Guy Strong: Adolph Rupp was tough, demanding but no “racist”

By Larry Vaught Vaught’s Views
Published August 15, 2020
You can read the original article here.

Guy Strong was head coach at Kentucky Wesleyan (he won a national championship), Eastern Kentucky University and Oklahoma State and later a successful coach at George Rogers Clark High School.

The former Estill County High School basketball standout also played basketball at Kentucky thanks to surviving a two-day tryout session that also included All-American Bill Spivey.

Strong, 90, was on UK’s 1951 national championship team before serving in the Korean War. He transferred to Eastern Kentucky for the rest of his collegiate career.

Strong knew how former UK coach Adolph Rupp could be but disagrees with those wanting to rename Rupp Arena because of the racist tag associated with Rupp.

“He was tough, demanding and callused at times but he was not racist,” Strong said. “He wanted to win more than anyone I had ever known.

“We became good friends when I came back to Kentucky and he always wanted to know how Henry (Iba) was. They were adversaries but also had great respect for each other.”