List of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball head coaches

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Adolph Rupp is the winningest coach in school history.

The men's basketball team representing the University of Kentucky plays at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Kentucky Wildcats originally did not play within any athletic conference, before joining the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1910. In 1921 they joined the newly established Southern Conference. Eleven years later they would join the SEC as a founding member. The Wildcats play their home games in Rupp Arena, named after their 16th head coach Adolph Rupp. They previously played in Memorial Coliseum, Alumni Gymnasium, Buell Armory Gymnasium, and began their existence playing in State College Gymnasium.[1][2]

There have been 22 head coaches in the history of Kentucky basketball. The program has played over 3,100 games across 113 seasons from the program's inaugural 1903–04 season to the most recent year, 2022–23. Five Kentucky coaches, the most of any school, have led the team to a NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship: Rupp in 1948, 1949, 1951 and 1958; Joe B. Hall in 1978, Rick Pitino in 1996, Tubby Smith in 1998, and John Calipari in 2012. Kentucky also received two retroactive national championships for the 1932-33 and 1933–34 teams coached by Rupp given by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll and Helms Athletic Foundation respectively. Seven coaches have won a conference regular season championship by having the best overall regular season record with the Wildcats: Ray Eklund, Rupp, Hall, Eddie Sutton, Pitino, Smith and Calipari. Seven coaches have won a conference tournament with the Wildcats: George Buchheit, Rupp, Hall, Sutton, Pitino, Smith and Calipari.[1][2][3]

Rupp had the longest tenure at Kentucky, coaching for 42 seasons, and is the all-time leader in games coached (1,066) and wins at the school (874). Rupp's 874 wins were the most of any NCAA men's Division I coach at the time of his retirement in 1972. Eklund is the team's all-time leader in winning percentage, with a .833 winning percentage. Statistically, Basil Hayden has been the least successful coach of the Wildcats, with a winning percentage of .187. Five coaches have received national coaching awards while the head coach of Kentucky: Rupp, Sutton, Pitino, Smith, and Calipari. Four Wildcat coaches: Rupp, Sutton, Pitino, and Calipari have been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.[1][2]

Kentucky's previous head coach was John Calipari, who has held the position until 2024.[2]

Statistics[edit]

Statistics are correct as of the 2021–22 college basketball season.

Coaching awards are only listed if won while the individual was the coach of Kentucky.

Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball head coaches
# Name Term GC OW OL O% CW CL C% RCs CCs NCs Awards
1 W. W. H. Mustaine and others 1903–1904 56 1 2 .333 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — —
2 Edwin Sweetland/R.E. Spahr 1909–1910 12 4 8 .333 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — —
3 Harold Iddings 1910–1911 11 5 6 .454 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — —
4 Edwin Sweetland 1911–1912 9 9 0 1.000 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — —
5 John J. Tigert 1912–1913 8 5 3 .625 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — —
6 Alpha Brumage 1913–1915 26 19 7 .731 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — —
7 James Park 1915–1916 14 8 6 .571 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — —
8 William P. Tuttle 1916–1917 10 4 6 .500 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — —
9 Stanley A. Boles 1917–1918 11 9 2 .792 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — —
10 Andrew Gill 1918–1919 14 6 8 .428 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — &&&&&&&&&&&-ec99 c7.7 — — —
11 George Buchheit 1919–1924 71 44 27 .619 9 8 .529 0 1 — —
12 Clarence Applegran 1924–1925 21 13 8 .619 6 2 .750 0 0 — —
13 Ray Eklund 1925–1926 18 15 3 .833 8 0 1.000 1 0 — —
14 Basil Hayden 1926–1927 16 3 13 .187 1 6 .143 0 0 — —
15 John Mauer 1927–1930 54 40 14 .740 24 6 .800 5 1 — —
16 Adolph Rupp† 1930–1972 1066 876 190 .823 399 75 .842 27 13 6:

1933♥
1934‡
1948♠
1949♠
1951♠
1958♠

BHOF (1969)[5]

NCHOF (2006)[6]

NABC (1966)[7]

USBWA (1966)[8]

SEC (1964,1966,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972)[8]

17 Joe B. Hall 1972–1985 397 297 100 .748 172 62 .735 8 1 1: 1978♠

SEC (1973,1975,1978,1983)[9]

18 Eddie Sutton† 1985–1989 127 88 39 .693 48 23 .676 1 1 —

BOHF (2020)[10]

NCHOF (2011)[11]

NABC (1986)[7]

AP (1986)[12]

SEC (1986)[12]

19 Rick Pitino† 1989–1997 269 219 50 .814 104 28 .788 2 5 1: 1996♠

BHOF (2013)[13]

SEC (1990,1991,1996)[14]

20 Tubby Smith 1997–2007 351 268 83 .760 120 40 .750 5 5 1: 1998♠ LOCA (2016)[15]

NABC (2003)[7]

N (2003)[16]

USBWA (2003)[17]

AP (2003)[17]

SEC (1998,2003,2005)[17]

21 Billy Gillispie 2007–2009 67 40 27 .597 20 12 .625 0 0 — SEC (2008)[18]
22 John Calipari† 2009–2024 532 410 122 .774 198 65 .752 6 6 1: 2012♠ BHOF (2015)[19]

NABC (2009,2015)[7]

N (2015)[16]

AP (2015)[20]

SEC (2010,2012,2015,2020)[20]

23 Mark Pope 2024–present
Totals 3140 2392 748 0.761 1097 321 0.773 55 33 8
Picture of Adolph Rupp.
Picture of Joe B Hall.
Picture of Rick Pitino.
Picture of Tubby Smith.
Picture of John Calipari.
Pictured from left to right: Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall, Rick Pitino, Tubby Smith, and John Calipari have all won national championships as the head coach of Kentucky.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "2008-09 UK Factbook" (PDF). UKathletics.com. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-31. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
  2. ^ a b c d "Kentucky Wildcats Index". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
  3. ^ "All-Time UK Coaches". UK Athletics. Archived from the original on May 16, 2007. Retrieved September 15, 2007.
  4. ^ A running total of the number of coaches of the Wildcats.
  5. ^ "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Adolph Rupp". www.hoophall.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  6. ^ "Adolph F. Rupp". College Basketball Experience. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  7. ^ a b c d "NABC Coaches of the Year". National Association of Basketball Coaches. 2021-12-07. Archived from the original on April 30, 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  8. ^ a b "Adolph Rupp Coaching Record". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  9. ^ "Joe B. Hall Coaching Record". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  10. ^ "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Eddie Sutton". www.hoophall.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  11. ^ "Eddie Sutton". College Basketball Experience. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  12. ^ a b "Eddie Sutton Coaching Record". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  13. ^ Courier-Journal, The (Louisville, Ky ). "Rick Pitino selected to Basketball Hall of Fame". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved 2023-04-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ "Rick Pitino Coaching Record". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  15. ^ "Texas Tech's Tubby Smith Named 2016 John R. Wooden Award "Legends of Coaching" Recipient". Texas Tech Red Raiders. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  16. ^ a b "Past Winners | Naismith Awards". Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  17. ^ a b c "Tubby Smith Coaching Record". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  18. ^ "Billy Gillispie Coaching Record". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  19. ^ "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: John Calipari". www.hoophall.com. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  20. ^ a b "John Calipari Coaching Record". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
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