MURFREESBORO (AP) - Middle Tennessee State University will dedicate a statue honoring former coach and athletic director Boots Donnelly on Oct. 3 before the Blue Raiders host Vanderbilt for homecoming.

Athletic director Chris Massaro says Donnelly is one of the pillars of the Middle Tennessee department.

The 6-foot-6 bronze statue will be placed on the lawn in front of the Kennon Sports Hall of Fame building, a facility that Massaro says was Donnelly's idea. Middle Tennessee also wants to put a granite wall behind the statue eventually listing every player, assistant coach, manager and secretary during Donnelly's tenure as coach.

Donnelly played for the Blue Raiders in the 1960s and was 140-87-1 as coach between 1979 and 1998. He won four Ohio Valley Conference titles and made the playoffs seven times.