Jimmy Feix, the all-time winningest coach in the history of Western Kentucky football, was named to the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, the National Football Foundation announced this week. (WKU ATHLETICS)

Western Kentucky’s football program was represented on the 2026 National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame ballot by three individuals – Jimmy Feix, Buster Ashley and Paul Gray – the organization announced this week.

Ashley and Gray were included on the ballots as players from the divisional ranks, while Feix appears as a divisional coach candidate.

In total, 100 players and 35 coaches were included from the divisional ranks, while 79 players and nine coaches were on the ballot from the Football Bowl Subdivision.

The announcement of the 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2026, with specific details to be announced in the future.

The 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 8, 2026, at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino, and they will be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2026 season.

The late Feix is the only football coach in WKU’s history to eclipse the 100-win mark, amassing a career record of 106-56-6 (.649) in his 16 years as the programs head coach from 1968-83. He was added to the ballot for his career as a coach as he led the Hilltoppers to the NCAA Division II championship game in its first year of existence, 1973, before again taking WKU to the championship in 1975 where they took home runner-up honors in both seasons.

Feix served his alma mater as an All-American athlete, assistant football coach, head football coach, assistant director of alumni affairs, director of alumni affairs and director of athletics almost continuously from his arrival on campus as a freshman athlete in 1949 until his retirement in 1990. He spent 27 years as a member of the coaching staff at WKU, the last 16 of those (1968-83) as head football coach. Feix passed away in October 2014.

His 14 teams that competed in the Ohio Valley Conference went 67-28-2 (70.1%) in league play, winning or sharing the OVC championship on six occasions – 1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, and 1980. His 1973 team was undefeated in the regular season and rolled all the way to the championship game, finishing the year 12-1-0. The Hilltoppers made the playoff field again in 1975 and advanced to the title game for the second time, but once again had to settle for runner-up honors with their 11-2-0 record.

Feix was named Kodak College Coach-of-the-Year for Division IV in 1973 and 1975. He was named OVC Coach of the Year three times – 1973, 1978, and 1980. In his 16 seasons at the helm, he coached 16 athletes who followed him on the list of WKU football All-Americans.

The playing field at Houchens-Smith Stadium, where his 16 teams played all their home games, was named “Jimmy Feix Field” in his honor in 1991. In addition, he and another former Topper quarterback and head coach, Willie Taggart, were the first football athletes to have their jerseys retired in ceremonies on Feix Field in 1999.

Feix was a member of the 10-person inaugural class of the WKU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991 as well as the head coach of WKU’s All-Century Football Team which was named in the fall of 2018. He was also an honored member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Hall of Champions (2007), the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame (2004), WKU’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni (2003), and the Henderson County Sports Hall of Fame (1988).

Ashley was part of 36 wins over four seasons from 2001-04, and helped lead the Hilltoppers to a Division I-AA National Championship during the 2002 season.

Ashley is one of five consensus All-Americans in program history, accomplishing the feat in 2004. He was a two-time (2003 and 2004) Associated Press First Team All-American offensive lineman, and Ashley was also an AP Second Team All-American during the 2002 season. He received Second Team All-American status from CollegeSportsReport.com in 2003 and 2004, and was a CSTV All-American in 2003. Hansen’s Football Gazette named Ashley a First Team All-American in 2003 and 2004, after receiving a Second Team nod from the publication in 2002. He was named to the I-AA.org All-Star Team in 2002, 2003 and 2004 and he was a Kodak/American Football Coaches All-American in 2003 and 2004. The Sports Network named Ashley a First Team All-American in 2003 and a Second Team All-American in 2002 and 2004. The Walter Camp Foundation named Ashley a First Team All-American in 2004.

Ashley was a three-time All-Gateway Football Conference First Team selection, receiving the recognition in 2002, 2003 and 2004 and a Second Team selection in 2001. He was on the Gateway All-Newcomer Team in 2001.

Ashley was a member of the WKU Football All-Century Team, and only one player in program history had started more games than Ashley by the end of his collegiate career.

Gray was a two-time AP First Team All-American linebacker in 1982 and 1983. He received All-Ohio Valley Conference First Team honors in 1981 and was a member of WKU’s All-Century team.

Gray’s name is etched throughout WKU’s record books for his defensive performances. He still ranks second in program history in career tackles (488) and single-season tackles (173; 1981), first in career assisted tackles (298), tied for 10th in single-season tackles for loss (20; 1981), tied for second in career fumble recoveries (10) and tied for fourth in career forced fumbles (9). He led the Hilltoppers in tackles for three straight seasons from 1981-83.

Gray was drafted in the 10th round of the 1984 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints, and also played for the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons during his professional career.