"Hoguey" is named in honor of the first Greenville College President, Wilson T. Hogue. His name adorned Greenville College's landmark academic building, Hogue Hall, before its demolition in the summer of 2008.
The latest iteration of Hoguey the Panther was introduced at the 2023 Homecoming parade and made a grand entrance at the Homecoming football game. The new professionally made suit is a far cry from the hand-sewn one made in 1968 by the mother of the school’s first mascot, Roy Yarbrough. But the tradition launched by Yarbrough back then continues today.
The new mascot suit – manufactured by BAM! Mascots of Ontario, Canada – is predominantly orange, with black trim. Its face is patterned after the University’s panther logo, introduced in 2017, and its body is heavily muscled. It replaces the furry black suit that has been used for several years and is wearing out.
The original panther mascot first appeared during the 1968-69 school year, when Yarbrough, a junior, wore a black costume made by his mother. To complete the suit, he wore a $2 plastic Halloween mask depicting a panther face.
Yarbrough was so taken by the role of mascots in university athletics that he wrote a book on the topic in 1998 (“MASCOTS: The History of Senior College and University Mascots and Nicknames”). In the book, he presented a picture of each mascot and an outline of its history for several hundred colleges and universities nationwide. The following is an excerpt from the Greenville College entry:
“Greenville College’s athletic teams were first called the ‘Gremlins.’ However, many believed that a Christian college should not have a demon-like creature as its mascot. Therefore, in 1940, a student vote was taken, and the ‘Panthers’ won.
“In 1968, men’s basketball coach Tom Morgan requested that Roy E. Yarbrough become the GC panther mascot. So, with the help of his mom, Yarbrough donned a homemade panther suit and walked onto the court. The crowd went wild as he waved his spirit stick (an old rolling pin), lifted the lid of the spirit can, and frolicked with the cheerleaders.”
Though the panther mascot has existed since 1940, it wasn’t until a few years ago that it was given a name. In a 2015 contest, GU alum Lee Coakley suggested the winning name of Hoguey in honor of Wilson T. Hogue, the first president of Greenville College in 1892.
“At the time, Hogue Hall had just been demolished, and I wanted a mascot name that people would associate with the school,” said Coakley, a 2000 GU graduate who teaches Spanish at Greenville High School. “It seemed like a solid name, and I was happy to be able to leave a mark at the university.”
GU Athletic Director Tom Ackerman said the mascot generates enthusiasm at athletic contests and other events. “Hoguey has become a staple on campus and is much more present in recent years. A mascot’s role is to create energy and positivity at the events they attend, and Hoguey is an expert at doing just that.”
Stephanie Brant, current director of GU’s spirit programs, said the suit upgrade was needed. “The old suit had some wear and tear from years of use. It had gotten to the point that we couldn’t fix it anymore. The new suit matches our new athletic logo and helps people recognize the school’s brand.”
The 2023 Hoguey said the new suit will allow him to represent the University better and create school spirit.
“If done right, the mascot can be the face and personality of the school,” he said. “I want Hoguey to be kid-friendly, enthusiastic, and a good representative of Greenville University. When my time doing the mascot is done, I don’t want to have any regrets. I want to look back and know I’ve given it my all.”
