About Inductee

Antonio Tony McGinnis is one of many high school basketball stars who later enjoyed equally successful college careers after being coached by Jack Doss at Huntsvilles Butler High School. An All-State player at Butler in the late 1980s and early 90s, McGinnis became a four-year letterman and three-year starter at Texas A&M University, where he is still remembered for his defensive prowess, his rebounding and his scoring. The son of Leon and Ellen McGinnis, Tony was born at Huntsville Hospital on Oct. 8, 1972. Nicknamed T-Mack in high school, he lettered in both football and basketball as a sophomore before deciding to concentrate primarily on basketball, a sport that best suited his 6-foot-5, 190-pound frame. He was also a well-rounded student in addition to his athletic skills, receiving several academic awards. Tony was one of those kids who helped establish our program here, said Doss, who has won five state championships at. At Butler, McGinnis led his team in scoring three straight years, averaging 16.4 points as a sophomore, 17.3 as a junior and 20.6 as a senior. He was also the leading rebounder for the Rebels, who won two city championships and one area title in his last two years. As a senior, McGinnis played on a team that finished 30-4 and advanced to the Final Four of the state tournament. He was named first-team All-State and the citys MVP as a senior, and was also nominated for the McDonalds High School All-American team. Hotly recruited by such SEC schools as Alabama, Auburn, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State, McGinnis chose Texas A&M because its a great place to learn and play ball. At College Station, he started 18 games and averaged 8.3 points and 3.3 rebounds as a freshman. Against Nebraska, he poured in a career-high 28 points. As a sophomore, he averaged 9.3 points and 3.1 rebounds while starting all 27 games. One of his highlights that season was scoring the Aggies final seven points off offensive rebounds in a 57-54 upset victory over Florida. He started 29 games and averaged 10 points and 3.6 rebounds as a junior, and averaged 15.2 ppg as a senior. He also led the team in blocked shots as a junior and steals as a senior, and was named to the All-Southwest Conference Defensive Team as a senior. He finished his career as the No. 12 scorer in A&M history with 1,240 points. Now a community leader in his hometown, McGinnis is director of Social Services at the Harris Home for Children and also serves as head basketball coach at Oakwood University. A journalism major in college, he has written a book The Game Is Deep that documents the ups and downs of basketball and why so many struggle in life after leaving the sport. McGinnis and his wife Mitzi have five children.