On a rainy morning Tuesday, UK officials unveiled a new statue of a familiar face in front of the Wildcat Coal Lodge. The sculpture is of former men's basketball coach Joe B. Hall, who was head coach at UK from 1972 to 1985. A plaque also will hang outside the building. Hall accepted the dedication with appreciation and humor. “No one has a specific speech for an unveiling of a statue,” he said. “The pigeons will appreciate it.” Current head coach John Calipari said Hall was among a number of coaches who have followed legends in their time, having followed Adolph Rupp. But, Calipari said, Hall made it to three Final Fours and won a national championship in his own time.
Walter Cornett, of Glendale, Kentucky, is the owner and operator of Walter's Wildcat World. He founded WildcatWorld.com in 1998 making it one of the oldest Kentucky basketball fan sites in operation today.