Former Georgia coach Tubby Smith named to college basketball Hall of Fame

Orlando “Tubby” Smith was named one of six people to be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday.

Smith will join former coaches Jay Wright and Ted Owens, as well as former players Danny Ainge, Glen Rice and Walt Hazzard to round out the 2026 class.

Each induction class is selected by the Blue Ribbon Selection Committee, composed of college basketball executives and respected leaders across the country and is administered by the National Association of Basketball Coaches Foundation.

The class of 2026 will be enshrined Oct. 22 during the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Celebration presented by UMB Private Wealth Management at the College Basketball Experience in Kansas City, Missouri.

“The Class of 2026 represents the very best of college basketball — individuals whose performance, leadership and impact helped shape the game at the highest level,” said Kevin Henderson, CEO of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. “Their legacies will forever be preserved as part of the sport’s rich history.”

Smith’s coaching career lasted 31 years, during which he managed seven different programs from 1991 to 2022 and finished with a 642-370 career record.

After beginning his coaching journey at Tulsa, Smith took over as Georgia’s coach before the 1995-96 season and helmed the Bulldogs for the next two seasons.

During that stretch, Smith went 45-19 and led UGA to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. In that ’96 season, the Bulldogs climbed as high as No. 14 in the AP poll after jumping out to a 10-1 start, with the lone loss at North Carolina.

They finished the season 21-10, making it all the way to the Sweet 16 as an eight seed in the 1996 NCAA Tournament. UGA opened the tournament with wins over Clemson and top-seeded Purdue before falling to Syracuse 83-81 in overtime.