About Rupp
Adolph Frederick Rupp
1901-1977
Adolph Frederick Rupp was the winningest college basketball coach of his time and dedicated himself to building the University of Kentucky basketball program into a national powerhouse during his 41 years coaching UK basketball.
Rupp was born in Kansas in 1901 and grew up on a farm with 5 siblings. From a young age, Rupp learned the value of hard work and to strive for excellence. Coach Rupp’s father died when he was a young boy at the age of 9. Following his father's death, Rupp had to work to help support his family. He began working as a custodian at the one-room school he attended. Unlike many children, Rupp’s mornings were not leisurely or carefree. Instead, Rupp began his days by walking to school first thing in the morning to sweep the schoolhouse and start the fire before his classmates arrived.
Rupp starred on his high school basketball team before attending the University of Kansas and playing for Hall of Fame coach Forrest “Phog” Allen and James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. While at the University of Kansas, Rupp worked at the Jay Hawk Café to pay for his schooling. He later moved to New York City, where he lived in the YMCA, while he worked and earned his Master's Degree from Columbia University.
He was a devoted husband, father and loving grandfather.
A basketball legend
A Winning Record
Rupp coached UK teams to four NCAA National Championships, six NCAA Final Four appearances, 20 NCAA tournaments, 27 SEC Championships, 13 SEC tournament championships, five Sugar Bowl Championships, two Helms Foundation National Championships, one NIT championship, and one International Universities Tournament championship in 1966, led the 1948 Olympic Basketball team, as an assistant coach, to a Gold Medal.
He had an unparalleled coaching record with 876 wins and 190 losses while holding the longest NCAA Division 1 home-court winning streak at 129 games over 12 years, leading 53 players that went on to be All-SEC Players and 22 players that went on to be College All-American players.
Coaching Excellence
He was named National Coach of the Year four times, SEC Coach of the Year seven times, UK Basketball Writers Association Coach of the Year two times (1965, 1966), awarded Coach of the Century by the Touchdown Club of Columbus (1967), received National Association of Basketball Coaches Citation of Appreciation for Outstanding Service & Leadership (1970) and received the James Naismith Iron Duke Award and Peach Basket Award.
Hall of Fame
He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1969 and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006— he was a founding member. In addition, Coach Rupp was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Helms Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame, the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame, the Kansas Athletic Hall of Fame, the University of Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Halstead High School Hall of Fame.
Community Focused
On and off the courts, Rupp was an upstanding citizen. Rupp went on to receive the Governor’s Medallion for meritorious service to the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1959, the UK Distinguished Service Award in 1968, the Distinguished Service Citation from the University of Kansas in 1970, the Kentucky American Legion Distinguished Service Award in 1973, the Kentucky Historical Society Distinguished Service Award in 2009, and the UK Achievement Award by the Athletic Association for Leadership and Service.
He was recognized by the U.S. Air Force for outstanding services to the United States Air Force Special Service Sports Programs and by the United States Navy for diligent, unselfish devotion in the interests of the U.S. Navy in the Ninth Naval District.
Coach Rupp received the National Council of the YMCA’s of North America Outstanding Leadership Award, he was honored with the Award of Dedication from Sertoma Charities of Kentucky for support and dedication on behalf of children with Special Needs in Kentucky, and he received the Oleika Temple Special Service Award.
As a member of Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity, Rupp was named Delta Sig of the Year in 1966 by the International Fraternity of Delta Sigma Phi.
A Leader On the Courts
Within the Basketball community, Rupp had an outstanding leadership presence. He was President of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, a Founding Member of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, a Trustee and Member of the selection and honors committee of the Basketball Hall of Fame, Chairman of NABC Hall of Fame Committee that selects players for the East and West All-Star Game, and was selected as an official goodwill ambassador to the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City representing the NABC.
A Leader Off the Courts
As a leader in the community, Rupp served as President of Kentucky Hereford Association for 17 years, Chairman of the Board of the Shrine Crippled Children’s Hospital for 12 years, made 11 overseas clinic trips for the United States Government during and after WWII, and was Potentate of the Oleika Temple Shrine.
Refined Author
Coach Rupp was able to add “author” to his skillset after writing two editions of Rupp’s Championship Basketball.