31 Notable alumni of Western Carolina University
Updated: June 13, 2026 EliteDegrees
Western Carolina University is ranked #1,520 in the world and #370 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 31 notable alumni from Western Carolina 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 Western Carolina University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Juanita Moody
1924-2015 (aged 91)
intelligence analyst
cryptographer
Juanita Moody was an American cryptographer, intelligence analyst and National Security Agency (NSA) executive. She worked for the Signals Intelligence Service (SIS) and NSA from 1943 until 1976.
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2. Sam Watford
politician
Sam Watford was a Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's 80th House district, including part in Davidson county. He served three terms as Davidson County Commissioner and has served on Davidson County Planning and Zoning Board. Watford is married to Karen Hege Watford, a retired teacher, and has two daughters, Morgan and Jordan. Watford supported,...
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3. Terrence Woodyard
1982-. (aged 44)
basketball player
Terrence Arnold Woodyard is an American former professional basketball player.
4. David Warlick
1952-. (aged 74)
writer
David Warlick is an educator, author, programmer, and public speaker. An early adopter and promoter of technology in the classroom, Warlick has taught and written about technology integration and school curriculum for more than 30 years. He has also developed instructional software and interactive Web sites to support teachers and students in using computers and the Internet for education.
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5. Andrew C. Brock
1974-. (aged 52)
consultant
politician
Andrew C. Brock served as a Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly, representing the state's thirty-fourth Senate district from 2003 to 2017. During his tenure, he represented Yadkin, Davie, Iredell, and Rowan counties. He also served as the Republican deputy whip in the Senate.
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6. Jared Burton
1981-. (aged 45)
baseball player
Levi Jared Burton is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds and Minnesota Twins.
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7. Henry Logan
1946-2023 (aged 77)
basketball player
Henry Lee Logan was an American basketball player. Logan was a 6-foot (183 cm) guard.
8. Tom Apodaca
1957-. (aged 69)
politician
Thomas Michael Apodaca is a lobbyist and former Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's forty-eighth Senate district, including constituents in Buncombe, Henderson, and Transylvania counties.
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9. Paul Menhart
1969-. (aged 57)
baseball player
Paul Gerard Menhart is an American baseball pitching coach for the West Virginia Power of the Atlantic League and former Major League Baseball player. He attended Western Carolina University and was a pitcher for three teams in Major League Baseball.
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10. Jason Bond
biologist
zoologist
arachnologist
Jason E. Bond is an American biologist working as a Professor of Entomology and the Schlinger Chair in Insect Systematics at the University of California, Davis.
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11. Wayne Tolleson
1955-. (aged 71)
baseball player
Jimmy Wayne Tolleson is an American former professional baseball infielder who played for the Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, and New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB).
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12. Paul Johnson
1957-. (aged 69)
head coach
Paul Clayton Johnson is an American former college football coach. He served as the head football coach at Georgia Southern University from 1997 to 2001, the United States Naval Academy from 2002 to 2007, and Georgia Tech, from 2008 to 2018, compiling a career college football coaching record of 189–100. Johnson's Georgia Southern Eagles won consecutive NCAA Division I-AA Football...
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13. Brad Hoover
1976-. (aged 50)
American football player
Bradley R. Hoover is an American former professional football player who was a fullback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Western Carolina Catamounts. He was signed by the Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2000.
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14. Manteo Mitchell
1987-. (aged 39)
bobsledder
athletics competitor
Manteo Mitchell is an American sprinter and bobsledder. As a sprinter, he competed in the 200 m, 400 m, and 4 × 400 m relay. He was a member of the USA team that won the gold medal in the Men's 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships. Mitchell successfully ran in the 4 x...
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15. Linda L. Bray
1953-. (aged 73)
Linda L. Bray is a former U.S. Army officer known for being the first woman in the United States military to lead troops into combat. She served in the Panama Invasion and during the Cold War. Bray's career started in 1982 and ended with her retirement in 1991.
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16. Keion Crossen
1996-. (aged 30)
American football player
Keion Crossen is an American professional football cornerback. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL draft by the New England Patriots. He played college football for the Western Carolina Catamounts.
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17. David Joy
1983-. (aged 43)
novelist
David Joy is an American fiction writer widely known for his short stories and novels exploring themes of nature, addiction, and the human condition — inspired by North Carolina, his home-state. Plateau Magazine described Joy as a master at "creating a sense of place."
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18. Joe Firstman
1979-. (aged 47)
musician
Joe Firstman is an American multi-genre singer, songwriter, and late-night bandleader. He was the bandleader from 2005 to 2009 on American late night television program Last Call with Carson Daly broadcast on NBC. Firstman is now recording and touring with Cordovas, the band he founded in 2011.
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19. Greg Holland
1985-. (aged 41)
baseball player
Gregory Scott Holland is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Texas Rangers. Holland is a three-time All-Star.
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20. David Patten
1974-2021 (aged 47)
American football player
David Patten was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He is best known for catching a touchdown pass late in the second quarter of Super Bowl XXXVI from quarterback Tom Brady as a member of the New England Patriots.
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21. Jarvis Hayes
1981-. (aged 45)
basketball player
Jarvis James Hayes is an American-Qatari college basketball coach who is currently an assistant coach for the Georgia State Panthers and is a former professional player. Hayes was selected by the Washington Wizards with the 10th overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft.
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22. Ric Savage
1969-. (aged 57)
amateur wrestler
radio personality
professional wrestler
Frank Huguelet is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Heavy Metal" Ric Savage. He was the host of Savage Family Diggers, a reality treasure hunting show airing on Spike TV. He also conducts haunted "ghost tours" in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
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23. Geno Segers
1976-. (aged 50)
television actor
voice actor
stage actor
actor
Lonnie G. "Geno" Segers Jr. is an American actor known for his roles as Chayton Littlestone in the Cinemax original series Banshee, Dwayne in NBC's Perfect Harmony, Mason Makoola in the Disney XD television series Pair of Kings, Kincaid on MTV's Teen Wolf, and also as co-host of Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge for two seasons.
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24. Fran Brown
1982-. (aged 44)
head coach
American football player
American football coach
Francis Brown is an American college football coach and former cornerback who is currently the head football coach at Syracuse University. Previously, he served as the defensive backs coach at Georgia.
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25. Percy Watson
1981-. (aged 45)
amateur wrestler
American football player
professional wrestler
Nicholas Christopher McNeil, better known by his ring name Percy Watson, is an American professional wrestler, commentator, and former professional football player. He is best known for his time with WWE as an in-ring performer and later as a commentator on NXT, 205 Live, and WWE Main Event.
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26. Ariana DeBose
1991-. (aged 35)
actor
dancer
singer
Ariana DeBose is an American actress and singer. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for a Tony Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2022, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
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27. Drew Starkey
1993-. (aged 33)
television actor
film actor
Joseph Andrew Starkey is an American actor. He began his career with supporting roles in the teen drama films Love, Simon and The Hate U Give.
28. Rich Hall
1954-. (aged 72)
screenwriter
comedy writer
television actor
actor
Richard Travis Hall is an American comedian, writer, director, actor, and musician, first coming to prominence as a sketch comedian in the 1980s. He wrote and performed for a range of American networks, in series such as Fridays, Not Necessarily the News (popularising the "sniglet" neologism), and Saturday Night Live.
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29. David Sedaris
1956-. (aged 70)
comedian
essayist
writer
David Raymond Sedaris is an American humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor. He was publicly recognized in 1992 when National Public Radio broadcast his essay "Santaland Diaries". He published his first collection of essays and short stories, Barrel Fever, in 1994. His next book, Naked (1997), became his first of a series of New York Times Bestsellers, and his 2000...
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30. Kevin Martin
1983-. (aged 43)
basketball player
Kevin Ray Martin, nicknamed "the Old Bear" and "K-Mart", is a Canadian retired curler originally from Lougheed, Alberta and residing in Edmonton. He is an Olympic, World and four-time Canadian champion and a member of the World Curling Hall of Fame. He is considered by many commentators and former and current curlers to be the greatest curler of all time....
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31. Louis Ducruet
1992-. (aged 34)
Louis Robert Paul Ducruet is the son of Princess Stéphanie of Monaco and Daniel Ducruet.