
The Arkansas Broadcasters Association announced it will induct former Razorback Basketball Coach Nolan Richardson as the Arkansan of the Year at a luncheon ceremony during its annual convention this September 15th in Hot Springs.
While Richardson has a long list of awards and honors, most Arkansans remember him as the Coach who took the Razorbacks to 13 NCAA tournaments and captured the National Champion title in 1994. The Hogs made it to the Final Four three times under Richardson, first in 1990, the Championship win in ’94, and the NCAA Runner Up in 1995.
Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, Richardson played basketball at Eastern Arizona Junior College before transferring to Texas Western College, where he played for legendary Coach Don Haskins. From there, he turned to Coaching and remains the only person to win a Junior College National Championship, the NIT, and the NCAA National Championship.
Richardson became the first African American to win the NIT and became the first African American Coach at a major university in the South when he joined the Razorbacks.
The University of Arkansas honored Richardson before the 2019-20 season when it named the playing surface at Bud Walton Arena the “Nolan Richardson Court” in his honor.
“We are very excited to present this honor to Coach Richardson”, said ABA President Chad Whiteaker. “Not only did he bring such wonderful exposure to Arkansas as Coach, but he had a tremendous influence on so many young men during his time coaching. Coach joins a distinguished list of men and women who have left a positive mark on our state and its people.”
Some of Richardson’s other honors include the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (2008), Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2014), and the National Junior College Athletic Association Foundation Hall of Fame (2023).
He was also named to the UA Sports Hall of Honor (1996); Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame (1998); University of Tulsa Athletics Hall of Fame (2006); SW Conference Hall of Fame (2014); Texas Sports Hall of Fame (2015) and the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame (2024). He was named “Coach of the Year” by various conferences a total of eight times.
The ABA has been presenting the “Arkansan of the Year” award since 1977, having started with then Senator J. William Fulbright. Previous awardees have included sports figures like Brooks Robinson, Lou Holtz and John McDonnell; business leaders like Don Tyson and Claiborne Deming; entertainers like Johnny Cash and Colin Raye; and political figures like then-Governor Bill Clinton, Senators David Pryor and Dale Bumpers.
The Arkansas Broadcasters Association has been representing the over-the-air radio and TV stations of Arkansas since 1949. The ABA Annual Convention will be September 14 and 15 at Oaklawn Racing Resort Casino in Hot Springs.