Wichita State University - Notable Alumni

Notable Alumni

• Jim Bede - Founder Bede Aviation
• Sam Adkins - National Football League player for Seattle Seahawks, 1977–81; television personality for Seahawks broadcasts.
• Valerie L. Baldwin - Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller), 2004–06
• Chris Barnes - PBA professional bowler (2007-08 PBA Player of the Year) and official USBC spokesperson
• James Billings - operatic baritone, opera librettist, and opera director
• Casey Blake - Major League Baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers
• Nate Bowman -"The Snake" retired/deceased National Basketball AssociationPlayer
• Karla Burns - Drama Desk Award and Laurence Olivier Award winning Actress and operatic mezzo-soprano.
• Gary Burrell - Founder and CEO of Garmin
• Dan and Frank Carney - co-founders of Pizza Hut
• Antoine Carr - retired National Basketball Association player
• Joe Carter - retired Major League Baseball player
• John Cooper - Basketball head coach at Tennessee State University, former assistant coach at Auburn University, University of Oregon, and the University of South Carolina
• Joyce DiDonato - Opera Star
• Andy Dirks - Current MLB Player Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers
• Darren Dreifort - retired Major League Baseball player with the Los Angeles Dodgers
• Rebecca L. Ediger - retired US Secret Service
• John Fleming - Basketball Shooting Coach known as "The Free Throw Guru"
• Clara Guerrero - Colombian bowler
• Koyie Hill - Major League Baseball player for the Chicago Cubs
• Jessica Hughbanks - Castmember on Big Brother 8
• Warren Jabali – retired American Basketball Association player
• Randy Jackson (running back) - (AKA Coach Jackson) National Football League player, 1972–74. A survivor of the 1970 WSU football team plane crash. Coached at Robinson Middle School in Wichita, Kan.
• Kevin Kastning - modern classical composer and guitarist
• Omar Khalidi - eminent author, Muslim scholar and US State Department sponsored international relation builder.
• Shirley Knight - Oscar nominated actress
• Mike Lansing - retired Major League Baseball player
• Lance LeGault - Actor
• Cliff Levingston - retired National Basketball Association player
• Braden Looper - Major League Baseball player for the Milwaukee Brewers
• Scot McCloughan - General Manager of the San Francisco 49ers
• Xavier McDaniel - retired National Basketball Association player
• Pat Meares - retired Major League Baseball player
• Doug Mirabelli - Retired Major League Baseball player with the Boston Red Sox
• Bill Parcells - Former Head Coach in the National Football League, former Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the Miami Dolphins
• Femi Pedro - Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Nigeria
• Michael Pelfrey - Major League Baseball player for the New York Mets
• M. Lee Pelton - current president of Willamette University
• Samuel Ramey - Opera star
• Sean Rash - professional bowler
• Norris G. Guillot Jr. Community Activist and Motivational Speaker
• Nate Robertson - Major League Baseball player for the Florida Marlins
• Tom Sawyer (Kansas politician) - member of the Kansas House of Representatives, former House Majority Leader, 1998 Kansas Democratic Party nominee for Governor
• Garner E. Shriver - Eight term US Congressman from Kansas
• Dave Stallworth - retired National Basketball Association player
• Eric Wedge - Current Manager of Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners
• Paul Wight - professional wrestler known as "The Big Show" (freshman year only)
• Gene Wiley, former NBA player
• Earl G. Yarbrough - current president of Savannah State University