Press Release

Oct. 20, 2011

Former AD Flanagan to be inducted in Missouri Sports Hall of Fame

MARYVILLE, Mo. — Former Northwest Missouri State Athletic Director Richard Flanagan's long and distinguished career in athletics has earned him a spot in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

Flanagan, a former coach and athletic director at Northwest Missouri State, is one of seven inductees into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame's Inaugural Satellite Enshrinement Class.

Flanagan is already a member of the Northwest Missouri State Hall of Fame which he started during his 22-year tenure at the university. He was inducted in 1996.

A life-long resident of Northwest Missouri, Flanagan attended Tarkio College from 1949-50 and lettered in football and basketball.

He transferred to Northwest Missouri State as a sophomore and lettered on the 1950 football team.

After a four-year stint in the Navy, Flanagan returned to Northwest in 1955 and lettered two more years in football.

Flanagan began his coaching career as an assistant at King City High School in 1958. He coached there during the period when former Missouri Tiger All-American running back Roger Wehrli was in school.

King City went undefeated and won the Grand River Conference in 1960 and won the state title in track in 1965.

After seven years in King City, Flanagan became the head football and head track coach at Savannah.

In six years, he led the Savages to two MEC championships in football and one in track.

Flanagan arrived at Northwest in 1971 as the athletic director, assistant football coach and assistant track coach.

Under his direction, Northwest won the MIAA Indoor Track Championship in 1982 and four MIAA Championships in football including the school’s first ever NCAA Playoff appearance in 1984.

His two most notable initiatives as athletic director were reinstating the "M" Club and starting the Northwest Hall of Fame.

Joining Flanagan in this year's Missouri Sports Hall Fame Class are Julius Hochman, Herb Webster, Harold "Doc" Childress, Vic Eaton, Nan Carter and Doug Minnis.

Mound City's football program is also being inducted. They are the only school to win three straight 8-man football titles.

The hall of fame ceremony will take place Nov. 30 at the Holiday Inn Riverfront in St. Joseph. Enshrinement ceremonies begin at 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now and available by calling 417.889.3100 or 800.498.5678.