ABILENE, Texas – UTEP head men's basketball coach Joe Golding has been inducted into the Abilene Christian Athletics Hall of Fame, it was announced by the institution Tuesday.
 
Golding, who is poised to lead the Miners for their inaugural season as members of the Mountain West, was inducted on his first year of eligibility. It will mark his fifth year overall on the sidelines with the Orange and Blue. He has vaulted up the charts, entering the 2026-27 campaign with the fourth-most victories (81) in school history. He is two triumphs shy of taking over third place.
 
Golding joined UTEP after leading ACU to the NCAA Tournament in two of his final three seasons with the program and an upset win over third-seed Texas in the 2021 "Big Dance," which is by far the biggest win in the program's history. It capped a remarkable turnaround at ACU where he shepherded the Wildcats' transition from Division II to Division I.  He guided the Wildcats to a record of 158-144 in 10 seasons at the helm of the program (2011-2021), including a 71-23 mark over the final three years. ACU chalked up three consecutive 20-win seasons, finishing with a 27-7 mark in 2018-19, the most wins in program history. It went 20-11 overall and 15-5 in league play during the 2019-20 season before the postseason was canceled due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. It marked just the second time in program history that the team put together back-to-back 20-win seasons including the postseason; the first came during coach Golding's playing days. 
 
Golding directed ACU to a 24-5 overall record and a 13-2 Southland Conference mark during the 2020-21 campaign. The Wildcats claimed the Southland Conference tournament title, and the first NCAA Tournament win in program history when #14 seed ACU shocked the heavily favored Longhorns, 53-52, in the first round on March 20. Golding was named the NABC District 22 co-Coach of the Year, while Kolton Kohl was selected to the All-District 22 first team. Kohl was also named to the 2020-21 All-Southland Conference first team, while Joe Pleasant earned second team All-League honors and Coryon Mason garnered third team recognition. Damien Daniels, Reggie Miller and Mason were also tabbed to the league All-Defensive team.
 
Golding, who played point guard at ACU from 1994-98, took over as the head coach at his alma mater in 2011. In his first season, the Wildcats were 12-16 overall and 4-14 in the Lone Star Conference. ACU began competing at the Division I level during the 2013-14 season. Four years later, they reached the postseason (College Insider Tournament) and, the year after that, they were in the Big Dance.
 
Joining Golding (ACU '99) for this year's class to the ACU Hall of Fame are Mike Campbell ('91) from men's golf, Mike Morgan ('95) from baseball, Suzanne Dickenson ('99), Charles Christmas Jr. ('67) from track and field and Renata Marquez ('15) from women's basketball. Also being inducted is former director of athletics Stan Lambert ('75) as the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.
 

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