Nolan Richardson Inducted into the College BB Hall of Fame

By Dustin · November 24, 2008 9:55 pm · 3 Comments

Nolan Richardson battled a lot in his career.

He battled racism as a player and as a coach. He battled some pretty high fan expectations at Arkansas after bringing the school it’s first and only National Championship in 1994. He battled with stereotypes by the media. With his athletic director. With officials. He has spent a lot of his life leading the fight against cancer, sponsoring countless golf tournaments and other fundraisers to raise funds for cancer research after he lost his daughter Yvonne to the disease in his first few years here at Arkansas.

But for most, Nolan Richardson will be remembered by the way his players battled on the basketball court.

Always coaching with a chip on his shoulder, Nolan Richardson finally got some of the respect he has battled his whole life for Sunday night when he was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame.

Richardson was fired as coach in 2002 after a few subpar seasons, and he sued the University and lost in 2004 for wrongful termination, but the new Arkansas administration showed up in support of Richardson as Athletic Director Jeff Long, as well as current head basketball coach John Pelphrey were on hand at the induction ceremony in Kansas City Sunday night, as well as members of Richardson’s national championship team Clint McDaniel, Scotty Thurman, and Corliss Williamson.

Long seems determined to heal the wounds created by Richardson’s firing. Plans are in the works to honor Richardson’s 1994 National Championship team sometime next season. 2009 marks the 15th anniversary of the ’94 championship.

For those that follow Arkansas Basketball, Nolan Richardson’s legacy as a basketball coach should not be diminished by the way his tenure at Arkansas ended. Richardson’s accomplishments at Arkansas are too numerous to count. He took the Razorbacks to three final fours in his time as head coach. He is the winningest coach in Arkansas history, compiling a 389-169 record in 17 seasons. He is the only head coach to win a Junior College National Championship, the NIT, and the NCAA Tournament. He was only the second black head coach to win an NCAA national championship in basketball. He pioneered the full court pressure style of play, labeled “40 Minutes of Hell.” The list goes on and on.

Thanks, Coach Richardson for taking Arkansas Basketball to the pinnacle of the college game, and thanks for being such a great part of the community in Fayetteville. And congrats, Coach Richardson for getting the respect you battled your whole life for. You’ve more than earned it.