Joe B. Hall

Born in Cynthiana, Kentucky, on November 30, 1928. Basketball Coach. University of Kentucky, College of Education, B.A. 1955.

He played freshman and one year of varsity basketball during the "Fabulous Five" era at UK before transferring to the University of the South (Sewanee). He returned to Kentucky to complete his bachelors degree and then earned a masters degree at Colorado State University in 1964.

He began his coaching career at Shepardsville High School, and then moved to Regis College and Central Missouri State before returning to UK in 1965 as an assistant coach under Adolph Rupp. He took over as head coach in 1972.

His 13 years at Kentucky include one NCAA Title - Three Final Fours - One NIT Title - Two NIT Appearances - Eight SEC Titles - One SEC Tournament Title - Six Final Eight Appearances - Eleven UKIT Titles - Three Mideast Regional Titles - NCAA Tournament Record of 20.9 - Six All-Americans Chosen 10 Times - Nine All-SEC Players Chosen 18 Times - Three Academic All-Americans Chosen 23 Players Drafted By The NBA - Averaged 22.8 wins Per Year - Winning Percentage of 74.8 - 182 SEC Victories in 13 Years. He was named Coach-of-the-Year in 1978, and was named SEC Coach-of-the-Year four times.

In 1978, he conducted clinics in Spain at the FIBA Junior World Championships. In 1982, during the Wildcats tour of the Orient, he conducted clinics in the Republic of China and in Hong Kong.

In the summer of 1981, he conducted clinics in Ireland. In 1980, he conducted a clinic in Santiago, Chili, as a guest of the Chilean Basketball Federation. One of his major honors was being guest lecturer for the World Basketball Coaches Congress in the Canary Islands, July 1977, before some 400 coaches from the international set.

In 1978, he coached the United States All-Stars, a group of collegians that included five of his own players, to the first World Invitational Tournament championship with wins over Cuba, Yugoslavia, Greece and Israel.

He was a member of the 1975 Olympic Basketball Committee, and in 1972 served in the Olympic Trials at the Air Force Academy.

He has served as state Chairman of both the Arthritis Foundation and the Heart Foundation, sponsored the Joe B. Hall Shootout for children at Cardinal Hill Hospital, and a camp for children cancer victims.

When he retired from coaching in 1985, he accepted a position as Vice President of Correspondent Banking for Central Bank & Trust Company.

Joe B. Hall was named to the Hall of Distinguished Alumni April 21, 1995.