11 Notable alumni of Delta State University
Updated: June 15, 2026 EliteDegrees
Delta State University is ranked #3,652 in the world and #959 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 11 notable alumni from Delta State University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Delta State University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Matse Uwatse
1981-. (aged 45)
blogger
radio personality
Matse Uwatse, popularly known by her first name Matse, is a Nigerian on-air personality and food blogger.
2. Merve Terzioğlu
1987-2008 (aged 21)
swimmer
Merve Terzioğlu was a Turkish swimmer in the sports club Galatasaray the latest and before that (2002–2006) in Fenerbahçe, both teams in leading positions nationally in Turkey. She was the holder of two national records and was Balkan champions and had obtained a third place in the COMEN Cup Swimming Competition of Mediterranean countries. She competed in the 200 m...
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3. Bob Dearing
1935-2020 (aged 85)
politician
Robert Montgomery Dearing was an American politician, educator, and businessman who served in the Mississippi Senate as a member of the Democratic Party.
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4. Steve Azar
1964-. (aged 62)
singer-songwriter
singer
Stephen Thomas Azar is an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and philanthropist. Active since 1996, he has released a total of seven studio albums: one on the former River North Records, one on Mercury Nashville, and five independently. Azar has charted nine times on Billboard Hot Country Songs, most successfully with his late 2001-early 2002 hit "I Don't Have...
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5. Eli Whiteside
1979-. (aged 47)
baseball player
baseball coach
Dustin Eli Whiteside is an American former professional baseball catcher who is currently a roving catching instructor for the San Francisco Giants. He stands 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall, weighs 220 pounds (100 kg). He batted and threw right-handed. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, and Chicago Cubs.
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6. Jack Madgen
1993-. (aged 33)
basketball player
Australian rules football player
Jack Madgen is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played professional basketball for the Cairns Taipans in the National Basketball League (NBL) and U.S. college basketball for Delta State University in Mississippi.
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7. Lusia Harris
1955-2022 (aged 67)
basketball player
basketball coach
Lusia Mae Harris was an American professional basketball player. Harris is considered to be one of the pioneers of women's basketball. She played for Delta State University and won three consecutive Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) National Championships, the predecessors to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships, from 1975 to 1977. On the international level, she represented...
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8. Oritse Femi
1985-. (aged 41)
singer
songwriter
Oritsefemi Majemite Ekele popularly known by his first name Oritse Femi, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and performer. He is best known for his remake of Fela Kuti's "Double Wahala" song. His rendition of the song earned him two nominations at the 2014 City People Entertainment Awards, winning the award for Most Popular Song of the Year. He also won the...
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9. Mark Hudspeth
1968-. (aged 58)
head coach
Mark Douglas Hudspeth is an American football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Gulf Shores High School in Gulf Shores, Alabama, a position he has held since 2021. Hudspeth served as the head football coach at the University of North Alabama from 2002 to 2008, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette from 2011 to 2017,...
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10. John Grisham
1955-. (aged 71)
missionary
lawyer
children's writer
novelist
television producer
John Ray Grisham Jr. is an American writer, lawyer, and former politician, known for his best-selling legal thrillers. According to the American Academy of Achievement, Grisham has written 37 consecutive number-one fiction bestsellers, and his books have sold 300 million copies worldwide. Along with Tom Clancy and J. K. Rowling, Grisham is one of only three anglophone authors to have...
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11. Sara Thomas
1941-. (aged 85)
politician
Sara Richardson Thomas is an American educator and politician from Indianola, Mississippi. She was a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from the 31st District, having first been elected in 1998 to succeed her nephew, Bill Richardson, who had died in office, and having retired in June 2018. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
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