FRISCO, Texas (Wednesday, October 17, 2007) – Former Dallas Tornado goalkeeper Kenny Cooper Sr. and Southern Methodist University men’s soccer head coach Schellas Hyndman will be enshrined as the newest members of the Texans Credit Union Walk of Fame at Pizza Hut Park on Saturday, October 20. Cooper and Hyndman will be joined by representatives from Texans Credit Union, FC Dallas, and the Hunt Sports Group at the Walk of Fame on the north side of Pizza Hut Park, where the two men will officially be enshrined and have their monuments unveiled for the first time. The inductions will take place at 6 p.m. and the honorees will also be recognized at halftime of the FC Dallas versus Kansas City Wizards game that night, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
Cooper, the father of current FC Dallas forward Kenny Cooper, spent ten seasons as goalkeeper for the Dallas Tornado of the North American Soccer League from 1970 to 1979. Cooper had the league’s lowest goals against average in 1972 and 1977 and was named an NASL All-Star selection in 1972 and 1973. He recorded 52 shutouts in his career, more than any goalkeeper in the history of the NASL. After retiring as a player, Cooper spent 13 years as head coach of the Baltimore Blast in the Major Indoor Soccer League. After also adding the roles of president and general manager, he led the Blast to the league final five times and won the MISL in 1984. He was named the MISL Coach of the Year in 1984 and 1998.
Currently in his 24th season as head coach at SMU, Hyndman has produced a winning season each year since taking over the program in 1984. Hyndman has amassed a 360-89-35 record at SMU and a 458-119-49 overall record, including seven years at Eastern Illinois. His 458 career victories are the second-highest total in the nation among active coaches, and are the most in SMU history for any coach in any sport. Hyndman's teams have reached the NCAA Tournament 28 times in his 30 seasons as a head coach, reaching the semifinal round four times and the championship game once with Eastern Illinois in 1979.
In 2006, the inductees were former Dallas Tornado Head Coach Ron Newman and former U.S. National Team and MLS defender Jeff Agoos, who was a high school soccer star at J.J. Pearce High School in Richardson, Texas. They joined the inaugural class of 2005, which included Lamar Hunt, Gordon Jago, Bill Kinder, Carla Overbeck, Kyle Rote Jr. and Tatu, along with four great moments in Texas soccer history.
ABOUT THE TEXANS CREDIT UNION WALK OF FAME
The Texans Credit Union Walk of Fame is a stretch of soccer history at Pizza Hut Park that spans approximately 1,400 linear feet and includes commemorative markers with plaques recognizing members of the soccer community and key events that have been instrumental in helping build the sport of soccer in Texas. Situated just north of the Pizza Hut Park stadium, this unique landmark is not only a tribute to those who have dedicated much of their lives to the sport of soccer, but is also a point of historical interest for all fans visiting the facility. Formal nomination applications were accepted from the general public in June. Thereafter, the Nomination Committee and then the Selection Committee reviewed and voted on all the nominees and selected this year’s inductees.
ABOUT PIZZA HUT PARK
Opened on August 6, 2005, Pizza Hut Park is a 145-acre multipurpose sports and entertainment facility located at the intersection of Main Street and Dallas North Tollway in Frisco, Texas, and is the home stadium for FC Dallas of Major League Soccer. The stadium, which has a permanent stage on the north end situated off the playing surface, has a capacity of 20,500 fans for sporting events and can expand to accommodate over 27,000 fans for concerts by utilizing field seats. The complex also includes 17 tournament-grade fields used for youth and adult soccer, as well as high school sports and other events. The $105 million public-private complex is owned by the City of Frisco in partnership with the Hunt Sports Group (HSG), the Frisco Independent School District, and Collin County. In February 2006, it was recognized by the Dallas Business Journal as the winner of the Best Community Impact Award for 2005, given to a property that was judged to have created the most positive economic and social impact on a community. Over 1.5 million spectators and participants visited the complex in 2006 for FC Dallas games, concerts, soccer tournaments, and other special events through the year.
www.pizzahutpark.com