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Cordell named to Citadel Hall of Fame

From Staff Reports

Published: November 12, 2009

One of Marion's all-time greats has been recognized as one of The Citadel's.
Former Marion High School basketball and baseball star Chuck Cordell was inducted into The Citadel's Athletic Hall of Fame Oct. 30 in Charleston, S.C.
Cordell, a two-sport star for the Cadets from 1970-74, is one of five new members of the school's hall of fame. Former Citadel basketball coach Les Robinson, who recruited Cordell, introduced the Marion native at the induction banquet, which was held at the Citadel Holliday Alumni Center and was attended by 450 people.
Cordell's numerous achievements made him an obvious choice for induction. He is one of only 14 athletes to receive The Citadel Sportsmanship Award, which is presented to the student-athlete who best exemplifies leadership and sportsmanship on the field. Cordell gained the distinction in 1974. As a senior, he was voted one of the "Outstanding College Athletes of America," an accolade he shared with the likes of UCLA superstar Bill Walton.
A four-year starter who played first and third base, Cordell had a healthy .328 batting average and, as a team captain, led the Cadets to a share of the Southern Conference championship in 1974. He was a first team selection on the All-South baseball team, which included players from 13 conferences.
Cordell quickly established himself as a scorer on the basketball court when he tallied 44 points in a freshman game against Furman. He still holds The Citadel's career free throw percentage record (85 percent), and was among the top foul shooters in the nation in 1972-73 when he shot 90.5 percent from the stripe. As a junior, Cordell was second on the team in scoring at 15.3 points per game. He was named to the Southern Conference All-Tournament team and was a team captain as a senior.
At Marion High, Cordell was a four-time all conference choice in baseball and a three-time pick in basketball. He was team MVP in both sports in his junior and senior seasons. In 1970, Cordell was named All-State in both sports and played in the Civitan Classic East-West basketball game.
One of the most memorable games in Cordell's storied career was the Rippers' unusually low scoring 16-13 victory over Avery County — which featured 7-foot-3 future N.C. State and NBA star Tommy Burleson. Cordell scored 14 of Marion's 16 points on 7-of-7 field goal shooting. The other basket came on a tip-in by the Rippers' Frank Gilmore off a rare missed free throw by Cordell. Marion, which eventually advanced to the state finals, defeated Avery in three of the four games the two played in 1970.
After college, Cordell took up golf and quickly moved up in the ranks, playing in some of the top amateur tournaments, including the British Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur and U.S. Amateur. One of his frequent golfing partners, NBA legend Michael Jordan, wrote a letter endorsing Cordell's inclusion in the hall.
Cordell and his wife Cindy live in Pinehurst and have three children, Caroline, Molly Craig and Charlie. Cordell's mother, Mary Boyd and sister, Brett Olivia Boyd, still live in Marion. His father, Charles, lives in Old Fort.
Cordell said he owes a debt of thanks to his teammates at Marion High, as well as the late coach Ken Brackett, who coached baseball and football at Marion High.