2025 NJCAA Hall of Fame inductees announced

Charlotte, NC – The NJCAA has announced the fifth annual NJCAA Hall of Fame class, to be recognized at the 2025 NJCAA Hall of Fame and Awards presented by Nufabrx, slated for Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. ET at the Hilton Charlotte University Place in Charlotte, NC.

Designed to tell the story of the NJCAA, the NJCAA Hall of Fame honors individuals who have paved the way for opportunities at the two-year level – athletically and professionally, and those who have been pioneers throughout the history of the Association. Inductees in the Hall of Fame include administrators, coaches, student-athletes, and meritorious contributors and influencers.

The Class of 2025 of the NJCAA Hall of Fame includes:

• Jim Craig – Goalie on the gold medal winning 1980 US Men’s Olympic Hockey Team whose unforgettable "Miracle on Ice" win is celebrated as one of the greatest moments in sports history. This was following a year at Massasoit Community College and winning a national championship at Boston University in 1978.
• Pete Mickeal – Two-time basketball national champion at Indian Hills Community College and drafted #58 overall in the 2000 NBA Draft to the Dallas Mavericks. Considered one of the greatest American players to play professional basketball in Europe.
• Nat Moore – Former NFL Man of the Year, All-Pro, and Pro Bowl wide receiver with the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, attended Miami-Dade Community College before transferring to play at the University of Florida.
• Dot Murphy - The first female football coach in NJCAA history when she was hired to coach wide receivers in 1984 at Hinds Community College in Mississippi.
• Michael Pantalione – All-time winningest men’s soccer coach in NJCAA history with 636 wins and seven national championships at Yavapai College in Arizona.

In addition to the NJCAA Hall of Fame class of 2025 recipients, the event will honor the Champion Award winner, the Difference Maker Award winner, and the Association's three annual individual student-athlete awards – the Betty Jo Graber Female Student-Athlete of the Year, the David Rowlands Male Student-Athlete of the Year, and the Lea Plarski Award, honoring an NJCAA student-athlete who exemplifies sportsmanship, leadership, community service, academic excellence, and athletic ability. The Champion Award honors a member or former member of the NJCAA community who exemplifies resilience, excellence, and passion. The Difference Maker Award honors a supporter of the NJCAA and the NJCAA Foundation in their endeavors. Recipients of these annual awards will be in attendance to be recognized and receive their awards.

Tickets for the event are $125 for attendees and registration is required to attend.  To register and to learn more regarding the NJCAA Foundation Awards event, visit: HERE.

To view a full list of inductees, visit: NJCAA Foundation Hall of Fame

Jim Craig - Massasoit Community College

Jim Craig is best known as the starting goalie for the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team, whose unforgettable "Miracle on Ice" win is celebrated as one of the greatest moments in sports history. Craig’s standout performance in goal was integral to the team's success, and one of the most iconic images of the Games is him wrapped in the American flag, searching the stands for his father to share the victory.

Before the Olympics, Jim was an All-American goalie at Boston University, where he led the team to an NCAA national championship. His exceptional skills on the ice earned him a place in the Boston

University Hall of Fame. Following the ‘Miracle’ win, Craig played professionally for three NHL teams, but his career was cut short by an injury while playing for the Minnesota North Stars. He is enshrined in multiple halls of fame, including the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, and the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame.

After his hockey career, Jim successfully transitioned into the business world. He became a highly sought-after motivational speaker, sales leader, and corporate consultant. His remarkable ability to inspire and lead was recognized when he was inducted into the Sales Halls of Fame for two different companies, and he helped grow a sales territory from $300,000 to $50 million. Jim also served as Vice President of a promotional marketing agency, increasing its annual sales by 80% and growing its client base by 30% in just two years.

For over three decades, Jim has provided strategic direction to some of the world’s most prestigious companies, including Kellogg’s, Bayer, Deloitte, Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, and Disney. As the president and owner of Gold Medal Strategies, Jim has earned recognition as one of the top five team-building speakers in the United States. His work extends beyond motivational speeches to immersive corporate training programs that help organizations think differently and reach their full potential.

Jim is also the co-author of Gold Medal Strategies: Business Lessons from America's Miracle Team and We Win! Lessons on Life, Business & Building Your Own Miracle Team. He serves on the board of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and has been a spokesman for the W.L. Gore Ultimate SAAAVE Campaign since 2007. In 2023, he received the Olympus Within Leadership Award for his ongoing impact on leaders across various fields.

Jim’s induction into the NJCAA Hall of Fame is a testament to his enduring legacy as an athlete, leader, and motivator. His commitment to excellence, both on the ice and in business, continues to inspire others to pursue their dreams and achieve success with integrity.

Pete Mickeal - Indian Hills Community College

Pete Mickeal is one of the winningest basketball players in NJCAA history. To date, he is the only NJCAA player to have won two national championships, a national player of the year award, and a national tournament MVP award, all of which came during his two years as a student-athlete at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa. During his time at IHCC, he and his teammates went 76-1, and he is the only player in Indian Hills history have his number retired.

Orginally from Rock Island, IL, Mickeal transferred from IHCC to the University of Cincinnati, where he competed alongside Kenyon Martin under Coach Bob Huggins. As the 1999-2000 Bearcats commanded the #1 national ranking for most of the season, Mickeal's play at small forward earned him recognition as an Honorable Mention All-American, and a member of the Conference USA first team. He would go on to be selected in the second round of the 2000 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks.

Almost all of Mickeal's years as a professional player were spent overseas in Europe, where he became one of the most successful American players in history. A 17 year professional career saw him play in eight different countries, win a 2002 ABA championship, and be named ABA league MVP and finals MVP. He won the 2010 Euro League Championship, and was a three time Spanish League champion.

Following his retirement, Mickeal began Mickeal Sports Group, a full service sports representation agency.

Nat Moore - Miami-Dade Community College (now Miami-Dade College)

A native of Tallahassee, Florida, Nat Moore's journey to the NJCAA Hall of Fame has taken him from growing up in Miami, Florida, where he attended Miami-Dade Community College. He received a scholarship to UT-Martin, and then went on to become a star running back at the University of Florida for Coach Doug Dickey in the early 1970's. During that time, Moore was named to the First Team All-SEC, and was then drafted by his hometown Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 1974 NFL Draft.

Moore's best days on the field were ahead of him. A switch to wide receiver earned him accolades throughout his career, his best coming in 1977 when he was named First Team All-Pro, elected to the Pro Bowl, and was the NFL's leader in touchdown receptions, with 12. In 1984, his famous "helicopter catch" on a third-down pass from rookie Dan Marino against the New York Jets, helped immortalize him as one the Dolphins' most beloved players. 1984 was especially noteworthy, as he was named the NFL 'Man of the Year' for his outstanding service to his community. Following his retirement in 1986, Moore has continued to be active in the Miami community in various ways. As a Vice President in the Miami Dolphins franchise, he oversees the Miami Dolphins Alumni Association and serves as the director of the NFL Super Bowl Football Clinic. Since its founding in 1998, the Nat Moore Foundation is active in the Miami-Dade area working with disadvantaged youths.

Mr. Moore has been recognized many times in recent years for his accomplishments inlcuding being named to the Miami Dolphins Honor Roll, the Dolphins Walk of Fame, the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame.

Dot Murphy - Hinds Community College

With more than 30 years of service to Hinds Community College, Dot Murphy is a legend. Murphy is the first female to coach football in NJCAA history, beginning as a wide receivers coach at Hinds in 1984.

While the Starkville, Mississippi, native is the daughter of a high school football coach, she grew up playing basketball, and went on to play at the Mississippi University for Women as a forward. She was a starter on the 1973 U.S. Women's World University Games team which earned a silver medal in that year's Summer Universiade in Moscow, Russia. Her roommate during that trip was another college basketball player who would late go into coaching herself, Pat Summitt. Following her playing days, Murphy immediately transitioned into coaching basketball in 1975, first as an assistant at UT-Martin, then as head coach at Itawamba Community College, and finally for five seasons at the Mississippi University for Women.

Murphy's husband, Gene, was named defensive coordinator at then Hinds Junior College in 1983, and Dot Murphy joined him on staff there a season later in August 1984 as wide receivers coach. Her hiring made her the first female college football coach in NJCAA history. In addition to her coaching responsibilities, she served as athletic trainer, and coached the kickers, punters, and long snapping position from 2003-2018, when she retired.

As a postion coach, two of her former players went on to play in the NFL, Hason Graham with the New England Patriots, and James Williams with the Seattle Seahawks. Numerous other receivers went on to play at the NCAA Division I level after playing at Hinds CC under Coach Murphy's tutilege.

Her contributions to college athletics have be featured on NFL Films, TNT's Football America, the Today Show, and in Sports Illustrated, which named her as 50th on their "20th Century's 50 Greatest Sports Figures from Mississippi" list.

Michael Pantalione - Yavapai College

Michael Pantalione was the first head men’s soccer coach of Yavapai College. Under his direction, Yavapai developed the most successful Junior College soccer program in the nation -- compiling a 636-63-30 record, 7 National Championships, 19 Final Fours, and a combined 71 Region, District and Conference Titles.  His initial recruiting class captured the 1990 NJCAA National Title.  In the history of men’s intercollegiate soccer he has the distinction of being the only coach at any level to average over 20 wins per season, and compiled the highest winning percentage all-time.  He is also the all-time leader in JUCO wins (636).

In 1995, he was selected as the recipient of the NSCAA/NISOA National Merit Honor whose reputation is recognized as praiseworthy, and is reflective of the highest standards of professional and ethical behavior. In 2006, he was the first active coach elected to the NJCAA Soccer Hall of Fame. In 2012, he received the NJCAA National Service Award given to those who have made significant contributions to junior college athletics. In 2015, he was awarded the NSCAA Letter of Commendation, presented for unusual achievement that clearly exceeds performance requirements, expectations, and contributions beneficial to the NSCAA and soccer in the United States. In 2016, he was the recipient of the prestigious NSCAA Bill Jeffrey Award recognizing long-term service and contribution to collegiate soccer. That same year, he was the first active coach in a men's sport elected to the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Hall of Fame.

Additionally, honors include seven NJCAA and five NSCAA National Coach of the Year Awards along with being named NSCAA West Region Coach of the Year 18 times.  In 2021, Yavapai College ensured the immeasurable impact and legacy created by the successful soccer program, named their new campus field – Michael Pantalione Field.  To acknowledge his achievement with emphasis on success and lifetime of devotion to the game, in 2022, he became the 73rd inductee into the United Soccer Coaches National Hall of Fame during the 82nd Annual Soccer Coaches Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.

A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, an alumnus of the University of Montana and a former goalkeeper, he was the National Chair for the NJCAA Soccer Rankings for 23 years in addition to serving on five other national soccer committees.