A Tribute to Kentucky Wildcasts coach Adolf Rupp
I had a young Kentucky fan ask me last week, If I had and Adolph Ruff story.
I said Adolfphy who? He said Ruff. Ruff? Are you kidding me? Do you know
why Rupp arena is not called Ruff arena?
For the record, it is the one and only ADOLF RUPP !
Do you remember an Adolph Rupp Coached Team? The first Adolf Rupp team
I remember was probably the Louie Dampier, Dan Issel Team, what about you?
Like many UK Wildcat fans I have heard my dad talk about Rupps Runts and
the Fiddelin Five, etc. I over heard a yound UK fan ask their dad, why does
Kentucky play at Rupp Arena, what does Rupp mean?
I couldn’t believe it, so we wanted to make this video available to all UK Wildcat
fans.
Dubbed “The Baron of the Bluegrass,” college basketball coach Adolph Rupp was legendary for developing local talent. In fact, 80 percent of his players hailed from the hills of Kentucky and Rupp turned local boys into heroes and champions. By winning 876 games in 41 years of coaching, Rupp set a remarkable standard of excellence. Part of his success was due to his intense desire to win and his ability to instill that drive into his players.
Former UK Players loved coach Adolph Rupp and describe him as a stern taskmaster, difficult to understand yet easy to like. He rarely spoke to his players off the court, but cared for each one of his boys just the same. He promoted a sticky man-to-man defense and a relentless fast break offense that battered opponents into defeat.
Coach Rupp’s teams appeared in 20 NCAA Tournaments and captured 27 Southeastern Conference titles. Rupp demanded 100 percent from his players at all times, pushing them to impressive levels of success and building a legacy at the University of Kentucky which unsurpassed in college basketball.
Mention Rupp’s name to longtime Wildcats fans like me and may of you, and there is an almost reverent tone in our response. “It was the dream of 95 percent of the boys in Kentucky like me and my dad, to play for coach Rupp,”
Rupp could pick and choose who he wanted to play in Lexington. He attracted player from all over the United States at a time when most college athletes stayed close to home.
