The basketball world is preparing for a historic moment as Ted Owens, the longtime architect of the Kansas Jayhawks, is set to be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame during a ceremony scheduled for October 22, 2026, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Owens guided the Jayhawks from the 1964‑65 season through 1982‑83, compiling a career record of 348 victories that places him fourth on the university’s all‑time win list.
During his 19‑year tenure he captured six Big Eight regular‑season championships, eight Holiday Tournament crowns and led the team to seven NCAA tournament appearances, including two Final Four runs in 1971 and 1974.
His squads also reached the NIT final in 1968 and consistently competed at the highest level, earning him five Big Eight Coach of the Year honors and the National Coach of the Year award from Basketball Weekly in 1978.
The 2026 Induction Class
The class will also feature Jay Wright, Tubby Smith, Glen Rice, Danny Ainge and Walt Hazzard, underscoring Owens’ place among a generation of coaching legends.
Bill Self, the current Kansas head coach, has publicly praised Owens, noting that ‘the foundation he built still shapes the program today,’ a sentiment echoed by many who have watched the team evolve over the decades.
Beyond the numbers, Owens’ influence extends to the coaching fraternity; his mentorship has helped shape the careers of numerous assistants who later became head coaches across the country.