WEATHERFORD - A day of celebrating some of the greatest players from Southwestern Oklahoma State University’s rich and storied history will take place Saturday, Jan. 31 when five new members will be inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

The 2009 inductees include: W.E. Jackson, a baseball star for the Bulldogs in the mid 1950’s; Jerry Jobe, winning basketball and baseball coach for Southwestern in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, John Wichert, two-time NAIA football All-American in 1992 and 1993, Cory Smith, a three-time NAIA All-American golfer in the mid 1990’s, and Chuck Edwards, veteran broadcaster who was the “Voice of the Bulldogs” for more than 31 years.

The new class will be honored for their achievements on and off the playing fields at a luncheon beginning at 11:30 a.m. at the Memorial Student Center Ballroom. The festivities will be held in conjunction with the Bulldogs’ basketball game against East Central University later that day.

Jerry Jobe won over 500 games as a basketball coach in a highly successful career that spanned more than 26 years, first at Chickasha High School, then SWOSU before concluding at Oklahoma Christian University.

Jobe was hired at SWOSU in 1963 to take over the coaching duties in both basketball and baseball for the retiring Rankin Williams. Jobe’s baseball teams were some of the best in SWOSU history, in which the Bulldogs routinely finished at or near the top of the standings. His best team was the 1966 squad that finished the year as state champions after beating rival Phillips and Oklahoma Baptist to qualify for the NAIA Area Tournament.

On the basketball court, Jobe guided the Bulldogs to a 198-108 record in his 11 years, including winning 20 or more games four times. His 1968-69 team ended the year with a 23-8 record and advanced to the second round of the NAIA National Tournament. Jobe’s best team, perhaps, was his 1966-1967 squad that finished the year 23-5. Among the wins was a 63-62 victory over unbeaten and defending NAIA Champion Oklahoma Baptist in Shawnee. Archie McGill, who ended his career as the Bulldogs all-time scoring leader, converted a three-point play as time expired to send the Bulldogs into a wild celebration as the Buff fans stared out in stunned disbelief.

In addition to McGill, Jobe coached several of the greatest players ever to play for SWOSU, including 1,000-point scorer Lloyd Lacy and All-American Amos Thomas.

Jobe left SWOSU in 1975 and coached basketball at Oklahoma Christian for eight more seasons. He posted a 211-56 record at OCC where his .790 winning percentage ranks as the school’s best ever. His teams won 30 or more games three times, and his 1982 Eagle team advanced to the NAIA National Tournament.

Jobe would later join the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Athletic Association, where he served as associate executive secretary for the next 13 years before retiring in 1995.

SWOSU’s Athletic Hall-of-Fame induction is Jobe’s sixth of his career. He is already a member of the Chickasha Schools Hall of Fame Award, the Chickasha High School Athletic Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Christian University Athletic Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame

He and his wife, Laura Beth, live in Norman, where they enjoy visiting their cabin at Lake Texoma and spending time with their eight grandchildren.