Dave Bingham Named to Kansas Sports Hall of Fame

Baseball | 7/1/2024 11:35:00 AM

July 1, 2024-One of the main architects of Emporia State baseball success will be among the 12 inductees into this year's class of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. Hornet baseball coach Dave Bingham will be recognized at the KSHOF Induction Ceremony at the Hotel Topeka City Center on October 13 in Topeka, Kan. He will be the 22nd Hornet inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame

Dave Bingham was a part of seven NAIA World Series teams for the Hornets as a player and coach. He led the Hornets to the World Series as a player in his junior and senior years before taking Emporia State to five World Series appearances as a coach. His Hornets won the 1978 NAIA National Championship and finished as the national runners-up in 1987.

Bingham's coaching career began as an assistant in 1970 following his playing days at ESU.  He left to play briefly for the Washington Senators before returning to Emporia in 1972.  Bingham was named head coach after the 1973 season.  Bingham compiled a record of 557-270-2 from 1974-87.  Included were eight CSIC championships, 11 District 10 titles, five Area III crowns and the 1978 NAIA National Championship.  He was selected as District 10 Coach of the Year 11 times, Area III Coach of the Year six times, and was named as NAIA National Coach of the Year three times in 1976, 1984, and 1986.  

Bingham received international acclaim, having served as an assistant coach for the United States baseball teams in 1979, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1987 and 1988.  He was an assistant for the 1984 Silver Medal team at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and the Gold Medal winning 1988 team at the 1988 Seoul Games.  He was head coach of the U.S. baseball team in 1984 when they captured the bronze medal at the World Baseball Championships.  

Bingham left ESU following the 1987 season to become the head coach at the University of Kansas. He posted a 249-225 record at KU from 1988 to 1995, including the first two NCAA tournaments in school history and the Jayhawks first NCAA College World Series appearance in 1993.

After leaving Kansas he started the Bingham Baseball Academy in 1995. He returned to the collegiate ranks in 2004 as an assistant coach at New Mexico before taking an assistant coaching spot at the University of Nebraska from 2005-11.

Bingham will join 11 other inductees into the KSHOF Class of 2024.  The other inductees are:
Erik Kynard – Olympic Gold Medalist High Jumper at Kansas State
Melvin Lister - National champion in the Long Jump at Leavenworth H.S., Butler County CC, and Arkansas
Mark Mangino - National Assistant Football Coach-of-the-Year at Oklahoma; and Head Coach for Orange Bowl Champion at Kansas
Ron Neugent - Swimming Gold Medalist in World University Games; and American Record-Holder at Kansas
Kelly Rankin - He's the only American to be the head starter for two Olympic Games
Scott Russell - NCAA champ and Olympic qualifier for Canada in the Javelin at Kansas
Kevin Saunders - Bronze Medalist and Record-Holder for U.S. in Paralympic Games
Will Shields - Native Kansan, 14-year NFL veteran with Kansas City Chiefs and member of College and NFL halls of fame
Sean Snyder - Consensus All-American punter and national special teams coach of the year at Kansas State
Mark Turgeon - All-State basketball player at Topeka Hayden H.S., four-time NCAA Tournament qualifier at Kansas, Missouri Valley (Wichita State) and Big Ten Champion (Maryland) Head Coach and conference Coach-of-the-Year.
Annette Wiles - Two-time NAIA Basketball All-American and NAIA Tournament MVP at Fort Hays State

The induction ceremony will be held on Sunday, October 13, 2024, at the Hotel Topeka City Center with a reception at 5:00 p.m. and induction ceremony at 6:00 p.m.. The 12 member class raises the total number of Kansas Sports Hall of Fame inductees to 340. The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame has operated for 63 years and is located at the Wichita Boathouse.

Tickets for the reception and induction ceremony are $100 and go on sale Monday, July 15 at www.kshof.org. For ticket packages and sponsorship opportunities, contact KSHOF Chairman Jim Dunning, Jr. at 316-641-0162.

The KSHOF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, (EIN is: 41-2060659), and donors are eligible for tax benefits for their donation. Money raised from the donations will go towards programming and serving the community by educating our youth and community about Kansas athletes.