When Joe B. Hall became the University of Kentucky men’s basketball coach in 1972, he had no head coaching experience at a major college and he was succeeding one of the game’s legendary figures.
Hall’s predecessor, Adolph Rupp — the man they called the Baron — had turned basketball into as much a part of Kentucky’s landscape as its bluegrass and coal during his 42 seasons in Lexington. He coached four national championship teams, and at the time his 876 wins were the most of any coach in college basketball history.
In 13 seasons as Kentucky’s head coach (after seven as an assistant to Rupp), Hall faced second-guessing from some in the Wildcats’ fan base, which had a reputation for considering any season without a national championship something of a failure.