Joe B. Hall

1928 - 2022

Joe B. Hall
November 30, 1928 - January 15, 2022
Lexington, Kentucky - Joe B. Hall died January 15, 2022 after a long life and a brief illness. His wife of 55 years, Katharine Dennis Hall, predeceased him. He is survived by his daughters, Judy Hall Derrickson (Rick) and Kathy Hall Summers (Mike), and his son Steven Dennis Hall, as well as grandchildren Jeffrey Hall Derrickson (Kellie), Amy Summers Lawyer (Ben), and Laura Derrickson Herkamp (Scott). Also surviving are great grandchildren Joe Brack Lawyer, Tyson Lawyer and Mallory Derrickson. His sister, Laura Jane Maltby (Bill) also survives him. He was born November 30, 1928 in Cynthiana, Kentucky, one of three children of C.C. "Bill" Hall and Ruth Harney Hall. His parents and brother William C. Hall (Betty) predeceased him. He graduated from Cynthiana High School where he was class president and played football and basketball. He believed that one of his greatest honors was to be included in the Cynthiana High School Football Hall of Fame. After graduation he was invited to try out for the University of Kentucky basketball team and was offered a scholarship. He played as a sophomore and then transferred to the University of the South in Sewanee, TN where he set the single game scoring record. In the summer of 1951, he played on a college all-star team that accompanied the Harlem Globetrotters on a 56 game goodwill tour of Europe and Africa and then returned to the University of Kentucky to finish his degree and marry Katharine after a six week courtship. He began his basketball coaching career in 1956 at Shepherdsville High School and then served as head coach at Regis College in Denver for five seasons before moving for one season to Central Missouri State. He returned to the University of Kentucky as an assistant basketball coach in 1965. He was named head coach in 1972 and over the next thirteen seasons he led the Wildcats to 297 wins and won or shared nine Southeastern Conference regular-season titles. His fellow coaches voted him SEC Coach of the Year four times. His 1976 team won the National Invitational Tournament. He took the Wildcats to the NCAA final four in 1975, 1978 and 1984, winning the 1978 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship and was named 1978 National Coach of the Year. In 2012 he was named to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. After retiring from the University of Kentucky in 1985, he worked for ABC Sports providing color commentary on nationally televised college basketball games and for Westwood One Sports radio broadcasting games nationally. He served as senior Vice President of Central Bank and Trust heading the correspondent banking division. In 2004 he teamed with his great friend and former University of Louisville basketball coach, Denny Crum as co-host of the "Joe B. and Denny Show". The radio show was syndicated on radio stations throughout Kentucky from 2004-2014. He had a strong faith he carried with him throughout his life. He grew up in the Cynthiana Christian Church and was a 50 year member of Crestwood Christian Church. The pallbearers will be grandchildren and great grandchildren. Honorary pallbearers include all of his former players, assistant coaches and managers. Due to Covid, funeral services will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Crestwood Christian Church, 1882 Bellefonte Dr., Lexington, KY 40503, the Lexington Humane Society, 1600 Old Frankfort Pike, Lexington, KY 40504 or Bluegrass Care Navigators, 1733 Harrodsburg Rd., Lexington, KY 40504.