Inductees
Tim Abney

Back in the late 1970s, on the campus of Lincoln University, the men’s basketball team created a real sense of pride.
The 1978 team reached the Elite Eight the NCAA Division II Tournament. Around that time, people were already talking about two comebacks: a preseason tournament title against none other than Saint Louis University, after having trailed by 14 points; and a 25-point, second-half rally on the road at Kentucky State as the Blue Tigers won 105-102.
The point guard on those teams? That was Tim Abney, who later became part of the fabric of Lincoln Athletics – which is why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted Abney with the Class of 2024.
Abney is a 1978 graduate of Lincoln who has spent most of his professional career as a coach or administrator at the Jefferson City school. He was named the interim athletic director in 2024 – and then full-time AD in September 2024 – after eight years as assistant athletic director. In that role, he served as an advisor and coordinator for each of Lincoln’s student-athletes.
From 1974-1978, he played in 108 games, still a program record, and scored 1,152 career points, making him one of only 22 Bue Tigers to eclipse 1,000 points. He helped the Blue Tigers to 83 wins, two MIAA regular-season championships and four NCAA Division II Tournament berths. In 1978, Abney earned All-National Association of Basketball Coaches District V honors and his second MIAA Sportsmanship Award.
Abney later coached the women’s basketball team for a decade (1999-2009), with Lincoln winning 72 games, making him the second-winningest coach in program history behind Leo Lewis. His teams won 45 games between 2001 and 2005, and he was named the Heartland Conference Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year.
And to think he almost never went to school there.
“Initially, I was being recruited by the University of Arkansas,” said Abney, a 1974 graduate of Kansas City’s Central High School. “After that fell through, I received a call from Don Corbett, the head men’s basketball coach at Lincoln University. He sold me on Lincoln, and the rest is history.”
Abney certainly is an inspiring story, as he put in the work to become a success. As a high school freshman, he was a 5-foot-9 guard and grew to 6 foot before graduation (and then 6-2 as a Lincoln freshman).
“(In high school), I learned that I was a hard worker and had a never-give-up attitude,” Abney said. “I started my career as a shooting guard and transitioned to the point guard position halfway through my freshman year. The next three years, I was the starting point guard. I was an all-around player: scoring, rebounding, assists and steals. As the point guard, I was the leader of the team. I was known for my tenacious defense, jumping ability, and very athletic.”
At Central, he not only played basketball but also ran both cross country and track & field. Abney earned basketball Player of the Year in the Interscholastic League as a senior, when he led the team to a state third-place finish.
His Lincoln playing days not only created memories but led to his post-college career. Abney followed Corbett to North Carolina A&T University, where he was an assistant coach on the men’s basketball team from 1979 to 1986 and then the head coach of the women’s basketball team from 1986 to 1999.
At North Carolina A&T, his teams were 191-172 (.526) in 13 seasons, winning four regular-season conference titles (1988-1990, 1994) and earning a trip to the 1994 NCAA Tournament.
When Lincoln came calling to come home, he jumped at the chance to make an impact. He has done so in administration, with more than 120 Blue Tigers making the Dean’s list in 2015 alone.
“I wanted to stay in athletics and give back because someone believed in me,” Abney said, referring to Corbett. “I truly love helping all athletes and watching them reach their individual goals.”
The lessons he learned from Corbett always stayed with him.
“I owe everything to my college coach, Don Corbett,” Abney said. “He truly believed in me.”
Fortunately, Abney also has long had the support of his wife, Diane, and their children, Darrell, Dannon and DeAndrea.
“Any success I have achieved is because of her sacrifice,” Abney said. “She is truly my ‘Always and Forever.’”
What a career it’s been.
“I am thankful to God for allowing me to spend my career in sports,” Abney said. “It has been very rewarding and truly a blessing.”