Lee Hunt (born January 15, 1935)
Teams coached: Ole Miss Rebels, UMKC Kangaroos
Ole Miss record: 50-66 (.431)
UMKC record: 112-136 (.452)
Overall record: 162-202 (.445)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 1 (1983)
Awards:
- SEC Coach of the Year: 1 (1983)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
1986-1996 | UMKC |
1982-1986 | Ole Miss |
1977-1982 | UAB (asst) |
1975-1977 | UCLA (asst) |
1974-1975 | Illinois (asst) |
1970-1974 | Memphis State (asst) |
19??-19?? | Central Missouri State (asst) |
Lee Hunt Facts
- Robert Lee Hunt
- Born January 15, 1935
- Alma Mater: Central Missouri State College (BA, 1957)
- Played at Central Missouri (in the College Division, now D-II) in the 1950s for head coach Earl Keith
- First coaching job was at Wellington HS (MO) and he also worked for a time as an assistant at his alma mater
- Spent many years working as an assistant under Gene Bartow at Memphis State, Illinois, UCLA and UAB
- Was part of five NCAA Tournaments, including two Final Fours and a Runner-up finish in 1973
- Became the head coach at Ole Miss in 1982, going 50-66 in four seasons at the helm
- His best year was his first, as the Rebels went 19-12 and reached the NIT while Hunt was named SEC COY
- Left Ole Miss in 1986 and headed to UMKC, which was getting ready to transition into Division I play
- Initially just a consultant, he was quickly named head men’s basketball coach and Director of Athletics
- Went 112-136 in ten years as the Kangaroos’ head coach, highlighted by a 21-7 record in 1991-92
- Was head coach for the program’s first two seasons in a Division I conference, the MCC (now Summit League)
- Retired from coaching in 1996 and then retired as AD in 1998 but remained active within the UMKC community
- Hunt was part of the inaugural 2009 class of the UMKC Athletics Hall of Fame
- Hunt played an important role in the integration of schools and athletic programs throughout his career, which included fielding the first all African-American starting lineup in Ole Miss history
Lee Hunt Coaching Tree
- Rod Barnes (Cal State Bakersfield, Georgia State, Ole Miss)