A pioneer in his sport who helped not only establish Tennessee Tech as one of the best collegiate rifle programs in the nation, Aaron Hupman's ground-breaking success in hitting the bullseye helped lead toward the adoption of rifle as an NCAA and Ohio Valley Conference sport. Those credentials have landed Hupman in the TTU Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2014.

Throughout the 1970s, 80s, and into the 90s, the Tennessee Tech rifle team was one of the premier collegiate teams in the country. Dr. Aaron Hupman is considered by many as one of the cornerstones for the program and the building of its success.

Robert Aylward, a member of the TTU Sports Hall of Fame and former teammate of Hupman, says that he was one of the best riflemen he's ever seen.

“I would humbly say...that as good as I was while in college, Aaron J. Hupman kicked my butt in almost every competition,” Aylward stated in his letter nominating his former teammate for the Hall of Fame.

Dr. Hupman lettered for rifle in 1971, ’72, and ’73. At that time, the sport of rifle was not sponsored by the Ohio Valley Conference. That wouldn't occur until 1980, when the NCAA also recognized the sport under its umbrella. Still, because of the impact he had on a Tennessee Tech program that helped set the standards of the sport on the collegiate level, Hupman is one of the individuals credited with laying the foundation and helping to gain the recognition of the sport for Tennessee Tech and eventually the OVC and NCAA.

In the 1970s, the National Rifle Association (NRA) had oversight of the sport of collegiate rifle. Hupman was named an NRA All-American in 1971, ’72, and ’73, when he helped the team win two NRA National Championships in ’71 and ’72. Hupman was crowned NRA National Individual Champion in 1971.

Aylward, U.S. Olympic gold medalist Ed Etzel, and Ray Carter, all teammates of Hupman while on the Golden Eagleye rifle team are all members of the TTU Sports Hall Of Fame. Each humbly gives much credit to Hupman for the success of the sport at Tennessee Tech.

Following the reign on the rifle team of that dynamic trio, and once the OVC began to recognize rifle as a conference sport in 1980, Tennessee Tech vaulted into the top three in the nation seven of the 10 years during that first decade, including three consecutive NCAA National Championships in 1980, 1981, and 1982.

Dr. Hupman concentrated on more than just rifle during his time on campus, where he was an active member of Phi Kappa Phi. Hupman graduated from Tech in 1973 with a degree in chemistry.