Joe Hall deserved to be beloved by UK fans and even though he is gone he will not be forgotten

Kentucky coach John Calipari regularly visited Joe B. Hall, including just two days before his death. (Twitter Photo)

How do you say goodbye to Joe B. Hall? The former University of Kentucky basketball coach passed away early Saturday morning at age 93. He will be remembered for many, many things, including winning the 1978 national championship.

Hall was the UK basketball coach when I began my sports writing career in 1975. I am not ashamed to admit I was more than a bit intimidated by him initially. However, I’ll never forget the kindness and acceptance he had of a young, small-town journalist because there is one thing Hall respected — hard work

If Joe Hall thought you were busting your butt to do your job, he respected you even if he disagreed with you — and trust me, there were plenty of times when he disagreed with a  young Larry Vaught and gently let me know it. But he never held a grudge and was always willing to help. Later in my career, I was proud when Hall called me as he sometimes did just to ask a question or maybe even get a phone number for someone he wanted to call.

What I loved about Joe Hall is that he treated everyone the same. Not everyone in the media liked that because he played no favorites. He treated me the same as he would a writer from the Louisville Courier-Journal, Lexington Herald-Leader, Sports  Illustrated or any national media outlet. He did not play favorites and not everyone like that.

Kentucky fans sometimes were frustrated by Hall and the discipline he demanded. He was constantly accused of not letting his guards shoot yet produced some brilliant guards during his time as UK’s head coach from 1972-85 when he won 297 games and lost 100.

No UK coach in any sport has understood what UK athletics meant to Kentuckians more than Hall, a Kentucky native himself. He made sure he kept his players relatable to fans.

I was in his office by chance when he resigned after the 1984-85 season. I watched office workers cry as they helped him pack his UK memories into cardboard boxes to take home with him. But Hall knew the timing was right and didn’t try to hold on like his predecessor, Adolph Rupp, did.

It’s still hard to describe the pressure that was on Hall trying to replace Rupp, a college basketball icon. But he did it his way and it worked.

Joe Hall’s players are fiercely loyal to him. They may not have always loved him when they played for him, but they respected him and learned as they matured what an impact he had on their careers and lives.

One of the best things Kentucky coach John Calipari did was embrace Hall, something Rick Pitino and Billy Gillispie never did. Calipari went out of his way to include Hall in events and made the former UK coach more beloved by fans than he had ever been.

Calipari regularly visited Hall in the nursing home and had been to see him just a few days before he passed.

“Coach Joe B. Hall – my friend, my mentor, and an icon in our state and in our profession – passed away this morning. Joe B. Hall took over a program and carried on the winning tradition and legacy of excellence of Kentucky basketball,” Calipari posted on social media Saturday morning a few hours after Hall’s passing and a few hours before UK played Tennessee.

“Coach Hall made it the job it is today with his hard work, his ingenuity and his great basketball coaching. Coach Hall always met me with a smile, including two days ago when I went to see him and hold his hand. He understood everything that was said, and as I prayed for him, he squeezed my hand tight.

“Coach Hall is beloved by everyone. What makes me happy on this extremely somber day is that before he left this earth, he knew how much all of us appreciated and loved him. I would ask that everyone keep him and his family in your prayers. I love you, Coach.”

Well said John Calipari even as I wipe the tears out of my eyes because you made sure he understood he was beloved in Kentucky.

However, Hall was also respected nationally. Never doubt that.

“RIP to the wonderful Joe B. Hall, who coached 1978 Kentucky to an NCAA championship. In retirement, he became one of UK’s terrific ambassadors and did a radio show with old rival Denny Crum. Just a lovely man. He lived a great, long life,” wrote Sporting News columnist Mike DeCourcy.

Goodbye coach and know you’ll never be forgotten by anyone who knew you or truly loves Kentucky basketball.