Governor William Winter was granted honorary membership in the MAC Coaches Hall of Fame for his contributions to Mississippi high school and college athletics through the years. Governor Winter, a native of Grenada and a graduate of Ole Miss, was a passionate sports advocate. He served as Sports Editor and then Editor of the Daily Mississippian while he attended Ole Miss. He frequently hitch-hiked all across the South to witness sporting events. He supported the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum financially and otherwise. He frequently emceed the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Governor Winter was a strong supporter of the MHSAA and the MAC and assisted both groups legislatively while he was in office. The William Winter Scholar-Athlete Award for the annual MAC boy’s soccer game is named in his honor. Governor Winter passed away in 2020.