Former Oklahoma Coach Lon Kruger Named to National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame

After an illustrious career, former OU basketball coach Lon Kruger will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Legendary basketball coach Lon Kruger was named to the 2022 National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Class on Wednesday.

Kruger’s coaching career spanned over 40 years, with the final decade of his illustrious career coming in Norman as the head of Oklahoma’s program.

The Silver Lake, KS, native racked up a record of 195-128 (.604) with the Sooners, and finished his head coaching career with a total overall record of 674-432 (.609).

Kruger is Oklahoma’s first head coach to be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, and he will join former OU star and three-time All-American Wayman Tisdale in the Hall of Fame.

"Very honored to join those who have already been inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame,” Kruger said in a press release. “Any time a coach receives the honor, it is a result of the people that surround him. From players, staff and coaches and so many people through the years, it has always been about the relationships.

“Everyone who has been a part of this journey should feel some ownership in it. All of the terrific people that we have worked with in 47 years of coaching helped make the journey remarkable. Every stop that we have made, there were good people who were unbelievably helpful and supportive."

Kruger’s 674 career wins landed him at No. 27 on the all-time wins list, and he is the only head coach to win NCAA Tournament games with five different programs.

In total, Kruger-led teams made the NCAA Tournament 20 times, reaching the Final Four in 1994 with Florida and in 2016 with Oklahoma.

During his time in Norman, Kruger led the Sooners to seven berths in the NCAA Tournament, including two Sweet 16 appearances to go along with the 2016 Final Four team.

Oklahoma produced six first-team All-Big 12 selections during Kruger’s tenure, including 2016 National Player of the Year Buddy Hield and 2018 National Freshman of the Year Trae Young.

Four Sooners were selected in the NBA Draft during Kruger's tenure and both Hield and Young were taken within the first six picks of the NBA Draft.

"What a tremendous and incredibly well-deserved honor for Lon,” OU Vice President and Athletics Director Joe Castiglione said in the release. “He was a quintessential coach and a wonderful leader of countless young men everywhere he's been. We are all beneficiaries of his dedication to the game of basketball. At OU, we are especially grateful for his significant impact on our program during his 10 years here. Lon obviously developed fantastic players and teams during his career, but his success transcended the outcome of any games or seasons.

“He truly led by example, using his passion for the game and his role as a teacher or coach to help his players grow in ways that extend beyond the basketball court. He was a model of humility, integrity and genuine kindness; the type of person we'd all want to coach our sons. But he was also a fierce competitor, brought innovation to the game and invested himself in the profession by selflessly serving others every step of the way.

“Also, his community impact wherever he's been is legendary, especially his unwavering commitment to raising money for the fight against cancer. He has left an indelible mark on all of us. We send our heartfelt gratitude as well as sincere congratulations to Lon and Barb – a true team – on his induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame."

Before arriving at Oklahoma, Kruger served as the coach at Texas-Pan American (now UTRGV), Kansas State, Florida, Illinois and UNLV, as well as a stint as the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks and an assistant coach for the New York Knicks.

During his college coaching career, Kruger logged a 20-win season at all six of his head coaching stops, and took each of his last five schools to the NCAA Tournament.

In 2019, Kruger was awarded the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award and in 2017 he was awarded the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Metropolitan Award for long and outstanding service to men's college basketball.

Joining Kruger in the 2022 National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Class are Richard Hamilton (UConn), Larry Miller (North Carolina), Frank Selvy (Furman), Jimmy Walker (Providence) and coaches John Beilein and Jerry Krause. Roy Williams and Jim Calhoun will be formally honored with the Class of 2022 and were previously recognized as part of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Founding Class in 2006.

The Class of 2022 will be enshrined on Nov. 20 in Kansas City as part of National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Weekend, which also features the annual Hall of Fame Classic tournament.

---

Want to join the discussion? Click here to become a member of the AllSooners message board community today!

Sign up for your premium membership to AllSooners.com today, and get access to the entire Fan Nation premium network!

Follow AllSooners on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest OU news.