BOONEVILLE, Miss. - Northeast Mississippi Community College has lost two members of its prestigious sports hall of fame during the summer months of 2021.
Millard Lothenore, who was enshrined in 2018, died on May 17 at the age 82 and 2011 inductee Vincent Del Negro passed away on July 7 at the age 85.
"I was saddened upon hearing of the passing of coach Millard Lothenore," said Northeast president Dr. Ricky Ford. "He was a trusted friend and colleague for many years. He established a legacy during his lifetime that was student and most of all Christ centered. We will certainly miss him going forward."
"We in the Northeast family are saddened to receive the news of the passing of Vincent Del Negro," Northeast athletic director Kent Farris said. "We have an illustrious history in basketball and Vincent was such a huge part."
Lothenore is the only person in the tradition-rich history of Northeast's athletic department to be the head coach over four different sports programs. He held that title with the men's tennis, softball, women's basketball and women's tennis teams.
He is also the only individual in school history to serve as headman of the same program twice. Lothenore took control of the women's basketball team for a second time in 1979 after his original three-year stint ended in 1976.
Lothenore was tasked with restarting women's basketball in 1973 following a 17-year absence of the sport at Northeast. Nine years later in 1982 he started the softball program from scratch as well.
The groundwork that Lothenore laid set a foundation for success that has resulted in a combined 42 championships at the national, regional, conference and divisional levels between the two sports.
Lothenore guided the softball team, which played by slow-pitch rules at that time, to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 23 title during just its second season of existence in 1983.
The Tigers advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament in Cullman, Ala., by virtue of their first-ever regional crown. Northeast concluded that stellar campaign with a 24-7 overall record.
Northeast extended its good fortune under the watch of Lothenore by capturing back-to-back Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) North Division championships from 1984-85. The Tigers went 36-15 during those two seasons.
Lothenore continued his winning ways after transitioning to the tennis courts. His men's squads from 1995-96 compiled an overall mark of 21-6 while the duo of Chris Austin and Brandon Hankins secured a state title in number two doubles.
Jodi Dansereau and Kathi Merwin starred for the Lady Tigers during Lothenore's tenure. They had an impressive two-year record of 23-3 to go with a pair of state and regional championships.
Del Negro was an integral part of Northeast's early rise to prominence in men's basketball. He remains the only Tiger to ever lead the entire country in scoring for two consecutive seasons.
The Springfield, Mass., native averaged 32.6 points as a freshman for legendary head coach Bonner Arnold during the 1958-59 campaign. He topped that one year later with a sensational 33.4 points per game.
Del Negro is still the only two-time NJCAA All-American in program history some 61 years after his final contest at Northeast. He earned a scholarship and finished his collegiate career for coach Adolph Rupp at the University of Kentucky.
The 6-6, 190-pound center is also one of just three Tigers all-time to compete in the NJCAA All-Star Game along with teammate Bobby McCarley and Shaq Buchanan, who currently plays for the Memphis Hustle of the National Basketball Association (NBA) G League.
Del Negro had multiple 40-plus point performances at Northeast, including 46 points versus Mississippi Delta Community College, 45 points against Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) University and a 41-point effort at Holmes Community College.
He helped the Tigers win the Northeast Holiday Tournament as a freshman. Del Negro, whose son Vinny was head coach of the NBA's Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers from 2008-13, poured in a game-best 35 points in the title tilt versus archrival Northwest Mississippi Community College.
Perhaps the most notable victory for the Tigers during Del Negro's time in the Magnolia State was a thrilling 62-61 decision over nationally ranked Vincennes (Ind.) University on January 4, 1960.
Del Negro had a game-high 23 points against the Trailblazers, but his defense down the home stretch was crucial. He grabbed a rebound with Northeast down by one point with two seconds remaining in the contest to setup the winning shot moments later by McCarley.
Class of 2016 member John O. Cunningham, who was a longtime member of Northeast's Board of Trustees and a staunch supporter of the athletic department, also died in February of this year.