Adolph Rupp

Alma Mater: 
Class of: 

1923

Hometown: 
Halstead, KS
  • Coached teams to four NCAA titles (1948, 1949, 1951 and 1958)
  • His 1942 squad finished tied for third in the 1942 NCAA Tournament and his 1966 team was runner-up to Texas Western
  • Elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1968
  • Named national coach of the year by UPI in 1959 and 1966, and by the USBWA in 1966
  • Directed Kentucky to 1946 NIT title. Coached UK to NIT championship game again in 1947. His 1944 UK team finished fourth at NIT
  • Coach of 1933 Kentucky team that was selected as national champion by the Helms Foundation
  • Major-college coach to reach the following milestone wins the fastest: 400 (477 games/20th season), 500 (584/23rd), 600 (705/27th), 700 (836/32nd) and 800 (974/37th)
  • Held NCAA career record for most victories until it was broken by Dean Smith
  • Coached Kentucky to a SEC-record 24 conference and 13 tournament titles (1933-37-39-40-42-44-45-46-47-48-49-50-52)
  • Kentucky's all-time winningest coach
  • Played college basketball under Phog Allen at Kansas
  • Final Top 20 Rankings (19: AP/UPI)--1949 (1), 1950 (3), 1951 (1/1), 1952 (1/1), 1954 (1/2), 1955 (2/2), 1956 (9/12), 1957 (3/3), 1958 (9/14), 1959 (2/2), 1961 (20/18), 1962 (3/3), 1964 (4/3), 1966 (1/1), 1968 (5/5), 1969 (7/5), 1970 (1/1), 1971 (8/8) and 1972 (18/14)
  • All-Americans (23): Ralph Beard (1947 through 1949), Bob Brannum (1944), Bob Burrow (1955 and 1956), Johnny Cox (1957 and 1959), Louie Dampier (1966 and 1967), Bill Davis (1934), Cowboy Edwards (1935), Alex Groza (1947 through 1949), Cliff Hagan (1952 and 1954), Vern Hatton (1958), Dan Issel (1969 and 1970), Thad Jaracz (1966), Wah Wah Jones (1947 through 1949), Jim Line (1950), Cotton Nash (1962 through 1964), Bernie Opper (1939), Jack Parkinson (1946), Mike Pratt (1970), Frank Ramsey (1951, 1952 and 1954), Pat Riley (1966), Aggie Sale (1932 and 1933), Bill Spivey (1950 and 1951) and Jack Tingle (1947).
Record: 

Season

School

Overall

League

Finish

Conference (Division)

Postseason (Record)

1930-31

Kentucky

15-3

8-2

4th

Southern

1931-32

Kentucky

15-2

9-1

T-1st

Southern

1932-33

Kentucky

21-3

8-0

1st

SEC

1933-34

Kentucky

16-1

11-0

1st

SEC

1934-35

Kentucky

19-2

11-0

T-1st

SEC

1935-36

Kentucky

15-6

6-2

1st

SEC

1936-37

Kentucky

17-5

5-3

T-5th

SEC

1937-38

Kentucky

13-5

6-0

1st

SEC

DNP

1938-39

Kentucky

16-4

5-2

3rd

SEC

DNP

1939-40

Kentucky

15-6

4-4

T-6th

SEC

DNP

1940-41

Kentucky

17-8

8-1

1st

SEC

DNP

1941-42

Kentucky

19-6

6-2

3rd

SEC

NCAA (1-1)

1942-43

Kentucky

17-6

8-1

1st

SEC

DNP

1943-44

Kentucky

19-2

NIT (2-1)

1944-45

Kentucky

22-4

4-1

T-1st

SEC

NCAA (1-1)

1945-46

Kentucky

28-2

6-0

T-1st

SEC

NIT (3-0)

1946-47

Kentucky

34-3

11-0

1st

SEC

NIT (2-1)

1947-48

Kentucky

36-3

9-0

1st

SEC

NCAA (3-0)

1948-49

Kentucky

32-2

13-0

1st (SEC) NIT

/NCAA (3-0)

1949-50

Kentucky

25-5

11-2

1st

SEC

NIT (0-1)

1950-51

Kentucky

32-2

14-0

1st

SEC

NCAA (4-0)

1951-52

Kentucky

29-3

14-0

1st

SEC

NCAA (1-1)

1953-54

Kentucky

25-0

14-0

T-1st

SEC

DNP

1954-55

Kentucky

23-3

12-2

1st

SEC

NCAA (1-1)

1955-56

Kentucky

20-6

12-2

2nd

SEC

NCAA (1-1)

1956-57

Kentucky

23-5

12-2

1st

SEC

NCAA (1-1)

1957-58

Kentucky

23-6

12-2

1st

SEC

NCAA (4-0)

1958-59

Kentucky

24-3

12-2

T-2nd

SEC

NCAA (1-1)

1959-60

Kentucky

18-7

10-4

3rd

SEC

DNP

1960-61

Kentucky

19-9

10-4

T-2nd

SEC

NCAA (1-1)

1961-62

Kentucky

23-3

13-1

T-1st

SEC

NCAA (1-1)

1962-63

Kentucky

16-9

8-6

5th

SEC

DNP

1963-64

Kentucky

21-6

11-3

1st

SEC

NCAA (0-2)

1964-65

Kentucky

15-10

10-6

5th

SEC

DNP

1965-66

Kentucky

27-2

15-1

1st

SEC

NCAA (3-1)

1966-67

Kentucky

13-13

8-10

T-5th

SEC

DNP

1967-68

Kentucky

22-5

15-3

1st

SEC

NCAA (1-1)

1968-69

Kentucky

23-5

16-2

1st

SEC

NCAA (1-1)

1969-70

Kentucky

26-2

17-1

1st

SEC

NCAA (1-1)

1970-71

Kentucky

22-6

16-2

1st

SEC

NCAA (0-2)

1971-72

Kentucky

21-7

14-4

T-1st

SEC

NCAA (1-1)

NOTE: Kentucky did not field a team in 1952-53. From 1933-50 the SEC champion was determined by a tournament, except for 1935.

  • 41-Year Coaching Record: 876-190 (.822) at Kentucky
  • 17-3 (.850) in southern Conference
  • 397-75 (.845) in Southeastern Conference
  • 4-2 (.667) in southern Conference Tournament
  • 57-6 (.905) in SEC Tournament
  • 30-18 (.625) in NCAA Tournament
  • 7-4 (.636) in NIT