Congratulations, Coach Jane Albright!

During the 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame Induction weekend, Coach Jane Albright, was honored with a granite bench in the Naismith Coaches Circle Garden. In Coach Theresa Grentz’s introduction of Jane she said,  “When I think of Jane Albright the first thing I think about is pure integrity.” 

Jane Albright had an incredible 33-year NCAA coaching career, amassing over 500+ Division I wins. She is the winningest basketball coach at Northern Illinois University and University of Wisconsin, however, her coaching stats don't even begin to tell the real story. Jane isn’t just a basketball coach—she was, and always will be, a Kingdom Coach.

For Jane, the basketball court was where she put her faith in practice. Before each game, Jane would write "K.C." on the back of her hand. Those letters stood for "Kingdom Coach." It was her reminder in the high-stakes, high-pressure world of college sports, of who she belonged to, and that her goal was to lead her team the way Jesus would.

Early in her career, she had a conversation with John Wooden who challenged her to measure her success not by the scoreboard, but by who her players became 20 years down the road.  Well it’s been 20+ years and her success is evident in her former players, assistants and fans.  She built a culture of love and grace, turning teams into families, which is why so many still view her as and a lifelong mentor and friend.

Congratulations and thank you, Jane Albright, for the impact you made on the game of basketball and for your faithful contribution to honor Jesus and the ideals and values that birthed basketball in the first place.

Jane has generously contributed articles and videos to wired4sport.com since 2007.