He had to do it all the while Adolph Rupp still had an office in Memorial =, and a television program that rivaled Joe B's. Who could have done any better in those circumstances?
Rupp's retirement
- Thread starter David Rice
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Joe Hall was the most hated person in Kentucky sport at the time. Maybe Kentucky period.
Coach Rupp did not go quietly, and there was a lot of hard feelings. Like 'Hall stole my job's hard feelings.
I'm glad Joe B. Outlived all that to be appreciated.
Coach Rupp did not go quietly, and there was a lot of hard feelings. Like 'Hall stole my job's hard feelings.
I'm glad Joe B. Outlived all that to be appreciated.
Not only that, Rupp sat in a lazy boy recliner in Rupp Arena during games near the floor at midcourt. Hall succeeded under terribly difficult circumstances that I didn’t fully appreciate until years later.
He had actually accepted the Duke job but then backed out due to the manager at his farm unexpectedly quitting
When Wooden retired Joe B was asked who should replace him? Joe answered he should,I've already replaced one legend.
I thought Mears was the one that coined the "Karate" Defense for the '75 Team, Dale said UK was "brutalizing" the sport and IIRC, Dean called Robey an SOB for his hard foul on Kutcher? in that '77 RF.
His first team lost a tough hard fought game against IU in the RF with the Hoosiers having Downing at Center that was a load.
Joe took/handled the heat because he was a tough SOB, no two ways about it.
I remember it as Joe B was a very dislike person. My dad and most of the family finally forgave him in 75 when he beat IU and that no good SOB Bobby Kinght in Dayton Ohio as my dad said !! I remember Coach Rupp sitting in his chair in Rupp Arena , he certainly cast a long shadow for Joe B .
I remember Joe Hall was quoted as saying he should replace Wooden because no one else deserved to have his life ruined.
Looking back, I gain more admiration for Hall's character....he never publicly as far as I know bit back at Rupp, not even at Billy Reed for the hacks he took at JB.
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anon_013cn8yrfncx2
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Didn't read all those closely but I don't remember anyone mentioning Herky.
It's my recollection that Adolph wanted Herky not Catlett. For sure I remember being very disappointed with Joe taking the St. Louis job and then being relieved when it was all resolved. Joe B did a great job.
Have to be one if the very few on here that attended the last game Coach Rupp coached.
It's my recollection that Adolph wanted Herky not Catlett. For sure I remember being very disappointed with Joe taking the St. Louis job and then being relieved when it was all resolved. Joe B did a great job.
Have to be one if the very few on here that attended the last game Coach Rupp coached.
I was a very young guy when Rupp was forced to retire and wrote him a letter saying I still appreciated him and wanted him to remain as our head coach. I told him, as a much younger person, that I had no problem with age and didn't think it should demand forced retirement for anyone. I received a handwritten letter back from Rupp himself telling how much he appreciated my thoughts and my letter. Very proud moment for a young guy back then from the greatest coach of all time.
Nice of you to say that,being old has few advantages but particular to sports having been around to see legends while they were in the process of becoming legends is really cool .Rupp,Mantle, Maris Ail,Alcindor and way too many others to list have added to the enjoyment of passing thru this lifetime.
The key is understanding who and what you are seeing at the time you are seeing it and the ability to appreciate it.
I'm only 32 so I wasn't around myself but I've become good friends with Mike Flynn who was one of the super kittens and a freshman Rupp's last season there. Mike said that Joe B was the coach for all intensive purposes that 71-72 season and that Rupp would fall asleep on the bench during practices and was not very active in instructing the players. Just hearing that I'm sure that letting go of such a legend was a hard thing for a lot of people to let go of but the change probably needed to happen.
This thread just proves that UK fans have been split for years. Some support the coach no matter what, and others see problems and wish things to be addressed. Only difference is back in the old days of Rupp and Hall, there was no internet. So remember when you label fans here as trolls or not a true fan, that we have been here for 50+ years and seen, heard it all. Also remember that we can disagree without being disagreeable.
Anybody remember when Charlie Finley hired Rupp to a management position of his pro team in Memphis? I was working in Memphis and went to a game just to see him there. His health and the league’s health didn’t allow him to keep that job very long.
Another thing...his former top assistant coach Harry Lancaster became AD at UK before he retired, that never sat well for Coach Rupp and his enormous pride to have a former underling as his boss.
Another thing...his former top assistant coach Harry Lancaster became AD at UK before he retired, that never sat well for Coach Rupp and his enormous pride to have a former underling as his boss.
I agree(without being disagreeable) and oh by the way,you young guys,stay off our lawn or we'll shoot your ***
:uzi:Rupp got forced retirement because UK had a mandatory retirement age. Some boosters tried to force UK to make an exception for Rupp, but UK maintained the rule. It’s well known that Rupp blamed it on Joe Hall. It’s true that Hall and his inner circle lobbied for the job, and that Hall would have left to take the StL job if UK didn’t require Rupp to retire on schedule. But at the end of the day, Rupp had to retire because of the age rule in those days. Both Rupp and Hall earned and deserve utmost respect.
Actually they did want to play for him but UK played in the SEC and had to go on road trips to the deep south where having black athletes on your team wasn't accepted very well and there were concerns about keeping them safe. If I remember the story correctly
I think Beard told the Baron he was coming .
I was 25 at the end of Rupp's last season.
Here are some stats from Rupp's last six (6) seasons. Draw your own conclusions.
1971-72, 21-7, No. 18, SEC co-champs w UT, won 1 game in NCAA tournament
1970-71, 22-6, No. 8, SEC champs, lost to WKU in 1st game of NCAA tournament
1969-70, 26-2, No. 1, SEC champs, won 1 game in NCAA tournament (w Issel and Pratt)
1968-69, 23-5, No. 7, SEC champs, lost in NCAA 1st round (with Issel, Pratt, and Casey)
1967-68, 22-5, No. 5, SEC champs, lost to in NCAA 2nd round to unranked Ohio State
1966-67, 13-13, unranked, 10 losses in SEC play, DNP in NCAA tournament
(with Dampier, Riley, and Jaracz all back from the 1966 NCAA Runners-up)
Here are some stats from Rupp's last six (6) seasons. Draw your own conclusions.
1971-72, 21-7, No. 18, SEC co-champs w UT, won 1 game in NCAA tournament
1970-71, 22-6, No. 8, SEC champs, lost to WKU in 1st game of NCAA tournament
1969-70, 26-2, No. 1, SEC champs, won 1 game in NCAA tournament (w Issel and Pratt)
1968-69, 23-5, No. 7, SEC champs, lost in NCAA 1st round (with Issel, Pratt, and Casey)
1967-68, 22-5, No. 5, SEC champs, lost to in NCAA 2nd round to unranked Ohio State
1966-67, 13-13, unranked, 10 losses in SEC play, DNP in NCAA tournament
(with Dampier, Riley, and Jaracz all back from the 1966 NCAA Runners-up)
Butch Beard was coming but he didnt feel comfortable with Rupp at the end of the day and unexpectedly committed to UL.
Can’t remember, but he was flying back and forth a lot between his home in Lexington and Memphis, kind of a part time gig. The night I was there, Finley told Rupp something and pointed across the gym, Rupp then had to walk around the upper part of the gym to the opposite endzone above the bleachers to relay the message...so slow a walk, it was painful to watch.
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Riley's back injury was a factor in the 1966-67 record but your point is valid.The NCAAT didn't really matter most of those final years everyone was playing for 2nd place
1975 was the UCLA Game! North Carolina beat us in 1977 with that crappy 4 corners!
Riley had a skiing accident in the summer that changed the player he was the year before. Also Conley and Kron made the 66 team go because of their unselfish play. They were greatly missed the following season!
I was class of 1970, as were Issel and Pratt. Went to every home game for the four years of undergraduate school. Many of us felt that the Cats would take it all in '70, after pretty darned good years the previous two seasons. Coach Rupp was clearly on the decline as a coach, recruiter and health-wise during his last two years. It became sad to see him sitting on the bench with one of his legs propped up on a chair. Bad diabetes.
Anyone following a legend is going to take heat, and Joe Hall was no exception. But he was good enough and tough enough to take it and continue the tradition of UK's gold standard as the world's best college program and he stayed with it for 13 years. For that, he has forever earned my respect and love.
Look at the disaster at UCLA when Wooden retired in 1975 - - 5 head coaches in 13 years. FIVE!!! You can look it up.
Anyone following a legend is going to take heat, and Joe Hall was no exception. But he was good enough and tough enough to take it and continue the tradition of UK's gold standard as the world's best college program and he stayed with it for 13 years. For that, he has forever earned my respect and love.
Look at the disaster at UCLA when Wooden retired in 1975 - - 5 head coaches in 13 years. FIVE!!! You can look it up.
That’s not how it happened. UK convinced Beard to attend UK but by the time that happened Beard had already secretly signed to play at Louisville.
Beard & his family tried but couldn’t get out of the LOI. Kentucky’s hands were tied because if they did too much they’d be accused of tampering.
You veterans know this, but for the benefit of many of the younger posters:
Coach Rupp had his worst season (up to that time) at 15-10 in 1965. So...we were unranked going into the 1966 season. Then we smoked Indiana by 35 in the UKIT and we were off to the races. UK was 23-0 and ranked #1 when we went to Knoxville for the last game of the regular season. (I guess you all know what happened after that.)
Following up on what tapemaster said, as I recall (or imagined) Kentucky played in a post-season tournament in Tel Aviv. We won all five games, but Riley severely hurt his back while surfing in the Mediterranean. He had to sleep in traction for weeks (months?) and just wasn't the same.
We UK fans were very excited going into the 1966-67 season. We were ranked #3. We had All-Americans Riley and Dampier back. Even Thad Jaracz was a returning 3rd-team AA.
But like tapemaster noted, we missed Conley and Kron and finished 13-13, Rupp's only non-winning season.
We did have Issel, Casey, and Pratt as (ineligible) freshmen. But college basketball was about to change. UCLA had this highly-touted sophomore named Alcindor...