Coach Hall

Joe B. Hall shares memories that stretch across his ninety years. He tells of his youth in Cynthiana, Kentucky, where his love for family, the outdoors, fishing, sports, work, and Kentucky all started. He describes what is was like to be a student at the University of Kentucky in 1947, and a member of the celebrated coach Adolph Rupp’s Wildcats during the Fabulous Five period. Those famous five players made his chances of playing for Kentucky slim, so as a sophomore, he transferred to Sewanee, where he did play basketball well and acquired a great friend in his coach Lon Varnell, who took him and other players on a summer tour to Europe to play basketball. Choosing not to return to Sewanee, Joe B. took a job as a salesman, married Katharine Dennis, and decided his goal in life was to be a college basketball coach. After he completed his bachelor’s degree, he acquired experience coaching first at a high school, then at two colleges, and earned his master’s degree. Throughout that time, Coach Rupp kept in contact with Joe B. When Coach Rupp asked him to return to UK to work as his first assistant, he happily accepted. Coach Rupp and Joe B. respected each other, and Joe understood that colorful character as well anyone could. Yet later, when Coach Rupp resisted the university’s mandatory retirement law and refused to announce his successor, the turmoil in the basketball program surprised and saddened Joe B. Joe B. accepted the challenge of becoming head coach in 1972. He frankly discusses his failures as well as his successes. Exciting are his accounts of the two games in the 1974-1975 season the Wildcats played against Bobby Knight’s Indiana and the game against John Wooden’s Bruins for the NCAA in 1975. He also discusses the mysterious manner in which the Wildcats lost to Georgetown, and the pure exhilaration he and his players felt winning the NCAA championship. The book includes a chapter on the Wildcat Lodge, and another on the humorous antics of some of his players. Serious health problems caused Joe B. to retire early, and he tells us about the other interesting work he did after coaching. His favorite retirement job was the radio talk show he shared with Coach Denny Crum for ten years.