Three individuals with ties to California Athletics have been named to the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame’s 2026 class. The honorees are Jack Clark, current head coach of Cal men’s rugby; Missy Franklin, a former standout for women’s swimming; and Eddie Hart, an alumnus of men’s track & field. Their induction will take place on May 14 at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco.
Jack Clark has led Cal’s varsity rugby team since 1984 and is now in his 43rd season as head coach. Over his tenure, he has guided the program to 30 national collegiate championships and holds a record of 732-106-5 in 15s play and 230-23-0 in 7s. Clark has produced numerous All-Americans and players who have represented the United States National Team. He also previously coached the U.S. National Team from 1993 to 1999, achieving a record number of victories during that period.
Clark’s accolades include being named one of Cal’s Ten Most Influential Sports Figures of the 20th Century in 2000, induction into both the U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame (2014) and Cal Athletics Hall of Fame (2016), receiving The Glenn T. Seaborg Award in 2016, being named a Living Legend by Pac-12 Networks in 2015, and ranking third among all-time Cal head coaches by Sports Illustrated.
Missy Franklin joined Cal’s women’s swimming team in 2014 after gaining international recognition as a teenager for her performance at world championships and Olympics. During her time at Cal, she won seven NCAA titles and set American records while earning multiple honors such as Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and NCAA Swimmer of the Year. “Franklin is one of the most celebrated and decorated female athletes in swimming history,” according to the release.
Her achievements include winning five medals at age sixteen at the World Aquatics Championships, four gold medals at age seventeen during the London Olympics, setting world records for Team USA, and collecting additional medals at subsequent world championships.
Eddie Hart made significant contributions to Cal’s track & field program before competing professionally. He set school records in sprint events during his undergraduate years and later equaled world records at major competitions including anchoring a gold-medal-winning relay team for Team USA at the Munich Olympics.
“All three will be officially inducted at a May 14 ceremony at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco,” according to organizers.
For more information about this year’s inductees or details about attending the event, visit https://bashof.org/.
