List Of Kentucky Wildcats Men's Basketball Head Coaches
There have been 23 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 an 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.
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.
Kentucky's current head coach was Mark Pope, has held the position since April 12, 2024.
Statistics
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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.
# | 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 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2 | Edwin Sweetland/R.E. Spahr | 1909–1910 | 12 | 4 | 8 | .333 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
3 | Harold Iddings | 1910–1911 | 11 | 5 | 6 | .454 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
4 | Edwin Sweetland | 1911–1912 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1.000 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
5 | John J. Tigert | 1912–1913 | 8 | 5 | 3 | .625 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
6 | Alpha Brumage | 1913–1915 | 26 | 19 | 7 | .731 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
7 | James Park | 1915–1916 | 14 | 8 | 6 | .571 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
8 | William P. Tuttle | 1916–1917 | 10 | 4 | 6 | .500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
9 | Stanley A. Boles | 1917–1918 | 11 | 9 | 2 | .792 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
10 | Andrew Gill | 1918–1919 | 14 | 6 | 8 | .428 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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: | BHOF (1969)
NCHOF (2006) NABC (1966) USBWA (1966) SEC (1964,1966,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972) |
17 | Joe B. Hall | 1972–1985 | 397 | 297 | 100 | .748 | 172 | 62 | .735 | 8 | 1 | 1: 1978 |
SEC (1973,1975,1978,1983) |
18 | Eddie Sutton | 1985–1989 | 127 | 88 | 39 | .693 | 48 | 23 | .676 | 1 | 1 | — |
BOHF (2020) NCHOF (2011) NABC (1986) AP (1986) SEC (1986) |
19 | Rick Pitino | 1989–1997 | 269 | 219 | 50 | .814 | 104 | 28 | .788 | 2 | 5 | 1: 1996 |
BHOF (2013) SEC (1990,1991,1996) |
20 | Tubby Smith | 1997–2007 | 351 | 268 | 83 | .760 | 120 | 40 | .750 | 5 | 5 | 1: 1998 | LOCA (2016)
NABC (2003) N (2003) USBWA (2003) AP (2003) SEC (1998,2003,2005) |
21 | Billy Gillispie | 2007–2009 | 67 | 40 | 27 | .597 | 20 | 12 | .625 | 0 | 0 | — | SEC (2008) |
22 | John Calipari | 2009–2024 | 532 | 410 | 122 | .774 | 198 | 65 | .752 | 6 | 6 | 1: 2012 | BHOF (2015)
NABC (2009,2015) N (2015) AP (2015) SEC (2010,2012,2015,2020) |
23 | Mark Pope | 2024–present | |||||||||||
Totals | 3140 | 2392 | 748 | 0.761 | 1097 | 321 | 0.773 | 55 | 33 | 8 |
References
- ^ "2008-09 UK Factbook" (PDF). UKathletics.com. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-31. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
- ^ "Kentucky Wildcats Index". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ "All-Time UK Coaches". UK Athletics. Archived from the original on May 16, 2007. Retrieved September 15, 2007.
- ^ A running total of the number of coaches of the Wildcats.
- ^ "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Adolph Rupp". www.hoophall.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ "Adolph F. Rupp". College Basketball Experience. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Adolph Rupp Coaching Record". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ "Joe B. Hall Coaching Record". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Eddie Sutton". www.hoophall.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ "Eddie Sutton". College Basketball Experience. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ "Eddie Sutton Coaching Record". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ 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) - ^ "Rick Pitino Coaching Record". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Past Winners | Naismith Awards". Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ "Tubby Smith Coaching Record". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ "Billy Gillispie Coaching Record". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- ^ "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: John Calipari". www.hoophall.com. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ "John Calipari Coaching Record". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-25.