CLEVELAND, Ga. (February 4, 2025) – Buffie Burson, graduate of the Truett McConnell Junior College Class of 1987, is a member the TMU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2025 and will be formally inducted on Friday, February 21, during the Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony.
 
In her time at Truett McConnell, Burson was a member of the TMC women's basketball team from 1985-1987. After graduating with her associates degree from TMC, Burson went on to continue her career at the University of Montevallo, where she was a two-year letter winner. After graduation from UM, Burson joined the Falcons coaching staff as a women's basketball graduate assistant, while earning her master's degree. Burson continued to climb the coaching ladder, taking a position as the assistant women's basketball coach at Shorter University before being appointed as the head women's basketball coach at the University of North Georgia in 1994.
 
In her time at UNG, Burson has posted 26 winning seasons, including her last 12 consecutive seasons. Burson has guided the women's team to 15 national tournament appearances, including seven at the NCAA level and eight at the NAIA level. From 2017 to 2023, Burson has made six consecutive NCAA tournament appearances with the furthest run being in 2022, when the program made its first ever trip to the Final Four. In the 1996-97 season, Burson led the then North Georgia College Lady Saints to their first GAC conference championship under her leadership, where they were crowned both Regular season and Tournament Champions. Burson and the now Nighthawks have gone on to win 12 conference championships (1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022).
 
For over 28 years, Burson's team has placed a player on the All-Conference team every season, including six players being named Conference Player of the Year, in addition she has also recruited and coached 10 Conference Freshman of the Years. Burson has also been recognized on the national level as she has helped produce 13 All-Americans and several All-Region Players. She has also coached two NCAA National Players of the Year (Jaymee Carnes Acton, Julianne Sutton). 
 
A four-time Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year, Burson has also been recognized four times as the Atlanta Tip-off Club/Naismith Awards Georgia Coach of the Year and is a three-time GACC Coach of the Year. Burson's Nighthawks' postseason run in 2014 led her to receive the WBCA Region Coach of the Year Honors and was a WBCA National Coach of the Year Finalist for the Southeast Region in 2014 and 2022.
 
On December 17, 2018, Burson collected her 500^th career victory with a 68-63 win over Flager College, while her 600^th career win came on November 19, 2022, in a 76-70 victory over No. 9 Carson-Newman University.
 
Burson was also inducted into the University of Montevallo Athletics Hall of Fame in June of 2021 and into Milton High School's Hall of Fame as the honoree for the 1980's in the school's 100 years of celebration (October 2021). Burson also serves as an assistant professor in the Kinesiology Department at UNG and spends the off season as the director of several girls' basketball camps along with the Team Camp of Champions, featuring some of the best high school varsity teams in the state.
 
The TMU Hall of Fame class of 2025 will be formally inducted on Friday, February 21, inside the Harris Athletic Complex during the TMU Friends and Family Weekend. Meet and greet will begin at 5:45 p.m. with dinner and ceremony to follow at 6:15 p.m. Individuals wishing to attend can reserve tickets by visiting the link above. Please contact sid@truett.edu for more information regarding registration.