The University of Pittsburgh’s athletic programs have been graced by numerous stand-out student athletes and coaches over the years.

Each era has boasted its share of stars both on the field and on the sidelines who have lit up collegiate athletics, but a select few stand out as sporting icons that hail from Pitt.

These figures not only had an effect on their respective sports, but also influenced and united the University as a whole, bringing the national spotlight to Pitt numerous times as a direct result of their superior performances and achievements.

As selected by members of The Pitt News’ sports staff, here are the top 10 figures that have earned legendary status in the 17 varsity sports and 125 years of Pitt athletics:

10. Brandin Knight (men’s basketball, point guard, 1999-2003; assistant coach, 2008-present)

Big East Co-player of the Year and third team All-American in 2002, Knight was the driving force behind the success of the Pitt basketball team early in the decade.

When he graduated, Knight held school records for career assists, assists per game, steals, assists in a season and minutes played in a season.

The defining moment of the point guard’s career was in 2003, when he played through a serious ankle injury to lead the Panthers to the Big East tournament championship over Connecticut, after Pitt had lost in the final the previous two years.

“It makes it more special,” Knight said after the game. “We finally got over the hump, overcame all the odds and won the game.”

His jersey number, 20, was retired by Pitt basketball in 2009, and he remains a vital part of the basketball program as an assistant to head coach Jamie Dixon.

9. Shavonte Zellous (women’s basketball, shooting guard, 2005-2009)

The only Pitt women’s basketball player ever to have been drafted in the WNBA, Zellous followed up her record-setting career with the Panthers by cementing herself as a solid professional player. She still plays significant minutes with the Indiana Fever.

During Zellous’ four years at Pitt, the Panthers’ women’s basketball program experienced unprecedented success, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament three times and advancing to the Sweet Sixteen for the first two times in school history.

Despite being lightly recruited out of high school, Zellous ended up at Pitt after head coach Agnus Berenato noticed her raw talent.

“Nobody was after Shavonte,” Berenato told ESPN in 2008. “But we were horrendous my first year here — we had six wins. So we were looking for anything.”

Zellous finished third on Pitt’s all-time scoring list, racking up 2,253 career points and earning Third Team All-American status after her senior year.

8. Rande Stottlemyer (wrestler, 1974-1978; head coach 1979-present)

Since 1979, Stottlemyer has led one of the most storied wrestling programs in the eastern United States.

A member of the Western Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, his credentials represent the model for collegiate wrestling coaches across the country, and his Panthers will seek their fourth consecutive Eastern Wrestling League title this season.

The five-time EWL Coach of the Year has coached more than 20 All-Americans and three national champions in his long tenure.

“It’s a great honor being named in the top 10,” Stottlemyer said. “It just goes to show you what hard work can do. I had a great wrestling career here and followed it up with a very fulfilling coaching career. I’m happy to have been given the opportunity to impact the lives of all the wrestlers who came through here and helped to create this great program.”

As a wrestler at Pitt, Stottlemyer compiled a 68-16-2 record and was a three-time All-American.

7. Roger Kingdom (track and field, 1981-1984)

Originally attending Pitt to play on a football scholarship, Kingdom excelled on the track, not the football field.

After winning NCAA championships in the 110-meter hurdles and 55-meter hurdles, Kingdom represented the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

He won a gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles with a then-Olympic record time of 13.2 seconds. He also won gold in the same event at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

But his incredible career as a sprinter never might have happened if the Pitt football coaches hadn’t planned on making Kingdom a free safety instead of a ball carrier.

“I would have liked to have stayed at running back,” Kingdom said to Sports Illustrated in 1988.

6. Larry Fitzgerald (football, wide receiver, 2002-2003)

Referred to by New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick as “one of the all-time greats, maybe the best ever,” Fitzgerald is the epitome of a professional athlete — today with the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL.

His play on the field and superb effort off it distinguishes him as one of the premier players to ever compete for Pitt.

He rewrote the record books in his two years as a Panther, catching an incredible 34 touchdowns in just 26 games and tallying 2,677 yards. He still holds an NCAA record for pulling in a touchdown pass in 18 straight games.

And Fitzgerald has been just as good in his professional career, making six Pro Bowls and almost leading the Cardinals to a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII.

5. Henry Clifford “Doc” Carlson (three-sport athlete, 1915-1917; men’s basketball head coach, 1922-1953)

After playing football, basketball and baseball at Pitt, Carlson took over the basketball program in 1922 and held the position for more than three decades, earning 367 career wins.

During that span, Carlson’s Panthers won two national championships — in 1928 and 1930 — and reached the modern NCAA Tournament’s Final Four for the only time in school history in 1941.

Since his death in 1964, Carlson’s legacy lives on with his “Figure 8” offense, which many other coaches in college basketball began utilizing at the time.

4. Hugh Green (football, defensive end, 1977-1980)

Green dominated during his time at Pitt as one of the most productive defensive players in college football history.

He finished his four-year career with 460 tackles and 53 sacks, and he narrowly missed the rare feat of winning the Heisman Trophy — an award given annually to the best player in college football — as a defender, finishing second in 1980.

Former Southern California head coach John McKay believed Green was one of the best defensive ends ever to play college football.

“Hugh Green is the most productive player at his position I have ever seen in college,” McKay said.

Despite an injury-plagued pro career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Miami Dolphins, Green was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame, and his jersey number, 99, will never be worn by another Pitt football player.

3. Dan Marino (football, quarterback, 1979-1982)

South Oakland born and raised, Marino attended Central Catholic High School before coming to Pitt.

Although a national title eluded Marino, the most memorable game of his collegiate career was the 1982 Sugar Bowl as the quarterback led the Panthers to a last-minute victory over Georgia.

Still a raw talent entering the NFL Draft, five other quarterbacks were drafted above Marino before the Miami Dolphins selected him late in the first round. It was a decision they wouldn’t regret.

Marino torched NFL defenses and rewrote the passing record book from 1983 to 1999, earning nine trips to the Pro Bowl and one MVP award as he threw for more than 60,000 yards.

Marino was later inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005, and his jersey number, 13, is retired by Pitt.

2. John Bain “Jock” Sutherland (football, end, 1915-1917; head coach, 1924-1938)

Simply put, he is still the greatest coach in Pitt football history.

Sutherland compiled a record of 111-20-12, and his teams lay claim to five of Pitt’s nine national championships. Along with Pop Warner, Sutherland was one of the true engineers behind the national powerhouse Pitt football became in its early years.

Sutherland was an All-American player at Pitt, playing for the famous undefeated 1917 team dubbed “The Fighting Dentists” because most of the players, including Sutherland, were dental students.

After leaving Pitt to coach the Brooklyn Dodgers football team, Sutherland fought in World War II and, upon returning, coached the Pittsburgh Steelers for two years.

His contributions to the University were further recognized in 1992, when a residence hall bearing his name opened on upper campus.

1. Tony Dorsett (football, running back, 1973-1976)

Not everyone gets a street named after him or her outside Heinz Field.

Still considered one of the greatest college football players of all time, Dorsett was truly a once-in-a-generation talent.

He led the Panthers to their most recent national championship in 1976, rushing for 1,948 yards. That same season, he set the all-time collegiate rushing mark a 6,082 yards — a record that stood until Ricky Williams of Texas broke it in 1998.

Drafted second overall by the Dallas Cowboys, Dorsett enjoyed a pro career equal to his stellar collegiate career.

Earning four trips to the Pro Bowl and helping the Cowboys win Super Bowl XII, Dorsett finished with 12,739 yards and 92 touchdowns when he retired in 1989.

Dorsett remains the only Pitt football player to win the prestigious Heisman Trophy, and his jersey number, 33, was rightfully retired by the football program.