JOE B. HALL
LEONARD HAMILTON is beginning his fifth year at Kentucky after serving three years as assistant coach at Austin Peay. An outstanding recruiter with seemingly tireless energy, Hamilton has contributed heavily to maintaining a high level of young talent at UK. Specializing in coaching defense, Hamilton has had a positive impact on Wildcat defensive
JOE DEAN, JR., played against the Wildcats for three years at Mississippi State University, before serving as Bulldog assistant coach while earning a masters degree in physical education. An outstanding student, Dean was named to the 1976 Academic All-SEC second team. A native of Baton Rouge,
Joe B. Hall University of Kentucky Wildcats Head Basketball Coach
JOE B. HALL is beginning his seventh season as mentor of the Wildcats, coming off a year in which his senior dominated team captured the 197S NCAA Championship. Since becoming head coach in 1972, succeeding the legendary Adolph F. Rupp, Hall has accumulated a record of 135 wins against 42 losses. His eleven year coaching record stands at 211-98. Broken down, it shows a 57-50 five year mark at Regis College, a 19-6 record at Central Missouri, and a 135-42 record at UK.
Hall became Rupp's top assistant in 1969 when Harry C. Lancaster was named athletics director. His record as freshmen coach was 60-15, including an undefeated (22-0) season (1971-72) which resulted in the Kittens being crowned National Freshmen Champions by Basketball News.
A popular personality on the clinic and convention circuits, Hall also has had much international exposure. In addition to the Globetrotters tour in 1951, and the "Down Under" tour in 1974, he has helped conduct basketball clinics for the U. S. Armv in Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska (1968) and at Ramstein Air Base in Frankfurt, Germany and the RAF Base at Mildenhall, England in 1975. He also was Olympic Trials coach under Hank Iba at the Air Force Academy in July 1972 and was a member of the 1976 Olympic Basketball Committee. In 1978 he coached the U.S.A. team that hosted the first International Invitational Tournament.
philosophy. A native of Gastonia, N. C, he lettered three years in football and twice in basketball. An outstanding collegiate player, he starred at Gaston Community College in Dallas, N. C, and at University of Tennessee-Martin. He is married to the former Claudctte Hale. They have a son, Lenny, 7.
La., he attended Baton Rouge High School where he earned letters in basketball and football. In addition to regular coaching duties with the Wildcats, Dean's primary responsibilities will be recruiting and scouting. He is married to the former Ellen Elizabeth Anger of Jackson, Miss.
DICK PARSONS
DICK PARSONS, in his seventh year as Joe B. Hall's No. 1 assistant, returned to the University as baseball coach in 1969. Before giving up his position to join the basketball staff on a full time basis, he molded a baseball team (1971) which established or tied 15 school records. He is a graduate of UK where he played guard under former Coach Adolph F. Rupp.
Parsons came to the University in 1958 after an outstanding career as a four-sports star at Harlan High School, where he had a three-year basketball scoring total of 1,276 points.
He was a two-time (1960-61) recipient of the coveted A. B. Chandler award, given annually for the player best exemplifying the qualities of leadership, scholarship, character and ability. Only four other Wildcats have twice been so honored since the award was originated in 1951.
He is married to the former Celia Cawood of Harlan. They have a daughter, Kathy, and a son, Ed.
5