University of Delaware Athletics
Photo by: University of Delaware
Three Former Blue Hens Land in Delaware Sports Hall of Fame
3/17/2025 6:52:00 PM | Baseball, Men's Swimming & Diving, Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis, Delaware Athletics
WILMINGTON, Del. – Three former Blue Hens have been named to this year's class of the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame, the organization announced. Longtime administrator Edgar Johnson, tennis student-athlete and coach Laura Leroy Travis, and baseball student-athlete Willy Miranda will take their place in the hall on May 29.
Tickets to the event go on sale beginning this Friday, March 14 and can be purchased online at the DSMHOF website at www.desports.org/events or by check (make out to DSMHOF and send to DSMHOF, 801 Shipyard Drive, Wilmington, DE 19801). The deadline for reserving tickets is May 22, 2025.
EDGAR JOHNSON • College Administration/Coaching
Over a span of five decades, as a standout swimmer, multiple-sport coach, and Director of Athletics, few individuals have devoted as much time and talent to University of Delaware Athletics than Edgar Johnson. A native of Wilmington, Edgar was a record-breaking swimmer and two-time captain who earned UD degrees in 1967 and 1970 (master's). He also starred as a prep swimmer at Salesianum.
He joined the UD Athletics staff in 1969 and served in a variety of roles, including assistant swimming & diving coach, assistant athletic trainer, assistant track & field coach, instructor in physical education, associate professor, and head coach for the men's cross country and men's and women's swimming & diving teams. His women's swimming teams won 42 straight dual meets and placed ninth at the 1981 AIAW national championships.
As athletics director he enjoyed a distinguished 25-year career in which he led the Blue Hens program to new heights, directing UD from the East Coast Conference to the America East Conference and to its current home in the Colonial Athletic Association. Delaware captured 10 consecutive America East Commissioner's Cup Awards, won 83 conference titles, and appeared in 32 NCAA Championships during his tenure. He was inducted into the UD Wall of Fame in 2011 and received the prestigious ECAC James Lynah Service Award for contributions to college athletics in 2014.
The Edgar Johnson Award is presented in his honor each year to the UD senior male athlete who best exemplifies the characteristics of hard work, dedication, fairness, and striving for excellence. A former board member of the Delaware Sports Museum & Hall of Fame, he was inducted into the UD Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017. He earned the UD Medal of Distinction in 2009.
LAURA LEROY TRAVIS • Tennis
After her own championship career, Laura LeRoy Travis coached University of Delaware tennis for 26 successful years. As a student athlete at UD, she played #1 singles and doubles for four years, leading her team to four consecutive East Coast conference championship titles. She earned three individual conference singles titles, and one doubles title.
She was the MVP for UD tennis all four years and was named to the academic all-district teams each year. She was one of three seniors nominated for the prestigious Amelia P Warner award, given to the UD senior woman who demonstrates leadership, academic success and community service.
At Tower Hill School, she played #1 singles for five years, helping the tennis team to win four consecutive state championships titles and picking up one individual title. She was a member of the 1982 field hockey state championship team, was captain of both field hockey and tennis her senior year and was named the outstanding female athlete as a senior.
She was the first woman to coach a men's sport at UD and one of a handful of women ever to coach an NCAA Division I men's athletic team for over 20 years. Highlights of the 26-year coaching career include winning the men's America East Conference title in 1997, a two-year unbeaten record of 42-0 with the women's team (longest win streak in UD history for any sport) and the women finishing 2nd in the conference for seven consecutive years. She was a five-time conference Coach of the Year.
While coaching, Travis taught college classes for many years and advised the UD Club Tennis Team, being selected as the Outstanding Club Sport Advisor of all 32 sports in 2008. She captained the UD Corporate Tennis Team and offered tennis camps on campus in the summer. In 2003, she was recognized with the USTA/ITA National Campus Recreation Award for growing the sport of tennis on a college campus.
Travis has been deeply committed to community, serving on various USTA and USPTA Delaware and Middle States Board of Directors for many years, organizing community tennis events and participating in Tennis in the Streets for 20+ years, a community event that bussed in hundreds of under resourced children to expose them to "tennis in the streets" in front of Hotel DuPont.
She was inducted into the UD Athletics Hall of Fame (2001), the USTA Delaware District Hall of Fame (2009) and the USTA Middle States Section Hall of Fame (2014). She recently started competing again, earning the opportunity to represent Delaware and Middle States in national level age group team competitions.
DR. WILLY MIRANDA • Baseball/High School Coach
Willy Miranda coached the Brandywine High School field hockey teams for 38 years through 2019 and his lifelong commitment to education and high school sports has spanned nearly 50 years.
He coached four years before that at Wilmington HS, stepping in despite having no previous involvement in the sport. His teams won more than 450 games over those 42 seasons. Brandywine won at least 10 Blue Hen Conference titles and reached four state championship games, winning the 1987 final and falling in the state final in 1983, 2007, and 2008.
Miranda is the son and namesake of former slick-fielding Major League shortstop Willy Miranda (1951-59). Willy Jr. was on the University of Delaware's 1970 baseball team that reached the College World Series – still the only UD team to accomplish that feat.
Over the years, he coached football, baseball, softball, girls' basketball, swimming, and girls' lacrosse at numerous schools, including starting Brandywine's girls' lacrosse team in 1994. Overall, he led his teams to over 1,200 victories on the field. Miranda also was the founder of the Turf Bowl, which since 1999 has given Delaware high school teams a chance to play at UD's Rullo Stadium.
Willy won the Delaware Women's Alliance for Sports and Fitness Outstanding Coach Award (2000), was inducted into the Delaware Lacrosse Hall of Fame (2006) and the Maryland Baseball Hall of Fame (2021), was named Coach of the Year for Field Hockey (2008), and won the Herm Reitzes Award for public service to Delaware athletics by the DSBA.
The Delaware Lacrosse Coaches Association named Willy as their Person of the Year for Girls Lacrosse in 2015. He was a long-time member of the DSMHOF Board of Directors before stepping down in 2024.
Tickets to the event go on sale beginning this Friday, March 14 and can be purchased online at the DSMHOF website at www.desports.org/events or by check (make out to DSMHOF and send to DSMHOF, 801 Shipyard Drive, Wilmington, DE 19801). The deadline for reserving tickets is May 22, 2025.
EDGAR JOHNSON • College Administration/Coaching
Over a span of five decades, as a standout swimmer, multiple-sport coach, and Director of Athletics, few individuals have devoted as much time and talent to University of Delaware Athletics than Edgar Johnson. A native of Wilmington, Edgar was a record-breaking swimmer and two-time captain who earned UD degrees in 1967 and 1970 (master's). He also starred as a prep swimmer at Salesianum.
He joined the UD Athletics staff in 1969 and served in a variety of roles, including assistant swimming & diving coach, assistant athletic trainer, assistant track & field coach, instructor in physical education, associate professor, and head coach for the men's cross country and men's and women's swimming & diving teams. His women's swimming teams won 42 straight dual meets and placed ninth at the 1981 AIAW national championships.
As athletics director he enjoyed a distinguished 25-year career in which he led the Blue Hens program to new heights, directing UD from the East Coast Conference to the America East Conference and to its current home in the Colonial Athletic Association. Delaware captured 10 consecutive America East Commissioner's Cup Awards, won 83 conference titles, and appeared in 32 NCAA Championships during his tenure. He was inducted into the UD Wall of Fame in 2011 and received the prestigious ECAC James Lynah Service Award for contributions to college athletics in 2014.
The Edgar Johnson Award is presented in his honor each year to the UD senior male athlete who best exemplifies the characteristics of hard work, dedication, fairness, and striving for excellence. A former board member of the Delaware Sports Museum & Hall of Fame, he was inducted into the UD Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017. He earned the UD Medal of Distinction in 2009.
LAURA LEROY TRAVIS • Tennis
After her own championship career, Laura LeRoy Travis coached University of Delaware tennis for 26 successful years. As a student athlete at UD, she played #1 singles and doubles for four years, leading her team to four consecutive East Coast conference championship titles. She earned three individual conference singles titles, and one doubles title.
She was the MVP for UD tennis all four years and was named to the academic all-district teams each year. She was one of three seniors nominated for the prestigious Amelia P Warner award, given to the UD senior woman who demonstrates leadership, academic success and community service.
At Tower Hill School, she played #1 singles for five years, helping the tennis team to win four consecutive state championships titles and picking up one individual title. She was a member of the 1982 field hockey state championship team, was captain of both field hockey and tennis her senior year and was named the outstanding female athlete as a senior.
She was the first woman to coach a men's sport at UD and one of a handful of women ever to coach an NCAA Division I men's athletic team for over 20 years. Highlights of the 26-year coaching career include winning the men's America East Conference title in 1997, a two-year unbeaten record of 42-0 with the women's team (longest win streak in UD history for any sport) and the women finishing 2nd in the conference for seven consecutive years. She was a five-time conference Coach of the Year.
While coaching, Travis taught college classes for many years and advised the UD Club Tennis Team, being selected as the Outstanding Club Sport Advisor of all 32 sports in 2008. She captained the UD Corporate Tennis Team and offered tennis camps on campus in the summer. In 2003, she was recognized with the USTA/ITA National Campus Recreation Award for growing the sport of tennis on a college campus.
Travis has been deeply committed to community, serving on various USTA and USPTA Delaware and Middle States Board of Directors for many years, organizing community tennis events and participating in Tennis in the Streets for 20+ years, a community event that bussed in hundreds of under resourced children to expose them to "tennis in the streets" in front of Hotel DuPont.
She was inducted into the UD Athletics Hall of Fame (2001), the USTA Delaware District Hall of Fame (2009) and the USTA Middle States Section Hall of Fame (2014). She recently started competing again, earning the opportunity to represent Delaware and Middle States in national level age group team competitions.
DR. WILLY MIRANDA • Baseball/High School Coach
Willy Miranda coached the Brandywine High School field hockey teams for 38 years through 2019 and his lifelong commitment to education and high school sports has spanned nearly 50 years.
He coached four years before that at Wilmington HS, stepping in despite having no previous involvement in the sport. His teams won more than 450 games over those 42 seasons. Brandywine won at least 10 Blue Hen Conference titles and reached four state championship games, winning the 1987 final and falling in the state final in 1983, 2007, and 2008.
Miranda is the son and namesake of former slick-fielding Major League shortstop Willy Miranda (1951-59). Willy Jr. was on the University of Delaware's 1970 baseball team that reached the College World Series – still the only UD team to accomplish that feat.
Over the years, he coached football, baseball, softball, girls' basketball, swimming, and girls' lacrosse at numerous schools, including starting Brandywine's girls' lacrosse team in 1994. Overall, he led his teams to over 1,200 victories on the field. Miranda also was the founder of the Turf Bowl, which since 1999 has given Delaware high school teams a chance to play at UD's Rullo Stadium.
Willy won the Delaware Women's Alliance for Sports and Fitness Outstanding Coach Award (2000), was inducted into the Delaware Lacrosse Hall of Fame (2006) and the Maryland Baseball Hall of Fame (2021), was named Coach of the Year for Field Hockey (2008), and won the Herm Reitzes Award for public service to Delaware athletics by the DSBA.
The Delaware Lacrosse Coaches Association named Willy as their Person of the Year for Girls Lacrosse in 2015. He was a long-time member of the DSMHOF Board of Directors before stepping down in 2024.
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