Ted Owens to be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2026
The ceremony will take place in Kansas City, Missouri, bringing together coaches, players and fans to honor a career that shaped college basketball for nearly two decades.
Owens spent 19 seasons at the University of Kansas, compiling a 348‑182 record that places him fourth on the school’s all‑time wins list. His teams captured six Big Eight regular‑season titles and advanced to the Final Four in 1971 and 1974.
The coach’s excellence was recognized five times as Big Eight Coach of the Year, and he guided five All‑American players, including Jo Jo White, Darnell Valentine and Dave Robisch, to national prominence.
Before his Kansas tenure, Owens was a three‑year letterman at the University of Oklahoma and later coached the Cameron University baseball team to an NJCAA national championship in 1958, showcasing his versatility across sports.
He is often mentioned alongside coaching legends such as Phog Allen, Bill Self, Roy Williams and Adolph Rupp, reflecting his lasting influence on the program’s tradition of excellence.
The induction will be overseen by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, an organization that has long celebrated the contributions of coaches like Owens to the sport’s development.
Fans will also see familiar names from the Kansas basketball pantheon — Bill Self, Roy Williams, Larry Brown, Danny Ainge, Walt Hazzard and others — who continue to build on the foundation laid by pioneers like Owens.
The ceremony in Kansas City is expected to highlight not only Owens’ achievements but also the broader narrative of college basketball’s evolution, linking past innovators such as John McLendon, Ralph Miller and Dean Smith with the modern era.