College Hoops HOF Class
Kentucky National Title-Winning Coach Tubby Smith Joins 2026 College Basketball Hall of Fame Class
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Key Points
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Tubby Smith is one of only four coaches to lead five different Division I programs to the NCAA Tournament.
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At Georgia, Smith guided the Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments, including a 1996 Sweet 16 run highlighted by an upset of top-seeded Purdue in the West Regional and a 10-1 start that had Georgia as high as No. 14 in the AP.
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Smith's Texas Tech tenure included a 2016 NCAA Tournament appearance that ended Tech's nine-year drought, and across his career he accumulated nearly 650 victories, including 46 wins with the Red Raiders.
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Ted Owens coached Kansas for 19 seasons (1964-83), posting a 348-182 record with Final Four appearances in 1971 and 1974 and earning national coach of the year honors in 1978.
Tubby Smith is heading to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. The Hall announced its Class of 2026, which includes Smith alongside coaches Jay Wright and Ted Owens, plus players Danny Ainge, Glen Rice, and Walt Hazzard, according to KCBD.
The induction ceremony is set for Oct. 22, 2026, at the College Basketball Experience in Kansas City, Missouri. The class spans multiple eras and represents some of the sport's most enduring names in coaching and on-court play.
Tubby Smith's Path to Hall of Fame Glory
Smith built one of the most wide-ranging coaching careers in college basketball history. He is one of only four coaches to lead five different Division I programs to the NCAA Tournament, according to Fox 34. His career total stands at nearly 650 wins.
His biggest moment came in 1998, when he led Kentucky to the national championship. Before that, he guided Georgia to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. In 1996, his Bulldogs upset top-seeded Purdue in the Sweet 16 and started the season 10-1, reaching as high as No. 14 in the AP Poll.
Smith Revived Texas Tech Before Final Exit
Smith coached Texas Tech for three seasons, from 2013 to 2015, according to Fox 34. In his final season, he led the Red Raiders to the 2016 NCAA Tournament. That ended a nine-year drought for the program. He finished with 46 wins at Texas Tech.
The 2016 Tournament run helped spark a new era of success for Tech basketball. Smith's ability to rebuild struggling programs was a hallmark of his long career across seven Division I stops.
97-Year-Old Ted Owens Capped a KU Legacy
Ted Owens coached Kansas for 19 seasons, from 1964 to 1983. He posted a 348-182 record and led the Jayhawks to Final Four appearances in 1971 and 1974, according to Salina Post. In 1978, he earned national coach of the year honors.
Owens turns 97 this year, making him one of the oldest living honorees in the Hall's history, according to Hutchinson News. His induction caps a legacy built over nearly two decades of guiding one of college basketball's most storied programs.
UCLA Legend Walt Hazzard Rounds Out the Class
Walt Hazzard, a UCLA basketball legend, is also part of the Class of 2026, according to LA Sports Report. He joins national championship coaches Jay Wright of Villanova and players Danny Ainge and Glen Rice in a class that touches several decades of the sport's history.
The Blue Ribbon Selection Committee chose the honorees. The NABC Foundation manages the process. Together, the six inductees represent a broad sweep of college basketball greatness, from the hardwood to the sidelines.
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