KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Three individuals with connections to Truman State University have been selected for induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame as members of its Class of 2026.
Former Truman head football coach Gregg Nesbitt, Bulldog football standout Pete Grathwohl and alumnus Dick Halterman will be recognized during the Hall of Fame's Enshrinement in Columbia on Sunday, Oct. 25. A noon reception will precede the induction ceremony at 1 p.m. at the Wyndham Executive Center-Columbia Mall.
Gregg Nesbitt
A former Truman student-athlete, assistant coach and head coach, Nesbitt led the Bulldog football program from 2010 through 2023. His 89 victories rank second in program history, while his 14 seasons are also the second-most by a Truman head coach.
Nesbitt guided the Bulldogs to an 89-59 overall record, including a 52-23 mark during Truman's first 11 seasons in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. His 2016 team finished 8-3 and earned a share of the GLVC championship, securing the program's first conference title since 1988.
Truman later won each of its three appearances in the America's Crossroads Bowl under Nesbitt. The Bulldogs defeated Ohio Dominican in 2019, Hillsdale in 2021 and Tiffin in 2022. The 2019 team finished 10-2 and became the first team in program history to record 10 victories in a season.
Nesbitt was named the GLVC Co-Coach of the Year following the 2022 season after leading Truman to a 9-2 record and its third bowl championship. During his tenure, he coached five All-America selections and more than 150 all-conference honorees.
A native of Hannibal, Missouri, Nesbitt lettered for the Bulldogs in 1978 and 1979. He led Truman in rushing with 260 yards during the 1979 season. Nesbitt earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Truman in 1980 and completed a master's degree in sports administration at the university in 1987.
Nesbitt began his head coaching career at Hannibal High School, where he also served as athletic director from 1984 to 1989. He returned to Truman as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 1990. The Bulldogs went 23-9 and earned two NCAA playoff appearances during his time on the staff.
He later became the head coach at Hickman High School in Columbia, leading the Kewpies to a 95-44 record, six Class 6 playoff appearances and the 2004 state championship. He was named the Associated Press Missouri Coach of the Year and the National Federation of State High School Associations Regional Coach of the Year following that championship season.
Nesbitt entered the Missouri Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2010, the same year he returned to Truman as the program's 22nd head coach.
Pete Grathwohl
Grathwohl will be inducted posthumously after establishing himself as one of the most productive defensive players in Truman football history.
A 1975 graduate of Hickman High School, Grathwohl helped the Kewpies win the 1974 Class 4 state championship as a tight end and defensive end. He continued his career at Truman, then Northeast Missouri State University, where head coach Ron Taylor moved him to the defensive side of the ball.
Grathwohl made an immediate impact, leading the Bulldogs with seven sacks and six fumble recoveries during his freshman season. He also ranked second on the team with 46 solo tackles and 39 assists, earning second-team All-Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association honors.
He received first-team All-MIAA recognition in each of his final three seasons. As a sophomore, Grathwohl helped Truman earn a share of the 1976 MIAA championship while recording seven sacks, two blocked punts and two fumble recoveries.
Grathwohl produced one of the finest individual performances of his career as a junior when he recorded four sacks against Central Missouri State. He finished that season with 37 solo tackles, 28 assists, seven sacks and two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.
Selected as a team captain before his senior season, Grathwohl moved from defensive end to linebacker to better meet the Bulldogs' needs. Although ligament damage caused him to miss the final month of the season, he was again selected to the All-MIAA First Team.
Grathwohl completed his Truman career with 111 solo tackles, 129 assists, 22 sacks, nine fumble recoveries and three interceptions. He was inducted into the Truman Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999.
Grathwohl died in 2023 at the age of 66.
Dick Halterman
Halterman graduated from Northeast Missouri State University in 1974 after enrolling at the university following his military service. He went on to build a 32-year women's basketball coaching career that included 656 victories and championships at the high school, junior college and NCAA Division I levels.
Halterman began his head coaching career at Wheeling High School, where he compiled a 110-11 record from 1974 to 1978. He led Wheeling to the 1975 Class 1 state championship, a third-place finish in 1977 and another state tournament appearance in 1978.
He then coached at Moberly Area Community College from 1978 to 1983, posting a 144-21 record. Moberly finished as the NJCAA national runner-up in 1981 before winning the national championship in 1982.
Halterman became the head coach at Oklahoma State in 1983 and led the Cowgirls for 19 seasons. He finished with a 350-244 record and guided the program to seven NCAA Tournament appearances, highlighted by a run to the Sweet 16 in 1991.
Oklahoma State won consecutive Big Eight Tournament championships in 1990 and 1991 and captured the conference's 1991 regular-season title. Halterman was named the Kodak District V Coach of the Year following the 1990-91 season.
He concluded his basketball coaching career with four seasons at Cameron University from 2002 to 2006. Halterman later served as an assistant coach for the University of Missouri-St. Louis men's golf program under his son, Troy, from 2015 to 2024.
Individual tickets for the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame ceremony are $150, and tables of 10 are available. For ticket or sponsorship information, contact the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame at 417-889-3100.
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