'Cuse to Honor Six at 52nd Annual Letterwinner of Distinction Celebration
10/12/2016 4:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Football, Women's Rowing, Track and Field
On Campus Event Set for November 10 at Schine Student Center
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – An impressive lineup of five former Syracuse University student-athletes and a former team doctor will take center stage as 2016 LetterWinners of Distinction on Thursday, November 10 during the annual LetterWinner of Distinction Dinner at the Goldstein Auditorium in the Schine Student Center on the Syracuse University campus. The honorees include Adrian Autry '94 (basketball), Tracy (Rude) Brown '90 (rowing), Timothy Byrne '87 (football, posthumous), William Coffman '43 (track & field, posthumous), Murray Grossman '43 G'45 (team doctor, honorary), and Daryl Johnston '89 (football).
Tickets for the formal event are $100 per person and a table of 10 is $950. A reception begins at 6 pm followed by a dinner at 7 pm. To purchase tickets, click here or call the Orange Club Office at 315-443-1419. The reservation deadline is Tuesday, November 1, 2016.
Adrian Autry '94 (basketball)
A four-year starterd for the Orange basketball team, Adrian Autry was a BIG EAST All-Rookie Team selection as a freshman and a BIG EAST All-Conference First Team honoree as a senior. The Bronx, N.Y., native earned his degree in speech communication in 1994.
Autry still ranks fifth in career assists (631) and sixth in career steals (217) at Syracuse. He led the Orange in assists all four seasons and was the squad leader in steals twice. Syracuse won the BIG EAST Conference championship in 1990-91 and captured the league's tournament crown in 1991-92. The Orange earned NCAA Tournament invitations in 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1993-94. In Autry's senior season, Syracuse advanced to the "Sweet 16" but lost to Missouri in overtime, 98-88. Autry had a school NCAA record 31 points in the second half of that contest.
In addition to his success in Orange, Autry was a member of the Under-21 USA Basketball squad that earned the gold medal at the 1993 World Championship.
Autry had a successful professional basketball career, primarily in European leagues. He played for teams in countries including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Turkey and Venezuela. Autry also had stints in the United States Basketball League (USBL)./staff.aspx?staff=258
He embarked on a coaching career in January 2006 when he was hired as associate head coach at Bishop Ireton Catholic High School (Va.). He was named AAU basketball coach with Nova United in April 2006, leading the 14-Under team first and then the 15-Under squad. In September 2007 he became assistant basketball coach at Paul VI High School (Va.). He was named an assistant coach on the AAU Triple Threat squad, working with the 17-Under team, in 2008.
He moved into the collegiate ranks in 2008 when he was hired by then-head coach Seth Greenburg as director of basketball operations at Virginia Tech. He was later promoted to an assistant coach post. Autry returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in 2011. During his tenure with the Orange he has tutored eventual NBA draft picks Jerami Grant and Chris McCullough.
Tracy (Rude) Brown '90 (rowing)
A member of the US National Rowing Team from 1990 through 1992, including the 1992 US Olympic Rowing Team, Tracy Brown graduated from the S.I Newhouse School of Public Communications in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. Brown was inducted into the Syracuse University Orange Plus Hall of Fame and was the 1988 and 1989 Syracuse University Rowing Verhulst Sportswoman of the Year.
Brown served as the first woman president of the 57-year old Syracuse Alumni Rowing Association (SARA), filling that role from 2010 to 2012. She has also served as a leader for numerous professional organizations, including New England Women in Real Estate, Commercial Real Estate Women, the Society of Marketing Professional Services, and the Cambridge Boat Club.
A native of Barrington, R.I., Brown is currently the Director of Individual Giving at Lincoln School in Providence, where she resides. Previously, she worked as the Director of Development for Community Rowing, Inc. in Brighton, Mass. from 2012 to 2015, where she was responsible for the development of the overall fundraising plan for the Community Rowing.
Prior to her appointment with Community Rowing, Brown served as the Director of Marketing for the Copley Wolff Design Group, a landscape architecture and planning firm, for almost four years and prior to that she worked for the Boston District Council of the Urban Land Institute, where she served as director of public relations for Barletta Construction and Engineering for two years.
Timothy Byrne '87 (football, posthumous)
A former Syracuse University football walk-on, Timothy Byrne was known for his camaraderie and team-building skills. A wide receiver for head coach Dick MacPherson, Byrne played for the Orange from 1983 through 1986 before a family crisis forced him to the sidelines just prior to his senior year. The Oyster Bay, N.Y., native, Byrne had to leave the football program when he was thrust into the position of supporting his mother and nine siblings when his father passed away in 1986. He did continue his academic path, earning his degree in 1987.
Following his graduation, he began his career as a bond trader with Sandler O'Neil & Partners in New York City. Not satisfied, Byrne pursued and earned a Master's degree in business from St. John's. He was 36 years old when he was killed during the terrorist attack at the World Trade Center in 2001.
Known for his courage and spirit within the Orange football program, Byrne was the posthumous recipient of the 2012 Zunic Award, presented annually to a person who displays courage, self-sacrifice and spirit.
Byrne's family holds an annual summer golf outing to honor his life and pay tribute to his successes. The proceeds are donated to his alma mater – St. Dominic High School – for student-athletes in need of assistance.
William Coffman '43 (track & field, posthumous)
A member of the Syracuse University men's track team, William Coffman earned letters in 1941 and 1942. As a high school track student-athlete, Coffman was a member of the 1938 Lakewood High School mile relay team that won the Ohio State Championship. Coffman, who enrolled at Syracuse in 1940 after transferring from the University of Michigan, earned his undergraduate degree in economics in 1943 and immediately enrolled in the United States Navy, where he served the country for three years. Following his military service, Coffman worked for an outdoor advertising company in Sandusky, Ohio, before he passed away at age 27 in an industrial accident.
Coffman's brother, David Coffman, was a varsity baseball student-athlete and a basketball manager at Syracuse University, and was honored as a Letterwinner of Distinction in 2005. David graduated in 1938 and went on to form his own business, the Pepsi-Cola franchise of northeastern Massachusetts.
Murray Grossman '43 G'45 (team doctor, honorary)
An All-City basketball player at Nottingham High School, Murray Grossman walked onto the freshman basketball team. He realized that he was more likely to achieve greatness off the court and focused on his pre-med[Office1] studies. This focused paid off, and Grossman graduated with his undergraduate degree at the age of 20. Two years later following graduation, Murray Grossman earned his medical school degree in 1945. Following graduation, Grossman served for two years in the United States Navy before returning to Central New York to be trained in internal medicine and cardiology.
In addition to practicing medicine, Dr. Grossman taught at what is now known as the State University of New York Health Science Center, retiring as professor emeritus on January 1, 1992. Grossman also served as the Syracuse University team physician for Syracuse Athletics. After retirement, Grossman remained a large part of Syracuse Athletics, serving as a consultant to the Athletics Department medical staff.
Grossman has been an active community member, among other involvement he has been on the board of the United Way for Central New York, a cardiac consultant and lecturer for the Federal Aviation Authority, President of the Medical Staff at Crouse Irving Hospital, and President of the merged Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital. He remains a visible and active in the Syracuse University and SUNY Upstate community.
Daryl Johnston '89 (football)
All-American fullback Daryl Johnston was a three-year starter and a four-year letterwinner for the Orange football team from 1985-88. A 1987 and 1988 All-BIG EAST selection, Johnston rushed for 1,830 yards and caught 46 passes in his Orange career.
A 1989 graduate with a degree in economics, Johnston was a second-round National Football League draft pick by the Dallas Cowboys. During his 11-year career in Dallas, Johnston was part of three Super Bowl championship teams and earned Pro Bowl invitations in 1993 and 1994. He had 232 carries for 753 yards, averaging 3.2 yards per carry, caught 294 passes for more than 2,200 yards, and scored 22 touchdowns. Johnston played in 149 consecutive games from 1989 through 1997.
After an 11-year professional football career, Johnston retired from playing due to ongoing neck problems and transitioned to broadcasting where he has made a name for himself. He started his NFL broadcast career in 2000 as a game analyst for the NFL on CBS before joining the FOX NFL broadcast team in 2001. Johnston has worked among the industry's great names, including 1964 Syracuse graduate Dick Stockton and Kenny Albert.
A native of Youngstown, N.Y., Johnston has been a major contributor to many charities including the Special Olympics, Children's Cancer Fund, Cystic Fibrosis and Literacy Instruction for Texas (LIFT). He has also served as honorary chairman for MDA's "Aisles of Smiles" campaign, and for the American Cancer Society's Gunslingers' Ball. In 1999, Johnston's numerous community service activities led to his nomination for the prestigious Whizzer White Humanitarian Award.
Tickets for the formal event are $100 per person and a table of 10 is $950. A reception begins at 6 pm followed by a dinner at 7 pm. To purchase tickets, click here or call the Orange Club Office at 315-443-1419. The reservation deadline is Tuesday, November 1, 2016.
Adrian Autry '94 (basketball)
A four-year starterd for the Orange basketball team, Adrian Autry was a BIG EAST All-Rookie Team selection as a freshman and a BIG EAST All-Conference First Team honoree as a senior. The Bronx, N.Y., native earned his degree in speech communication in 1994.
Autry still ranks fifth in career assists (631) and sixth in career steals (217) at Syracuse. He led the Orange in assists all four seasons and was the squad leader in steals twice. Syracuse won the BIG EAST Conference championship in 1990-91 and captured the league's tournament crown in 1991-92. The Orange earned NCAA Tournament invitations in 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1993-94. In Autry's senior season, Syracuse advanced to the "Sweet 16" but lost to Missouri in overtime, 98-88. Autry had a school NCAA record 31 points in the second half of that contest.
In addition to his success in Orange, Autry was a member of the Under-21 USA Basketball squad that earned the gold medal at the 1993 World Championship.
Autry had a successful professional basketball career, primarily in European leagues. He played for teams in countries including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Turkey and Venezuela. Autry also had stints in the United States Basketball League (USBL)./staff.aspx?staff=258
He embarked on a coaching career in January 2006 when he was hired as associate head coach at Bishop Ireton Catholic High School (Va.). He was named AAU basketball coach with Nova United in April 2006, leading the 14-Under team first and then the 15-Under squad. In September 2007 he became assistant basketball coach at Paul VI High School (Va.). He was named an assistant coach on the AAU Triple Threat squad, working with the 17-Under team, in 2008.
He moved into the collegiate ranks in 2008 when he was hired by then-head coach Seth Greenburg as director of basketball operations at Virginia Tech. He was later promoted to an assistant coach post. Autry returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in 2011. During his tenure with the Orange he has tutored eventual NBA draft picks Jerami Grant and Chris McCullough.
Tracy (Rude) Brown '90 (rowing)
A member of the US National Rowing Team from 1990 through 1992, including the 1992 US Olympic Rowing Team, Tracy Brown graduated from the S.I Newhouse School of Public Communications in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. Brown was inducted into the Syracuse University Orange Plus Hall of Fame and was the 1988 and 1989 Syracuse University Rowing Verhulst Sportswoman of the Year.
Brown served as the first woman president of the 57-year old Syracuse Alumni Rowing Association (SARA), filling that role from 2010 to 2012. She has also served as a leader for numerous professional organizations, including New England Women in Real Estate, Commercial Real Estate Women, the Society of Marketing Professional Services, and the Cambridge Boat Club.
A native of Barrington, R.I., Brown is currently the Director of Individual Giving at Lincoln School in Providence, where she resides. Previously, she worked as the Director of Development for Community Rowing, Inc. in Brighton, Mass. from 2012 to 2015, where she was responsible for the development of the overall fundraising plan for the Community Rowing.
Prior to her appointment with Community Rowing, Brown served as the Director of Marketing for the Copley Wolff Design Group, a landscape architecture and planning firm, for almost four years and prior to that she worked for the Boston District Council of the Urban Land Institute, where she served as director of public relations for Barletta Construction and Engineering for two years.
Timothy Byrne '87 (football, posthumous)
A former Syracuse University football walk-on, Timothy Byrne was known for his camaraderie and team-building skills. A wide receiver for head coach Dick MacPherson, Byrne played for the Orange from 1983 through 1986 before a family crisis forced him to the sidelines just prior to his senior year. The Oyster Bay, N.Y., native, Byrne had to leave the football program when he was thrust into the position of supporting his mother and nine siblings when his father passed away in 1986. He did continue his academic path, earning his degree in 1987.
Following his graduation, he began his career as a bond trader with Sandler O'Neil & Partners in New York City. Not satisfied, Byrne pursued and earned a Master's degree in business from St. John's. He was 36 years old when he was killed during the terrorist attack at the World Trade Center in 2001.
Known for his courage and spirit within the Orange football program, Byrne was the posthumous recipient of the 2012 Zunic Award, presented annually to a person who displays courage, self-sacrifice and spirit.
Byrne's family holds an annual summer golf outing to honor his life and pay tribute to his successes. The proceeds are donated to his alma mater – St. Dominic High School – for student-athletes in need of assistance.
William Coffman '43 (track & field, posthumous)
A member of the Syracuse University men's track team, William Coffman earned letters in 1941 and 1942. As a high school track student-athlete, Coffman was a member of the 1938 Lakewood High School mile relay team that won the Ohio State Championship. Coffman, who enrolled at Syracuse in 1940 after transferring from the University of Michigan, earned his undergraduate degree in economics in 1943 and immediately enrolled in the United States Navy, where he served the country for three years. Following his military service, Coffman worked for an outdoor advertising company in Sandusky, Ohio, before he passed away at age 27 in an industrial accident.
Coffman's brother, David Coffman, was a varsity baseball student-athlete and a basketball manager at Syracuse University, and was honored as a Letterwinner of Distinction in 2005. David graduated in 1938 and went on to form his own business, the Pepsi-Cola franchise of northeastern Massachusetts.
Murray Grossman '43 G'45 (team doctor, honorary)
An All-City basketball player at Nottingham High School, Murray Grossman walked onto the freshman basketball team. He realized that he was more likely to achieve greatness off the court and focused on his pre-med[Office1] studies. This focused paid off, and Grossman graduated with his undergraduate degree at the age of 20. Two years later following graduation, Murray Grossman earned his medical school degree in 1945. Following graduation, Grossman served for two years in the United States Navy before returning to Central New York to be trained in internal medicine and cardiology.
In addition to practicing medicine, Dr. Grossman taught at what is now known as the State University of New York Health Science Center, retiring as professor emeritus on January 1, 1992. Grossman also served as the Syracuse University team physician for Syracuse Athletics. After retirement, Grossman remained a large part of Syracuse Athletics, serving as a consultant to the Athletics Department medical staff.
Grossman has been an active community member, among other involvement he has been on the board of the United Way for Central New York, a cardiac consultant and lecturer for the Federal Aviation Authority, President of the Medical Staff at Crouse Irving Hospital, and President of the merged Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital. He remains a visible and active in the Syracuse University and SUNY Upstate community.
Daryl Johnston '89 (football)
All-American fullback Daryl Johnston was a three-year starter and a four-year letterwinner for the Orange football team from 1985-88. A 1987 and 1988 All-BIG EAST selection, Johnston rushed for 1,830 yards and caught 46 passes in his Orange career.
A 1989 graduate with a degree in economics, Johnston was a second-round National Football League draft pick by the Dallas Cowboys. During his 11-year career in Dallas, Johnston was part of three Super Bowl championship teams and earned Pro Bowl invitations in 1993 and 1994. He had 232 carries for 753 yards, averaging 3.2 yards per carry, caught 294 passes for more than 2,200 yards, and scored 22 touchdowns. Johnston played in 149 consecutive games from 1989 through 1997.
After an 11-year professional football career, Johnston retired from playing due to ongoing neck problems and transitioned to broadcasting where he has made a name for himself. He started his NFL broadcast career in 2000 as a game analyst for the NFL on CBS before joining the FOX NFL broadcast team in 2001. Johnston has worked among the industry's great names, including 1964 Syracuse graduate Dick Stockton and Kenny Albert.
A native of Youngstown, N.Y., Johnston has been a major contributor to many charities including the Special Olympics, Children's Cancer Fund, Cystic Fibrosis and Literacy Instruction for Texas (LIFT). He has also served as honorary chairman for MDA's "Aisles of Smiles" campaign, and for the American Cancer Society's Gunslingers' Ball. In 1999, Johnston's numerous community service activities led to his nomination for the prestigious Whizzer White Humanitarian Award.
Players Mentioned
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