KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Former Georgia men’s basketball coach Tubby Smith, who led the Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, has been selected for the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
Smith was named to the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026, capping a coaching career that spanned more than 30 years and seven Division I programs including Tulsa, Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota, Texas Tech, Memphis and High Point. He finished his career with nearly 650 victories.
Smith guided five different programs to the NCAA Tournament. During his two seasons at Georgia (1995-1997), Smith revitalized the Bulldogs program and guided the team to consecutive NCAA Tournament berths before leaving for Kentucky. He went on to win the 1998 NCAA national championship in his first season with the Wildcats.
Widely respected for his leadership and player development, Smith earned numerous national and conference Coach of the Year honors throughout his career.
He joins fellow coaches Jay Wright and Ted Owens in this year’s Hall of Fame class, along with former standout players Danny Ainge, Glen Rice and the late Walt Hazzard.
“The Class of 2026 represents the very best of college basketball—individuals whose performance, leadership, and impact helped shape the game at the highest level,” said Kevin Henderson, CEO of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
The nominees will be formally inducted on Oct. 22 at the College Basketball Experience in Kansas City, Missouri.
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