Hall of Fame Journalist Jerry Tipton discusses new book on 41 seasons of covering UK basketball

Mark Cornelison

Jerry Tipton covered University of Kentucky basketball for the Lexington Herald-Leader for 41 seasons before retiring in 2022. He was known for his straightforward questioning of UK coaches, from Joe B. Hall to John Calipari. A native of Hamtramck, Michigan, Jerry graduated from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, and worked for the Huntington Herald-Dispatch before coming to Lexington.

He was inducted into the U.S, Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame in 2005, the Marshall University Journalism Hall of Fame in 2018, and the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame in 2020. He has recently written a memoir titled Deja Blue: A Sportswriter Reflects on 41 Seasons of Kentucky Basketball, published by Acclaim Press. In this interview, he talks about his start in journalism, his working relationships with coaches, including some of the memorable dialogue involved, and many of the highlights of his 41-year tenure on the UK basketball beat.