 Adolph Rupp | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 2, 1901 Halstead, Kansas |
| Died | December 10, 1977 (aged 76) Lexington, Kentucky |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1930–1972 | Kentucky |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 876–190, 5th most wins all-time; 82.2% winning percentage, 2nd highest all-time |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| NCAA championship (1948, 1949, 1951, 1958) Regional Championships – Final Four (1942, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1966) | |
| Awards | |
| National Coach of the Year (5-time, 1950, 1954, 1959, 1966, 1970) SEC Coach of the Year (7-time, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972) | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 1969 | |
| College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 | |
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball under Adolph Rupp covers the history of the University of Kentucky Wildcats college basketball team during the period from when Adolph Rupp was hired as head coach in 1930 through 1972. Under Rupp, Kentucky played as part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Wildcats under Rupp played its home games at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky. During the forty years Rupp has served as head basketball coach, Kentucky compiled an overall official record of 876–190 (.822), won four NCAA championships (1948, 1949, 1951, 1958), one NIT title in 1946, appeared in 20 NCAA tournaments, had six NCAA Final Four appearances, captured twenty-seven Southeastern Conference (SEC) regular season titles, and won thirteen SEC tournaments.
Rupp gained the nicknames, "Baron of the Bluegrass", and "The Man in the Brown Suit". Rupp, who was an early innovator of the fast break and set offense, quickly gained a reputation as an intense competitor, a strict motivator, and a fine strategist, often driving his teams to great levels of success.