The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame announced that longtime Kansas coach Ted Owens will be inducted in 2026, with the ceremony scheduled for Oct. 22 at the College Basketball Experience in Kansas City.
Owens spent 19 seasons at the University of Kansas, compiling a 348‑182 record and guiding the Jayhawks to the Final Four in 1971 and 1974, a period that cemented his reputation as one of the program’s most influential figures.
His coaching journey began at Cameron Junior College before he joined Kansas as an assistant to Dick Harp, later heading to Oral Roberts, the Fresno Flames and the Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv, where he continued to shape talent across continents.
The 2026 induction class also features coaches Tubby Smith and Jay Wright, as well as players Danny Ainge, Walt Hazzard and Glen Rice, joining a distinguished group that already includes Phog Allen, Larry Brown and Roy Williams.
A legacy that transcends borders
The Hall of Fame’s home at the College Basketball Experience, part of the T‑Mobile Center, serves as a hub for preserving the sport’s history, an initiative supported by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Foundation.
Beyond the college ranks, Owens later worked as an investment business adviser at First Capital Management in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was honored with the 2025 Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award, reflecting a career that spans decades of impact.