Jack Hartman, the winningest coach in Kansas State men’s basketball history, has been inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He joins a class of seven players, including Utah State’s Wayne Estes, who tragically passed away after assisting at a car accident in 1965 following his final game. Other inductees are UCLA’s Dave Meyers, who won NCAA titles in 1973 and 1975; Duquesne’s Sihugo Green, the top pick in the 1956 NBA Draft; and Lennie Rosenbluth, who led North Carolina to a perfect 32-0 season and the 1957 NCAA championship. Also honored are New Mexico State’s Sam Lacey, a standout for the Kansas City Kings; USC’s John Rudometkin, the first Trojan to score over 1,000 points in two seasons; and Tom Stith of St. Bonaventure, who averaged 26.5 points per game in his career.
Hartman coached Kansas State from 1971 to 1986, achieving a 295-169 record. Under his leadership, the Wildcats made seven NCAA Tournament appearances, reached four Elite Eights, and captured three Big Eight titles along with two conference tournament championships. His Division I coaching career, which also included seven years at Southern Illinois, culminated in a 493-233 record. At Southern Illinois, Hartman’s team won the 1967 NIT championship. Before that, he coached Coffeyville Community College to a 150-45 record, including a perfect 32-0 season and a national championship in 1962.
Hartman’s impact extended beyond college programs. He coached the 1983 U.S. team to a gold medal at the Pan American Games. During his career, he mentored several future NBA players, including Rolando Blackman, Mike Evans, Lon Kruger, Ed Nealy, and Chuckie Williams at Kansas State, as well as Walt Frazier at Southern Illinois. His legacy includes 10 All-Americans, five Big Eight Players of the Year, and 16 first-team All-Big Eight selections.
After retiring, Hartman served as a color analyst for Kansas State’s television network and the Big Eight’s broadcasts. In 1996, he briefly stepped in as interim coach for Kansas State’s women’s basketball team. Hartman passed away in 1998 at the age of 73, leaving behind a storied legacy in collegiate basketball.
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