Benedictine University Athletics

Mike Gormley has ties to previous Hall of Famers but was still surprised when his turn to join them came.

"When I received the call that I was selected for the 2018 Benedictine Hall of Fame I was really surprised," Gormley said. "In 1998 our 1965 Basketball Team was inducted and I had the honor to attend this ceremony. My previous teammates, Bill Geist (1997) and Larry Littwitz (1999) were inducted as individuals because of their outstanding basketball talents. Being selected as a member of this years Hall of Fame class along with Bill and Larry and Coach LaScala (1998) is the highest honor of my collegiate athletic career."

Gormley lettered all four years in basketball and still ranks as the sixth highest scorer in program history with 1,576 points. Gormley served as captain for the basketball team on two occasions and also captained the baseball team for a year. Gormley lettered in three seasons of baseball as well and was voted as the team MVP as a sophomore while earning all-conference in 1969. The 1968 team hit .331, among the best in single season program history.

The 1965-66 basketball team held most of the program records prior to the run to the national championship in 2016. The team, which still holds the record for fewest points per game in a season, was the first to play in an NCAA playoff, falling to Valparaiso in a game that was delayed by a blizzard which forced the team to stay at First Lutheran Church in Fargo, North Dakota. The team is one of three currently in the Hall of Fame while a fourth will be inducted on Friday. Gormley was part of the most successful run to that point in program history, winning 51 games over four years.

"One of my favorite sports memories at St. Procopius College was in my freshman year (1965) winning 15 games in a row, beating Lewis University for the first time in school history, and making the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history," Gormley said. "My four years at St. Procopius changed by life. I loved the small college environment. Class sizes were small and you personally knew every faculty member. It was very common to be seen eating breakfast or lunch with one of my teachers. My student teaching experience provided me the opportunity to enjoy 47 years in the educational profession. Basketball and baseball enabled me to develop my athletic talents and become the best student athlete that I was capable of becoming. I was definitely influenced by my excellent coaches: John Coe, Tony LaScala, Jerry Colgate, and Guy Murray. Their teams were always strong fundamentally and they were positive role models to their players."

Gormley was also the recipient of the St. Procopius Award in 1968. Gormley came back to coach at his alma mater in 1972, serving as head men's basketball coach and assistant baseball coach before moving into education, eventually retiring in 2015 after serving as a teacher and a principal.