It may come as a surprise to those who are not longtime members of the Bradley County and Lee University community that Dale R. Hughes was a solid leader in helping get basketball headed in the right direction. During that period, his Lee clubs were widely known as the Vikings.
  
A native of Canton, Ohio, Dale transferred from Kent State University to Lee College during the 1960-61 season. He was an immediate impact player for Coach Hubert Black's teams for three years. During the 1963-64 season he served has a player assistant under Coach Black. 

He remembers Viking teammate Don Jenkins grabbing an important rebound and then dribbling the ball off his foot. "Coach Black immediately called a timeout and told Jenkins when he got a rebound to kick it out to Dale. Jenkins replied if I give the ball to Dale, I will never get it back!"  

Dale was a scoring machine and posted several 30-point games against bitter rival Tennessee Temple. But it was during a game at Emmanuel College that he scored 49 points, a Lee scoring record that stood for several years.  

He became the Viking head coach, replacing Coach Black after the 1963-64 season and was also married to his college sweetheart Brenda after the 1964 season. He served as the Viking leader for 11 years (1964-75). Dale was a force in helping form the Southern Christian Athletic Association (SCAA), and was one of the three founding fathers of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) where he served as the association's first vice president.

His Vikings traveled to Detroit, Michigan and won the college's first national championship during the 1967-68 season and came back to capture another NCCAA championship held at Tennessee Temple during the 1972-73 campaign. Dale also helped usher Lee into NAIA play. In fact, he teamed with Jim Cigliano (CSCC AD) to host an opening round of NAIA Tournament play at Cleveland State.  

Over 11 seasons his Vikings posted 254 wins against just 64 defeats, an average of 26 wins against six losses per season. He resigned his Lee position in 1975 and began his long career (1975-96) as principal of Bradley Central High School. 
Hughes said, although he was blessed with great talent, his support staff of Earl Rowan, Rudy Felton, Nick Humble and Gary Gill were tremendous helpers.

Former Viking Greg Cain recently posted a statement on Facebook noting "Dale Hughes was more than a coach to his players. He was a father figure for many of us outside the athletic arena." 
 
Said Viking All-America player Larry Carpenter, "Dale was an outstanding coach who knew how to win. I often tell people that if we were within a couple points with a minute to go, there was no question who was going to be victorious. He was an excellent strategist and knew which plays to call in the clutch. My freshman year, he took a team that started two freshmen, two sophomores and a senior and knocked off the defending national champions (Azusa Pacific) to win the 1973 NCCAA National Championship. Not only was he a coach, but also a mentor who made a tremendous impact on my life. I would not be where I am today if it were not for Coach Hughes." 

Dale also served as the chairman of the Bradley County School Board before moving on to Bradley. His education continued at?University of Tennessee – Knoxville, gaining a master of supervision/education?degree with 45 additional hours.?BCHS became the only high school in Tennessee to become a National School of Excellence in 1986. The award was presented by President Ronald Reagan in the White House Rose Garden.  

Legend continues: The legacy of Hughes basketball at Lee did not end with Dale. His son Richie was a captain for the Bradley basketball teams for two years. He followed in his father's footsteps at Lee, playing for the Flames. He was named Freshman of the Year and awarded the Sixth Man of the Year.  

Richie entered high school coaching after his career at Lee and quickly became well known in the Atlanta area. He served at Mount Paran Christian - Marietta, Georgia (1988-1998) and Lakeview Academy - Gainesville, Georgia (1999-2004), finishing with 254 wins and a state championship.  

He then became the owner, promoter, manager, and director of the Richie Hughes Instructional Camps. Richie worked directly with John Smoltz (Atlanta Braves for 15 years) and had over 300 campers per week. He also entered an agreement with Shaquille O'Neal, when he was with the Orlando Magic for two years, and had over 300 campers per week. Camps for Dominique Wilkins and Doc Rivers followed when they were with the Atlanta Hawks. Golf entered the picture and Richie worked camps for Larry Nelson, a PGA, and U.S. Open Champion. He enjoyed being the caddy for Nelson on the PGA Tour for three years.  

Granddaughters follow: The tradition of Dale's off-springs followed with his granddaughters and Richie's daughters. Halle Hughes was outstanding on powerful Bradley Central Bearette teams. She was named 1st Team TSWA All-State, scored 1847 points (13th all-time at BCHS), a three-year captain of the Bearettes, and the winner of the annual Steve Sloan Award (representing the athlete of the year - all sports/ boys and girls). Halle moved on Lee where she is a solid senior member of a Lady Flames' team that has advanced to NCAA DII National Tournaments year after year.    

Kaleigh Hughes was a member of the 2019 Bradley State Championship team (TSSAA Class AAA), and like her grandfather, dad and older sister was a two-year captain of the Bearettes, including the state championship team.  

Dale's business career: A highly successful businessman, Dale currently deals in real estate property. He was elected on Sept. 1, 2012 as the Cleveland City District 5 Councilman and has continued to serve the city for the past eight years.   
He has always been very active in organizations such as the Tennessee Principals Association (former director), YMCA (former president), Jr. Achievement (former president), Chamber of Commerce (former president), Cleveland Utility Board (former chairman), and is still active in the Beta Club.

Dale said among the highlights of his career was being honored to address the dedication after the renovation of Paul Dana Walker Arena. Another highlight was a feature article he had written and published by the Converse All-Star Yearbook in 1973 on basketball philosophy.  

He is a member of the Bradley County, Chattanooga Area and Lee University Athletic hall of fames. At North Cleveland Church of God, he has served on the church council, finance committee and is currently chairman of the building committee. The Dale R Hughes Ministry Center is named in his honor.