18 Houston Nutt

Houston Nutt was born on October 9, 1930, in Fordyce, Arkansas, to Albert “Abb” Nutt and May Pennington Nutt. Known later as Houston Nutt Sr., he became a gifted scorer and ball-handler for the Fordyce High School Redbugs, attracting crowds throughout southern Arkansas. An Arkansas All-State selection and high school All-American, he graduated in 1951 and accepted a basketball scholarship to Kentucky.

Nutt joined Adolph Rupp’s Wildcats for the 1951–52 season, arriving alongside fellow Arkansas All-State selection Charles Keller. Kentucky’s preseason media guide described the 6-foot-1 freshman as a promising rebounder who could provide relief duty. His stay in Lexington was brief, but it began a college basketball journey that connected him with two of the sport’s most influential coaches.

When NCAA sanctions shut down Kentucky’s program for the 1952–53 season, Nutt continued his education and basketball career elsewhere. According to the Dallas County Sports Hall of Fame, he attended Little Rock Junior College before Henry Iba spotted him in a junior college tournament and recruited him to Oklahoma A&M, now Oklahoma State. Nutt became remembered for the unusual distinction of playing under both Rupp and Iba.

After graduating from Oklahoma A&M in 1956, Nutt began his life’s work at the Arkansas School for the Deaf in Little Rock. As a basketball coach, athletic director, teacher, and administrator, he helped generations of students develop their abilities. His coaching career produced more than 500 victories, and his service continued after retirement through membership on the school’s board of trustees. In 1957, he also helped an American deaf basketball team win gold in international competition in Milan, Italy.

Nutt’s influence extended through his family: he and his wife, Emogene, raised four sons—Houston, Dickey, Danny, and Dennis—who became college coaches. Inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2001 and also honored by the Deaf Hall of Fame, he built a lasting legacy through basketball, education, and service. He died on April 20, 2005, in Little Rock following a stroke, at age 74.