Former Georgia basketball coach Tubby Smith will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in October 2026, joining a class that also includes Jay Wright, Danny Ainge, Ted Owens, Glen Rice and Walt Hazzard.
A career that spanned three decades
Smith coached at Georgia from 1995 to 1997, compiling a 45‑19 record and guiding the Bulldogs to two NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 run in his first season and a SEC Tournament final the following year.
Before arriving in Athens he had already made his mark at Kentucky, where over a nine‑year stretch he posted a 263‑83 record, captured five SEC titles and led the Wildcats to a 35‑win season that culminated in the program’s seventh national championship.
After his Kentucky tenure he continued to build programs at Minnesota, Texas Tech, Memphis and most recently High Point, amassing a career total of 642 wins against 370 losses and becoming one of only four coaches to take five different schools to the NCAA Tournament.
His achievements were recognized with three SEC Coach of the Year awards, the 2003 AP and Naismith College Coach of the Year honor, the 2005 Jim Phelan Award and the 2016 John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award.
The Hall of Fame will formally enshrine the 2026 class on October 22 in Kansas City, Missouri, providing a fitting tribute to a coach whose influence stretches across multiple programs and generations of players.