INDIANAPOLIS (January 22, 2026) – The Horizon League announced on Thursday that the sixth edition of the Coach John McLendon Celebration will take place Sunday, February 8 through Saturday, February 14. The initiative, which highlights the major impact of Coach McLendon, will be held in conjunction with the men's basketball national linear television broadcast on February 12, with additional coverage on all of the League's ESPN+ broadcasts during that timeframe.
Why this matters: The Horizon League has honored former Cleveland State University head men's basketball coach John McLendon each of the past five seasons.
McLendon was hired by Cleveland State in 1966, becoming the first African American head coach at a predominately white institution. He led the Vikings for three seasons. In January 2021, McLendon was posthumously selected as the Theodore Roosevelt Award honoree, the highest distinction of NCAA awards. The award is named after former President Theodore Roosevelt, whose concern for the conduct of intercollegiate athletics led to the establishment of the NCAA in 1906.
Major Voices
Horizon League Interim Commissioner Chris Neuman
"We are honored to continue to celebrate Coach John McLendon's legacy with this annual celebration, which was launched by our student-athletes and coaches in 2021. Our 11 institutions have embraced the recognition of Coach McLendon's major impact as an incredible example of the unifying aspect of college sports."
Director of the McLendon Foundation Adrien Harraway
"The Horizon League's dedication to honoring Coach John McLendon's legacy through their annual celebration is truly remarkable. By amplifying his story and impact, they ensure that his groundbreaking contributions to basketball, leadership, and social progress continue to inspire generations. It's a testament to the League's commitment to celebrating those who paved the way for progress in sports and society."
Dig Deeper:
- McLendon is a two-time inductee into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor and later as a coach. He attended the University of Kansas where he learned under the legendary Dr. James Naismith. McLendon has been recognized due to his lifetime of work pioneering and innovating college basketball.
- Coach McLendon was responsible for the integration of college hoops, as he orchestrated "The Secret Game" formally known as the first racially integrated basketball competition in 1944.
- 2024 marked the 80th anniversary of the "Secret Game" and the League produced a video to commemorate the anniversary, Jake Query discussed the historical event on his radio show and Indianapolis Joe Hogsett issued a proclamation recognizing the event in conjunction with the 2024 Barbasol Horizon League Basketball Championships.
- Established in 1999 in honor of John McLendon, the McLendon Foundation advances his legacy through two core efforts. The Foundation's scholarship program supports students pursuing careers in sports, helping remove financial barriers to education. In 2020, his coaching successors created the McLendon Leadership Initiative, a national fellowship program designed to provide access and opportunity while developing principled leaders prepared to make an impact in the sports industry. Open to individuals with a bachelor's degree who aspire to build a career in sports, the initiative seeks participants who embody the values of Coach John McLendon and bring perspectives shaped by a wide range of personal, educational, and professional experiences.
- The Horizon League has been a proud participant of the MLI for the past four years.
- Prior to his time at Cleveland State, McLendon was named the head coach of Cleveland's professional basketball team, the Cleveland Pipers of the National Industrial Basketball League (NIBL) in 1959, making him the first African American head coach in the modern era of professional sports.
- There are many terrific video and text resources which tell the story of John McLendon. Below, you can find a selection of those resources:
- For complete coverage of the Coach John McLendon Celebration visit HorizonLeague.com, follow @HorizonLeague, the hashtags #OurHorizon, #CJMC and #OneHL on social media and tune into all the action on ESPN's platforms.
