Troy University Athletics
Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2025
Rick Stetson, one of the most storied members of the Troy track and field team, is being enshrined in the Troy Sports Hall of Fame after living a life that upheld everything Troy University values and believes in.
Stetson, who was a key member of Troy’s 1972 NAIA District Title and a captain in the United States Army and Ranger during the Vietnam War, put together a storied athletic career – one that includes multiple program records – and a post-collegiate life that impacted so many in the Troy and Wiregrass community.
“The best way to describe him is with leadership, loyalty and love of school,” Doc Anderson, who was the Troy track and field head coach from 1969-1980, said. “He was a heck of a student-athlete. He was captain of the team, Mr. Troy State and sports editor for the Tropolitan.”
The track and field teams that Stetson competed for embodied everything that he stood for, Anderson said. They followed his lead when it came to working hard and being the best version of themselves.
Stetson set the program’s two-mile record (9:09) in addition to records for the three-mile run and steeplechase.
“He was hard-charging. He was everything a student-athlete should be,” Anderson said. “He was an academic guy, and he was an athlete.”
Anderson recalled a story of how he would often introduce potential student-athletes to Stetson and have him take them for a run to see what they were made of. Stetson, who Anderson said was a mild-mannered person, was on a workout with someone who was complaining about the rigors of it and Stetson let him hear it.
“It was that leadership,” Anderson said. “The guy followed it up by setting a lot of records.”
After finishing up his career as a student-athlete, his impact on the track program and university remained. He became Troy’s first admissions counselor and eventually the director of alumni affairs, in addition to working with Troy’s cross country team. Stetson took over the track & field program following Anderson’s departure, coached Troy University Sports Hall of Fame member Steve Venable, and hired Troy University Sports Hall of Fame member Charles Oliver.
His impact as a person was so much greater than what he did at Troy or with the track team. Stetson was heavily involved in the local media industry, serving as the public address announcer and radio play-by-play broadcaster for Troy football and basketball. He was also a decorated veteran, as he risked his life leading a long-range reconnaissance patrol unit to find enemy troops. He was awarded the Bronze Star with a “V” designation for his valor in combat in Vietnam.
“He set all these records when he was here as an undergraduate, then he was a highly successful coach and, of course, he’s a retired captain in the Army,” Anderson said. “He should have been in a long time ago.”
Stetson handled everything in life the right way. From being a phenomenal student-athlete, a veteran, a successful coach and an amazing ambassador for Troy, he helped mentor and develop students into a life of success both on and away from the track. He always demonstrated loyalty and leadership to the people around him and his school, something that motivated and inspired those who aimed to follow in his steps.
Stetson lived his life just like he competed, always running the good race.
