Warren and Bayless Inducted into Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame | WJHL

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) – Twelve deserving individuals were inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in the Class of 2024 on Saturday night – two of whom have made a huge impact in Northeast Tennessee.

Fred Warren, the head coach of the ETSU men’s golf team, and Charlie Bayless, the legendary coach of the Happy Valley boys basketball team, accepted their awards at the Omni Nashville Downtown.

“It’s such a huge meaning to me because I have a number of grandparents who were born in Franklin County,” Warren said before the induction. “They grew up in this area — my dad’s parents. So I’m grateful for an award that includes the state of Tennessee — it’s really an honor.”

Warren served as Blue and Gold head coach for 33 seasons, during which the Bucs won 17 conference championships and 56 tournament appearances overall. He was named Coach of Year 12 times during his tenure with the Bucs and helped the program achieve a national No. 1 ranking in 1996.

Bayless dominated the sidelines at Happy Valley for 59 years, leading the basketball program to an extraordinary 964 victories. The Warriors made nine state tournament appearances and won the 1974 small-class state championship with a 28-9 record.