regular Season titles * Eight Summit League Tournament + Championships * Five Summit League Players of the Year * Three Summit League Newcomers of the Year * 33 All-Summit League selections

Men's tennis

* Eight NCAA Tournament appearances * Seven Summit League Regular Season titles * Nine Summit League Tournament Championships * Five Summit League Players of the Year * Three Summit League Newcomer of the Year * 36 All-Summit League selections

Volleyball

* Overall record of 259–135 (.657) * Seven Summit League Player of the Year * Three Summit League Newcomers of the Year * Six Summit League Setters of the Year * Three Summit League Defensive Players of the Year * Seven Summit League Regular Season titles * Seven Summit League Tournament titles * Seven NCAA Tournament appearances * 1997 NCAA Tournament win over #10 Arizona * Seven Summit League Tournament MVPs * 26 First Team All-Summit League selections * 18 Second Team All-Summit League selections * 155–31 overall record in Summit League Regular Season play * Julianna Moser, 1999 and 2000 Summit League Female Student-Athlete of the Year

Mascot

ORU's athletic teams for both men and women are known as the Golden Eagles, a change which became effective on April 30, 1993. Originally, ORU's nicknames were the Titans for men and the Lady Titans for women. These monikers were adopted in 1965 by a vote of the student body, many of whom were from the East Coast or were either casual or serious New York Titans (now known as Jets) football fans.2011–12 ORU Women's Basketball FactBook, 10/18/2011
/ref> The nicknames endured until 1993, when a search for a new nickname was concluded with the selection of the Golden Eagles. ORU's new

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...

, "Eli" the Golden Eagle, hatched out of his papier-mache egg on November 17, 1993, before the start of an exhibition basketball game. With this unveiling, the Golden Eagle nickname became the official symbol of a new era in ORU athletics.

Venues

The Golden Eagles basketball teams play at the

Mabee Center Mabee Center is a 10,154-seat multi-purpose arena, located on the campus of Oral Roberts University, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States.Bill Haisten, "Still Fine at 40: Built in 1972, ORU’s Mabee Center remains an effective venue today." ''Tulsa W ...

. The baseball team plays at

J. L. Johnson Stadium J. L. Johnson Stadium is a baseball venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. It is home to the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles baseball team of the NCAA Division I The Summit League. Dedicated on June 17, 1977, the stadium was opened on March 6, 1 ...

. The volleyball team plays at Cooper Aerobics Center. The soccer teams play at the ORU Soccer Complex. The golf teams play at Indian Springs Country Club.

Mabee Center

The Mabee Center, an outstanding collegiate arena, has been home to the Golden Eagles 1972. Mabee Center was built as an elliptical cable-suspension structure with basketball in mind. The arena has 10,575 permanent theater seats – with no obstacles to clear viewing. The splendid viewing and playing areas have drawn nine different national tournaments since the building opened. The Golden Eagles themselves played in the first NCAA tournament held here in 1974. Four other NCAA regionals (1975, 1978, 1982 and 1985) have been based at the Mabee Center. The National Invitation Tournament picked ORU as host four times (1977, 1980, 1982 and 1983).

J. L. Johnson Stadium

J. L. Johnson Stadium has been the home of Golden Eagles baseball since 1978. It hosted its first game on March 6, 1978. In 2008, a facility was added which includes coaches offices, a state-of-the-art weight room and the Grand Slam Room in which boosters and fans can watch ORU games in a climate-controlled environment. The facility is located down the right-field line. Johnson Stadium has been host to three NCAA Regionals (1978,1980,1981), 14 conference tournaments, and many All-Americans. Many Major Leaguers have played at Johnson Stadium, including

Roger Clemens William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962), nicknamed "Rocket", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Boston Red Sox. Clemens was one of the most dominant pi ...

Joe Carter Joseph Chris Carter (born March 7, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, ...

, Kirk Gibson, Tony Gwynn, Keith Lockhart, Pete Incaviglia,

Kevin McReynolds Walter Kevin McReynolds (born October 16, 1959) is an American former baseball player who was an outfielder with a 12-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1983 to 1994. A two-time All-America from the University of Arkansas, he played ...

, and Robin Ventura.

H. A. Chapman Indoor Practice Facility

The H. A. Chapman Indoor Practice Facility opened in the Fall of 2009. The facility, located just west of J. L. Johnson Stadium, features indoor practices areas for both baseball and track & field programs. Built at a cost of $1.2 million, the facility was funded exclusively through private donations, including a generous lead gift from the H. A. and Mary K. Chapman Charitable Trust. The baseball portion of the facility features a regulation-sized infield, three pitching areas and three netted batting cages. The track & field area features a complete pole vault area, high jump pit and long jump & triple jump practice areas.

References

External links

* {{Oklahoma college sports