Nolan Richardson enshrined in another Hall of Fame

Nolan Richardson became most famous at Arkansas, but his college beginnings were in the junior-college ranks.

Former Arkansas basketball coach Nolan Richardson was enshrined into his third Hall of Fame on Thursday.

Richardson took his place in the National Junior College Athletic Assocation Found Hall of Fame in Charlotte. He was already a member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame and the Basketball Hall of Fame, where he was enshrined in 2008 and 2014, respectively.

Richardson made his first mark at the college level in coaching at Western Texas Junior College. From 1977 to 1980, Richardson led the team to a record of 101-13 with a national championship in 1980. That year, Western Texas had become only the third team in history to finish with an undefeated record in NJCAA basketball.

Richardson then coach Tulsa for five seasons before he became nationally famous in Fayetteville.

Arkansas won the national title in 1994 and went to the national championship game again in 1995. He also went to another Final Four in 1990.

Richardson retired from college coaching after a tumultuous end to his stay at Arkansas just as the millennium turned. He won the NABC Coach of the Year, Naismith College Coach of the Year, SEC Coach of the Year and was a three-time SWC Coach of the Year.

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