Story byThe Joplin Globe, Mo. Laurie Sisk, The Joplin Globe, Mo. Tue, February 3, 2026 at 11:49 AM UTC·7 min readSPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Southwest Missouri was well-represented Sunday at the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield. Longtime Joplin High School coach and athletic director Jeff Starkweather and former Webb City and College Heights basketball coach Eric Johnson joined the 1982-1992 Crowder softball teams and Carthage golfers Joe, Glenn and Gary Borland as part of the class of 14 inductees. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementStarkweatherStarkweather was honored for his more than three decades in education, including 22 years at Joplin High School as a basketball and golf coach and athletic director. He was athletic director for Eagles sports teams for 11 years and was honored for helping shepherd the athletic department after the 2011 tornado.“His outstanding character helped us through that particular crisis,” Joplin Superintendent Kerry Sachetta said of Starkweather.
