Tom Leach Part of 2023 Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame Class

UK Athletics Photo

Tom Leach got his dream job when the became the radio play-by-play voice for the University of Kentucky basketball and football teams and now has 46 years total of radio broadcasting in the Bluegrass.

He’s become a fan favorite and trusted voice for BBN and now he’s going into the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in the 60th anniversary class.

Leach has been part of the UK Radio Network for 34 years. He’s called UK football for 26 years and basketball for 22 years. He been named Kentucky Sportscaster of the Year six times. He also has won two prestigious Eclipse Awards for thoroughbred racing coverage.

Leach has written two books: “Rich Tradition” that chronicles the turnaround of UK football under Rich Brooks; and “Kentucky Basketball, 20 Years Behind the Scenes” co-authored with Mike Pratt.

The Paris, Ky., native has also worked as sports director for Lexington radio stations WVLK and WLAP and does a week-day morning sports show, “The Leach Report,” heard across the state.

The 2023 KSHOF class members and their families will be honored on Sept. 12 in Freedom Hall in Louisville.

“The KSHOF Class of 2023 recognizes five outstanding individuals who represent a broad spectrum of sports and occupations – individuals who had a major impact on sports in the Commonwealth and on the national stage,” said Louisville Sports Commission President and CEO Greg Fante.

“This year’s inductees represent a diverse mix of accomplishments – media, sports and administration. Each has worked diligently to make a difference in their specific areas, which is fitting as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the KSHOF.”

2023 Hall of Fame Class

Other members of the class are:

Rick Bozich —  Gary, Ind., native and Indiana University graduate, Rick Bozich landed at the Louisville Courier-Journal (CJ) in 1978 and for the past 45 years has forged an award-winning career as a sports reporter and columnist covering local, regional and national events. Bozich spent more than three decades at the CJ then moved to WDRB in 2012 and during that span has covered 34 NCAA Men’s Final Fours, 11 World Series, three Summer Olympics and countless University of Louisville, University of Kentucky and Indiana University men’s and women’s games. He has won numerous first-place awards from the Associated Press for columns, features and game stories. Bozich was inducted into the U.S. Basketball Writers Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame in April 2023.
 
Brigid L. DeVries — Lexington native and UK graduate Brigid DeVries served as an administrator and coach for track & field, volleyball, golf and swimming and diving during UK’s transition from club sports to intercollegiate athletics. DeVries joined the KHSAA in 1979 as an Assistant Commissioner, and in 2002 became the first female Commissioner. She was one of only three women at the time to head a state high school athletic association in the U.S. During her 31 years at the KHSAA, she was a pioneer for increasing high school sports opportunities for girls and boys, proactively emphasizing Title IX compliance and initiating programs to ensure competitor safety and coaching education. DeVries was a member of the National Federation of High Schools Board of Directors, and Gender Equity and Strategic Planning Committees. She was inducted into the Dawahare’s KHSAA Hall of Fame in 2010.
 
Chris Lofton —  Maysville native Chris Lofton led Mason County High School to three state tournament appearances; was named to the all-tournament team each year; and led the Royals to the state title in 2003 as a junior and a runner-up spot in 2004. Lofton scored 2,763 career points in high school and 252 points in 10 state tournament games. A prolific scorer at the University of Tennessee, Lofton was named third-team All-America as a freshman and second-team as a sophomore. As a junior, he averaged 20.8 points per game and was named SEC Player-of-the-Year. Lofton played 10 seasons of professional ball in Europe, including helping Le Mans Sarthe win the French Cup in 2016 and Finals MVP. In 2018, he helped Le Mans win a Pro A championship and earned all-star honors several times. He retired after playing in the Korean Basketball League.
 
William “Bubba” Paris — Louisville native and DeSales High School graduate William “Bubba” Paris played 10 years in the NFL as a starting offensive tackle, including nine seasons in San Francisco when the 49ers won three Super Bowls, eight Western Division Titles and played in five NFC Championship games. Paris came from humble beginnings in Louisville’s West End, worked his way through high school and earned DeSales’ team captain and MVP as a senior and is one of the school’s first inductees in its Hall of Honor. At the University of Michigan, he was an All-American and Academic All-American, played on two Big Ten title teams and in the Rose Bowl and Bluebonnet Bowl championships. Paris was the 49ers’ no. 1 pick in the 1983 NFL draft. Since retiring, he has  launched a successful sports media career that spans three decades, is an ordained minister, accomplished public speaker and writer.