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Adolph Rupp’s birthday is Sept. 2, Former UK coach would have been 111 years old

Adolph Rupp

Sept. 2 marks what would have been the 111th birthday of legendary former Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp, the man for whom Rupp Arena is named.

Rupp, who passed away in 1977 at the age of 76, won 876 games in his 41-year career, winning 20 SEC championships, four national championships, and an NIT title.

In 1969, he was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame.

Perhaps most interestingly, though, is the fact that, according to the Hall of Fame, 80% of Rupp’s players hailed from Kentucky.

His name lives on at Rupp Arena, which was opened in 1976.

This past season, Rupp Arena was alive as Kentucky won a national championship behind star freshman Anthony Davis, who won both the National Player of the Year and National Freshman of the Year awards.

They will come back again in 2012-13 with a reloaded roster, led by No. 1 prospect Nerlens Noel.

For the sake of comparison, Rupp finished his career with an overall record of 876-190 for a winning percentage of 82%.

John Calipari, the current head coach of the Wildcats, has a career record of 505-151 for a winning percentage of 77%.

Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_