Western Kentucky Director of Athletics Todd Stewart announced that legendary Hilltoppers volleyball head coach Travis Hudson will be forever immortalized at E.A. Diddle Arena with a statue to be unveiled during the 2025 season.

The announcement came on the night that Hudson was inducted into the WKU Athletics Hall of Fame.

“I appreciate the W-Club for providing an exception to their long-established guidelines for Hall of Fame membership and inducting Travis Hudson into the prestigious WKU Athletics Hall of Fame while he is still coaching,” Stewart said in a news release. “The victories, championships and NCAA Tournaments speak for themselves, but beyond that, the personal impact he has had on his players and everyone associated with the volleyball program is exemplary. Travis has elevated WKU volleyball to heights beyond what even the greatest optimist would have imagined while representing our program with integrity, character and professionalism every day over the last 30 years.

“As a result, we have also commissioned renowned sculptor Russ Faxon to design and produce a life-size statue of Travis that will be unveiled in the fall of 2025. He joins Ed Diddle as the only individuals in WKU athletics history to have a statue in their honor, and I congratulate him on this truly deserved recognition.”

Hudson is in his 30th season leading the program and joined WKU’s Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday night. He has amassed 777 career wins, surpassing Ed Diddle for the second-most among any Hilltopper coach in a single sport (Diddle owns 1,030 total head coaching victories among the four sports he coached at WKU). Hudson has led his Hilltoppers to 33 conference championships, 16 NCAA Tournament appearances (including the 2020-21 Sweet 16), been named conference coach of the year 11 times and AVCA South Region Coach of the Year seven times, had 64 first-team all-conference honorees, 12 All-Americans (including four, four-time All-Americans), 11 conference players of the year, seven freshmen of the year, seven defensive players of the year, six South Region players of the year and five setters of the year.

“It is impossible to put into words what an incredible honor this is to me and our family,” Hudson said in a news release. “I have a deep love for WKU and am beyond proud to be woven into the history of this very special place in this manner. I stand on the shoulders of each player and staff member who has contributed to the incredible success and culture of WKU volleyball.“

The life-size bronze statue will be mounted on a granite base. The location will be finalized and announced at a future date. This will be Faxon’s eighth sculpture on campus and ninth in Bowling Green. His others include E.A. Diddle outside of Diddle Arena; Robert Guthrie at Guthrie Tower; Jody Richards at Jody Richards Hall; Lee Robertson at the Martens Alumni Center; Big Red outside Martens Alumni Center; Big Red on Red Towel at Downing Student Union; The arm waving the Red Towel at Houchens-Smith Stadium, and The Dancing in the Spirit sculpture outside of SKYPAC.

“I am indeed privileged and honored to create the sculpture in celebration of Travis (Hudson), as a coach and man,” said Russ Faxon, a 1973 WKU graduate. “He has contributed so much more to the lives of students he has known and coached, than the accomplishments he has received as the volleyball coach. Men of his quality of character and integrity are few and far between. He is a great testament to his love for all the students he has inspired and influenced while at Western Kentucky University.”

In the coming weeks, WKU athletics will be launching a year-long fundraising campaign to celebrate Hudson and the success of his WKU volleyball program.