October 2, 2026
CLEVELAND, Ga. — Friends and Family Weekend was a resounding success, with multiple sold-out events and the largest Preview Day in Truett McConnell University history.
The weekend began on Friday night, Fec. 21, with the 2025 TMU Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, honoring the accomplishments of Buffie Burson ('87), Mickey Cobb ('62), and Scott Whitlock ('82).
As a student at TMC, Burson was a member of the women's basketball team before continuing her career at the University of Montevallo. She climbed the coaching ladder and became the head women's basketball coach at the University of North Georgia in 1994. During her tenure at UNG, Burson posted 26 winning seasons, led the team to 15 national tournament appearances, and reached the NCAA Division II Final Four in 2022.
Mickey Cobb served as a student athletic trainer/manager for the men's basketball team at TMU before completing his bachelor's degree at Georgia Southern University, where he worked on the athletic training staff. In 1977, Cobb became the head trainer for the Kansas City Royals Major League Baseball team, a position he held for 13 years. He has authored three books and written numerous magazine articles.
Scott Whitlock began his coaching career as the assistant women’s basketball coach and assistant slow-pitch softball coach at Kennesaw State University. Just a year later, he was appointed head coach, leading the team to transition to fastpitch softball and achieve a top 10 national ranking for 12 consecutive years. Whitlock has contributed articles to multiple publications and published his own memoir.
On Saturday morning, nearly thirty couples gathered for TRUEtt Love, a marriage celebration for TMU alumni. The event featured a TMU-focused Newlywed Game, vow renewals at the cross, and was led by Harris and Phyllis Malcom, 1973 graduates who portrayed Mr. and Mrs. Holt in the 2008 film Fireproof.
“We had 28 couples at our inaugural TRUEtt LOVE event! It was an incredible time celebrating the gift of marriage that God has given us and sharing our love stories, all of which began right here on this beautiful campus. We laughed, learned, and were encouraged in the Word,” said Danny Hendrix, associate vice president for Development and Church Relations. “A dozen couples renewed their vows in a special ceremony at the Cross on the hill. ”
The day also featured the largest Prospective Student Day in TMU’s history, with more than 115 students and their families in attendance. Prospective students had the opportunity to meet with representatives from admissions and financial aid, and professors to learn more about the university. From 11:30 AM to 4:00 PM, a block party was held for students and visitors, allowing current students to mingle and prospective students to experience campus life.
Later, 150 alumni and their families gathered for a luncheon sponsored by Northeast Georgia Health System, featuring special performances from the TMU School of Music and exciting prize giveaways. In the afternoon, 330 students attended a youth evangelism event with guest speaker Eric Helms from Driven to Encourage Ministries. Helms travels across the country to encourage and empower youth.
The day ended with a sold-out concert by Josiah Queen, an independent musician with over 216 million global streams. Queen’s faith-filled lyrics and heartfelt melodies have captivated audiences worldwide, including his breakout hit “The Prodigal.” Recently named one of Amazon’s Breakthrough Artists to Watch for 2024, Josiah continues to inspire fans through sold-out tours and chart-topping tracks. More than 1,560 attended the concert.
“Saturday was an extraordinary day for our TMU family. We had a record turnout of prospective students, a record number of alumni on campus, and record attendance at both the youth evangelism event and Josiah Queen concert,” said Dr. Hall, vice president for Advancement. “God is doing amazing things at Truett McConnell University, and more and more people are wanting to be a part of it. It’s an exciting time for TMU, and we give God the glory.”
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