List of University of Akron people

Last updated July 19, 2025

The list of University of Akron people includes notable alumni and faculty of the University of Akron. Class year usually indicates year of graduation, unless an entry is denoted by an asterisk (*). In this case, the student did not graduate from the university, and the class year indicates the last known year a former student attended. In the case of alumni with multiple graduation years, the earliest graduation year is shown.

Alumni

Selected UA Alumni

Athletics

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Andy Alleman		NFL offensive guard (Miami Dolphins)
Chris Bassitt		Major League Baseball pitcher (Oakland Athletics)	^[1]
Mike Birkbeck		Major League Baseball pitcher (Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets)
Chase Blackburn		NFL linebacker (New York Giants)
Alexa Bliss		Wrestler
John Bluem	1984 MA	NCAA soccer coach (Fresno State and Ohio State) and MLS broadcaster (Columbus Crew)
E. J. Burt		AFL linebacker (Chicago Rush)
Kwan Cheatham		Basketball player for Ironi Nes Ziona of the Israel Basketball Premier League
Keith Dambrot	1982	College basketball coach
China Krys Darrington		First sponsored female Freestyle BMX rider
Eddie Elias		Professional Bowlers Association founder
Jessica Eye	attended	Mixed martial artist competing in the UFC's bantamweight division	^[2]
Charlie Frye		NFL quarterback (Seattle Seahawks)
Victor Green		NFL defensive back (New York Jets)
Domenik Hixon		NFL wide receiver (New York Giants)
Shawn Lemon		CFL and AFL player
Louis A. Mackey	2000	NFL linebacker (Dallas Cowboys)
Mark Malaska		Major League Baseball pitcher (Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Boston Red Sox)
Roy Mlakar	1972	NHL team president and CEO (Ottawa Senators)
Dominique Moceanu		Olympic gymnast
Fritz Nagy		BBA player (Indianapolis Jets)
Ara Parseghian		Head coach of Notre Dame	^[3]
Jarrod Pughsley		NFL offensive lineman
Jake Schifino		NFL wide receiver (Tennessee Titans)
Larry Shyatt	1975	Basketball coach
Dwight Smith		NFL strong safety (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Jason Taylor	1996	NFL defensive end (Miami Dolphins)
Demetrius Treadwell		Basketball player for Hapoel Gilboa Galil of the Israeli League Liga Leumit
Jim Tressel		College football head coach (Ohio State University)
Bill Turner		NBA player (San Francisco Warriors)
Siniša Ubiparipović		Major League Soccer player
DeAndre Yedlin		Soccer player for Premier League club Newcastle United and the United States national team

Politics and government

Name	Class year	Notability
John R. Adams	1983	District court judge
James E. Akins		Diplomat
Alice M. Batchelder		Circuit judge
Sam H. Bell	1952	District court judge
Ray C. Bliss	1935	Former chair of the Republican National Committee
Deborah L. Cook		Circuit judge
Vernon Cook		State Representative
Phil Davison		Minerva Councilman
Peter C. Economus	1970	District court judge
James S. Gwin	1979	District court judge
Kermit L. Hall		Legal history scholar
Michael Morell		Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Sandra Pianalto		Economist
Don Plusquellic		Mayor of Akron, Ohio
Thomas C. Sawyer		Mayor of Akron; Congressman
Betty Sutton		Congresswoman
Mary Taylor		Ohio State Auditor
Kim Zurz		Politician

Other

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Aaron Archer		Toy designer for Hasbro
Dan Auerbach		Guitarist and vocalist (The Black Keys)
George Brandes		Physicist and corporate leader
David S. Brown		Historian and professor at Elizabethtown College
Yvette Nicole Brown		Television and film actress from Drake and Josh and Community
Michael Buckley		NY Times bestselling author of The Sisters Grimm series
Patrick Carney		Drummer (The Black Keys)
Alan H. Coogan	1977	Geologist specializing in applied sedimentary geology
David Drabold	1983	Distinguished Professor of Physics at Ohio University
Mary E. Gladwin	1887	Red Cross nurse in three wars
Nick Kosir		"The Dancing Weatherman"; Fox Weather meteorologist
Katherine Kurt	1880	Homeopath
John E. Leland	1986	Director, University of Dayton Research Institute	^[4]
Paul T. Mikolashek	1969	U.S. Army lieutenant general	^[5]
Dan Moldea		Journalist
Charles J. Pilliod, Jr.		CEO of Goodyear
Nikola Resanovic		Composer
Mark Scatterday		Conductor
Robert P. Schumaker	2001	Creator of AZFinText, a news-aware high-frequency stock prediction system
Joshua I. Smith		Businessman
Irving C. Tomlinson	1880	Prominent Christian Scientist; secretary to Mary Baker Eddy	^[6]
Peter Wolf Toth		Sculptor	^[7]
George Wallace		Comedian
Daniel Asua Wubah		President of Millersville University

Faculty and staff

Athletic coaches

Name	Department	Notability	Reference
Alex Adams	Men's basketball	Head coach (1976)
Jim Aiken	Football	Head coach
George Babcock	Football	Head coach
Paul Baldacci	Football	Head coach
Russell Beichly	Men's basketball	Head coach
Paul Bixler	Men's basketball	Head coach
Red Blair	Men's basketball; football	Head coach
Dwight Bradley	Men's basketball; football	Head coach
J. D. Brookhart	Football	Head coach
Kenneth Cochrane	Football	Head coach
James W. Coleman	Men's basketball; football	Head coach
Frank Cook	Football	Head coach
Coleman Crawford	Men's basketball	Head coach (1990–1995)
Ken Cunningham	Men's basketball	Head coach
Keith Dambrot	Men's basketball	Head coach (2004–present)
Jim Dennison	Football	Head coach
Otis Douglas	Football	Head coach
Thomas Dowler	Men's basketball; football	Head coach
Walter East	Men's basketball	Head coach
Archie Eves	Football	Head coach
Gerry Faust	Football	Head coach
Forest Firestone	Football	Head coach
Frank Haggerty	Men's basketball; football	Head coach
John Heisman	Football	Head coach
Dan Hipsher	Men's basketball	Head coach
William Houghton	Football	Head coach
Bob Huggins	Men's basketball	Head coach
Pat Knight	Men's basketball	Assistant coach (2000–2001)	^[8]
Gordon K. Larson	Football	Head coach
Tony Laterza	Men's basketball	Head coach
Jack Lengyel	Football	Assistant coach (1959)
Joe McMullen	Football	Head coach
Lee Owens	Football	Head coach
Rev. Alfred W. Place	Football	Head coach
Bob Rupert	Men's basketball	Head coach
Fred Sefton	Men's basketball; football	Head coach
Wyatt Webb	Men's basketball	Head coach
Clarence Weed	Men's basketball; football	Head coach
Earl Williams	Men's basketball	First head coach
Harry Wilson	Football	Head coach

Faculty and administrators

Name	Department	Notability	Reference
Paul Alfred Biefeld	Physics and Astronomy (1906–1911)	Professor (former)
George Danhires		Professor (former)	^[9]
Meredith Gardner	German	Professor (former)
John C. Green	Political Science
Ralph P. Hummel	Public Administration and Urban Studies	Professor (former), author of The Bureaucratic Experience	^[10]
George Knepper	History
Parke Kolbe		University president (former)	^[11]
Luis M. Proenza		University president (former)
John F. Seiberling	Law	Politician
Jim Tressel		University vice president (former)

References

↑ Monroe, Mark (June 23, 2011). "Genoa grad Bassitt poised for pro debut". Toledo Blade. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
↑ "Jessica Eye UFC Bio" . Retrieved July 23, 2014.
↑ "Notre Dame Athletics | the Fighting Irish".
↑ "John E. Leland, Ph.D., P.E". University of Dayton Research Institute. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
↑ "Biography, Paul T. Mikolashek". Distinguished Army ROTC Alumni. Akron, OH: University of Akron. 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
↑ "Chapter Grand" The Scroll of Phi Delta Theta, Vol. 69, No. 2 (November 1944), pp. 159-160. Retrieved June 30, 2013
↑ "Peter Wolf Toth". Archived from the original on November 20, 2008.
↑ "Pat Knight starts tenure much like father" . Retrieved February 28, 2008.^{[ dead link ]}
↑ Becka, Megan; Clevel, Special to; .com (January 17, 2017). "University of Akron's Myers School of Art celebrates emeritus faculty members with exhibition". cleveland. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
↑ Goodsell, Charles (2012). "Remembering Ralph Hummel: A Special Colleague". Administration & Society. 44 (2): 147–148. doi:10.1177/0095399712448003. S2CID 143081049.
↑ "Parke R. Kolbe administration records". Drexel University Archives and Special Collections. November 16, 2005. Archived from the original on September 7, 2006. Retrieved April 15, 2008.

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[1] Monroe, Mark (June 23, 2011). "Genoa grad Bassitt poised for pro debut". Toledo Blade. Retrieved January 23, 2014.

[2] "Jessica Eye UFC Bio" . Retrieved July 23, 2014.

[3] "Notre Dame Athletics | the Fighting Irish".

[official-4] "John E. Leland, Ph.D., P.E". University of Dayton Research Institute. Retrieved May 11, 2010.

[ROTC-5] "Biography, Paul T. Mikolashek". Distinguished Army ROTC Alumni. Akron, OH: University of Akron. 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2023.

[6] "Chapter Grand" The Scroll of Phi Delta Theta, Vol. 69, No. 2 (November 1944), pp. 159-160. Retrieved June 30, 2013

[7] "Peter Wolf Toth". Archived from the original on November 20, 2008.

[8] "Pat Knight starts tenure much like father" . Retrieved February 28, 2008.^{[ dead link ]}

[9] Becka, Megan; Clevel, Special to; .com (January 17, 2017). "University of Akron's Myers School of Art celebrates emeritus faculty members with exhibition". cleveland. Retrieved February 12, 2020.

[10] Goodsell, Charles (2012). "Remembering Ralph Hummel: A Special Colleague". Administration & Society. 44 (2): 147–148. doi:10.1177/0095399712448003. S2CID 143081049.

[11] "Parke R. Kolbe administration records". Drexel University Archives and Special Collections. November 16, 2005. Archived from the original on September 7, 2006. Retrieved April 15, 2008.

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