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Only a select group of individuals have had the privilege of leading the Kansas men's basketball program, a lineage that includes James Naismith and Bill Self. Ted Owens, one of those eight coaches, has now secured a permanent place in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
On Thursday, Owens was inducted alongside Jay Wright, Tubby Smith, Glen Rice, Danny Ainge, and Walt Hazzard (posthumously) at the College Basketball Experience in Kansas City, Missouri.
Owens patrolled the Jayhawk sidelines for 19 seasons, from 1964 to 1983, accumulating a 348-182 record. During his tenure, he guided Kansas to two Final Fours and six Big Eight championships, while coaching standouts such as Jo Jo White, Walt Wesley, Darnell Valentine, Bud Stallworth, and Dave Robisch.
Reflecting on his journey, Owens recalled his upbringing on a cotton farm in southwest Oklahoma: "When I was growing up on a farm in southwest Oklahoma, on a cotton farm, I had time when hoeing cotton or pulling cotton to have a lot of dreams. My dreams were never great enough to imagine that I'd have the chance to play at the University of Oklahoma and coach at the saint Andrews of college basketball at the University of Kansas. It's incredible."
Owens expressed gratitude to his friends and family, noting, "One thing I've learned in 97 years is that no matter how hard you work and prepare, you don't experience success without the help and support of others. So, while they honor me tonight, they also honor some special people."
With this honor, Owens becomes one of 15 former Jayhawks in the College Basketball Hall of Fame, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Phog Allen, Dutch Lonborg, Larry Brown, Roy Williams, Dean Smith, Adolph Rupp, Ralph Miller, John McLendon, William Johnson, Paul Pierce, Danny Manning, Paul Endacott, and Clyde Lovellette.
A replay of the induction ceremony is available on the National Association of Basketball Coaches YouTube page, with Owens' segment beginning at approximately the 1:02:30 mark.
Key Analysis
Earlier in the day, during the induction celebration, Owens captivated media members with stories from his playing and coaching career. Even at 97, he vividly remembered the call that brought him to Kansas. "I was playing baseball with my Cameron (Junior College) team," Owens said. "My old friend Monte Moore, from Hollis – from my hometown – who was the telecaster for Kansas City (Athletics) and then Oakland (Athletics). He was at Kansas at the time, and he called me during a game. He said, 'Jerry Waugh, the assistant coach, has resigned, and I've recommended you for the assistantship.' And they (KU) said 'Well interview you the day after tomorrow before we interview anybody else.' If we win the game, I can't get the guys back to Lawton (Oklahoma) and get there (Lawrence). We were up 12-0 and I did the worst job of coaching from then on and we lost 13-12. I loaded the guys up, took them back to Lawton, and headed up to Kansas and got the job."
Owens also recounted the infamous Kansas-Texas Western game in which Jo Jo White's game-winning shot was disallowed due to a step out of bounds. "Jo Jo hit the basket to win the game for us," Owens said. "Back then it was filmed, so you didn't have the video replay. So, we don't think Jo Jo stepped out of bounds – I said when Jo Jo died that he's going to find out because God will surely get it right."
He also shared warm words for White's teammate Walt Wesley, who passed away in March 2024. "Walt Wesley was my first All-American at Kansas," Owens said. "Incredible person. Sweetest spirit I've ever known. I love Walt."
The sincerity in Owens' eyes and voice as he shared these stories underscored his deep appreciation for being a Jayhawk and for the players he coached. Now, the storyteller has added a new chapter to his own book – one titled College Basketball Hall of Famer.