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Western Michigan University Athletics

Hall of Fame - G

*All inductee information current up to the year they were inducted. 

Ed Gabel
Coach and Athletic Trainer
Inducted 1987
Fremont, Ohio
  • A 1932 graduate of Eastern Michigan University, he had assignments as athletic director, trainer, head basketball coach and football assistant at Ross High in Fremont.
  • Came to Western Michigan in 1947 as athletic trainer and physical education department member after two years of naval service during World War II.
  • Began swimming program on a club basis in 1956 and then coached this team over first 15 varsity campaigns. Retired as associate professor in 1971.
  • Compiled a dual meet record of 105-49-2 and won Mid-American Conference championships in 1963 and 1964.
  • Produced 41 individual MAC champions from 1960 through 1970.

Russ Gabier
Cross Country, 1949-50
Track, 1949, 51
Inducted 1991
Cadillac, Michigan
  • Western’s first Central Collegiate and Mid-American Conference cross country champion (1950).
  • Won state mile and two-mile (1949) track titles and won 1949 and was second (1951) in MAC mile run.
  • Spent six years as a teacher, coach, athletic director and principal in Milford.
  • Served 28 years as a high-level administrator at WMU, retiring in 1986 as assistant vice president and president of the WMU Foundation.
  • Later served as secretary and executive director of Kalamazoo’s Irving S. Gilmore Foundation.

Wayne Gagne
Hockey, 1984-87
Inducted 2001
Toronto, Ontario
  • Runner-up for the 1987 Hobey Baker Award as the top collegiate hockey player in the nation
  • Twice named First Team All-American
  • 1986-87 MVP of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association
  • CCHA 30th Anniversary All-Decade 1980s First Team selection in 2000
  • Named to the All-CCHA tournament teams in 1986
  • WMU team captain in 1987
  • The Broncos’ all-time leading scoring defenseman, totaling 42 career goals, 199 assists and 241 points

Mark Garalczyk
Football, 1984-86
Inducted 2010
Roseville, Michigan
  • Tabbed MAC Defensive Player of the Year (1986)- first ever Defensive Lineman to win such award
  • All-MAC First Team selection as a junior in 1985
  • Senior Bowl all-star game participant
  • National Combine NFL participant
  • Set the school record for career tackles for loss (45), now ranking fourth all-time
  • Named WMU’s Most Valuable Player in 1986
  • Career 203 tackles ranks first among any down lineman in program history
  • Team captain (1986)
  • Member of All-Century team
  • Drafted in the sixth round of the 1987 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals

Fernando Garcia
Men's Tennis | 1998-2001
Inducted in 2023
Cali, Colombia
- Three-time First Team All-MAC selection
- 2001 MAC Player of the Year
- 1998 MAC Newcomer of the Year
- Helped WMU to MAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships in 1999 and 2001.
- Tied for program record for singles wins in a season (34).
- 2001 CoSIDA Academic All-District selection
- Three-time Academic All-MAC selection.


Mitchell J. “Mike” Gary
Coach and Administrator
Inducted 1978
Winona, Minnesota
  • Western Michigan athletic director and physical education department chair (1949-67) and associate athletic director (1945-49). Was athletic director when school began full-scale Mid- American Conference competition.
  • Compiled 59-34-5 record as football coach (1929-41). Produced undefeated teams in 1932 (6-0-1) and 1941 (8-0). Was line coach in 1928.
  • Football tackle at University of Minnesota (1925-27) and was All-Ben Ten and All-Western selection in 1927. Was a key blocker for legendary fullback Bronko Nagurski.
  • Served as an enlisted man with U.S. Marine Corps during World War I and as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
  • Named to National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Hall of Fame.


Harold Gensichen
Basketball, 1942-43, 47
Tennis, 1942-43
Inducted 1973
South Bend, Indiana
  • Recognized as perhaps the finest player to perform under legendary coach “Buck” Read during his 27 years at Western Michigan.
  • First Bronco basketball player to accumulate over 1,000 career points and set then state scoring mark of 1,066.
  • All-American in 1947 and twice played with College All-Stars for annual series against Harlem Globetrotters
  • Averaged 16.9 points per game for teams that had mark of 44-19.
  • Successful insurance executive in southern California.

Bob Gill
Tennis, 1963-65
Inducted 2001
Kalamazoo, Michigan
  • Three-time Mid-American Conference champion
  • Won the MAC’s 1964 No. 1 singles crown and a pair of No. 1 doubles titles (1963, 64)
  • Reached three consecutive No. 1 singles finals
  • Advanced to the round of 16 at the 1964 NCAA Championships with doubles teammate Mike Goodrich. That duo advanced further than any Bronco singles or doubles players in school history
  • Helped WMU place eighth at the 1964 NCAA Championship and claim three conference championships (1963-65) during his career
  • He went on to serve as head coach at Bowling Green for 20 seasons, posting a 232-201 career ledger
  • Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year in 1982
  • Led University High to 1966 state championship in first head coaching position
  • Bob is the son of WMU Hall of Famer John Gill

John Gill
Football, 1919-22
Baseball, 1920-23
Basketball, 1920-23
Track, 1923
Inducted 1973
Lansing, Michigan
  • His 13 undergraduate letters are the second highest figure in school history.
  • Football halfback, baseball infielder, basketball guard and set an 880-yard record in track that stood for 11 years.
  • Head football coach (1942-52) and never experienced a losing season. Credited with giving Western its Bronco nickname in 1939.
  • Served school as assistant coach, head coach and athletic administrator (1928-69), retiring in capacity of associate athletic director.
  • Inducted into Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame 1994.

Art Gillespie
Football, 1944-48
Inducted 1988
Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • Earned school record five football letters and scored 15 career touchdowns. Was on duty with U.S. Navy for two years.
  • Had 92-yard kickoff return and 79-yard run which are still among WMU’s top 10 all-time plays.
  • Coached football, basketball and track for seven years at Boyne City and South Haven High Schools.
  • Spent 30 years as coach at Alpena High in these sports and wrestling. His mat squads had 187-124 dual meet record. High school official for 37 years and helped develop current state football playoff system.
  • Member of Michigan High School Coaching Association. Michigan High School Football Coaching and Alpena Athletic Hall of Fame.


Mike Goodrich
Tennis, 1961-65
Inducted 2004
Kalamazoo, Michigan
  • Took ninth place at the NCAA Championships propelling WMU to its highest team finish
  • Undefeated in three years of MAC singles play
  • Member of three MAC championship teams (1963-65); elected co-captain 1965 squad
  • Three-time No. 2 MAC singles champion
  • Teamed with Hall of Famer Bob Gill to win double competition at the MAC No. 1 double championship in 1963 and 1964 and was runner-up in 1965

Dave Gottschalk
Baseball, 1951-53
Inducted 2000
West Bloomfield, Mich.
  • Two-time Second Team All-American and all-district first team honoree (1952-53).
  • Three-time All-Mid-American Conference First Team selection (1951-53) and the first WMU second baseman to earn all-league honors.
  • Member of two MAC championship teams.
  • Helped Broncos post a three-year league record of 21-1 and reach the 1953 College World Series.
  • Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies and spent three seasons in their system hitting .309 with 19 home runs and 99 RBI in 1956 and .315 the following season.
  • Served as head baseball coach at Birmingham Groves High School compiling a 97-88 record, including seven winning seasons and a Northwest Suburban League title.
  • Member of the first Michigan team to win a world championship at the 1991 Senior Softball World Series. Gold medalist in softball at the 1999 National Senior Olympics held at the Disney World Sports Complex in Orlando.

Otto Grein
Basketball, 1927-30
Inducted 1981
Reed City, Michigan
  • Captain of 1930 basketball team, the only undefeated (17-0) one in Western Michigan history.
  • Twice All-Michigan Collegiate Conference, member of three championship teams and league’s scholar-athlete award winner.
  • Taught and coached for eight years in South Haven and was a critic teach for Michigan State University at Mason High School.
  • Taught Lansing School system for 23 years after World War II service as a naval lieutenant.
  • Refereed high school football and basketball for over 20 years.

Paul Griffin
Basketball, 1973-76
Inducted 1989
Shelby, Michigan
  • Only Western Michigan men’s basketball player to score over 1,000 points and clear 1,000 rebounds, setting school-record with 1,008 boards.
  • Also ranks second for career field goal percentage (.567) and fourth for assists (258), the best figure for a frontline player.
  • Second-team All Mid-American Conference forward in 1975 and first-team in 1976 as the Broncos finished 25-3 and ranked No. 10 nationally.
  • Enjoyed seven-year National Basketball Association career, there with New Orleans (now Utah) Jazz and four with San Antonio Spurs.
  • Later was a marketing representative for Title, USA real estate insurance company.