List of University of Kentucky alumni

This is a list of encyclopedic people associated with the University of Kentucky in the United States of America.

Notable alumni (non-sports)

Name	Degree / Years attended	Notable for
Sam Abell		National Geographic photographer
Scotty Baesler		Former U.S. Representative from Kentucky
Percival Baker		Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 1921
Mark Berger		Economist
Wendell Berry		Poet, essayist and farmer
George Billman	Ph.D. (1980)	Professor of physiology at The Ohio State University
Sarah Gibson Blanding		First female president of Vassar College
Robert A. Bryan	M.A., PhD	President of the University of Florida, University of Central Florida, and University of South Florida
Albert B. "Ben" Chandler		Former U.S. Representative from Kentucky's Sixth Congressional District
Albert B. "Happy" Chandler		Governor of Kentucky, U.S. Senator from Kentucky, Commissioner of Major League Baseball responsible for integration and was inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame
Emily Cox		Miss Kentucky 2008
Elizabeth Gould Davis	M. in Librarianship	author, librarian
Brady J. Deaton		Chancellor of the University of Missouri
David Dick	B.A., M.A. in English literature	CBS News correspondent; Kentucky author and publisher; UK journalism faculty member, 1985-1996
James Patrick Dunne		Songwriter, recording artist, composer, film and television producer, and entrepreneur
Leonard S. Echols		Represented West Virginia in the United States House of Representatives
Edward A. Eckenhoff	M.A. in Education	Founder and president of the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, D.C.
Mark P. Finlay		Architect
Ernie Fletcher		Former Governor of Kentucky
Carol Martin "Bill" Gatton		Businessman and major contributor to the university; namesake of College of Business and Economics
Betty Jane Gorin-Smith	B.A. and M.A.	Historian
Sara Beth Gregory	B.A. (2003) and Law (2007)	Current member of the Kentucky State Senate, former state representative; lawyer in Monticello
Tom Hammond		Sportscaster
Elizabeth Hardwick		Writer
M. E. Hart		Played "MC Double Def DP" in the Software Publishers Association video Don't Copy That Floppy
Gordon Henderson		Director of the UCLA Bruin Marching Band
David Winfield Huddleston		Christian author and minister
Andy Jackson		University of Florida men's tennis coach
Ashley Judd		Actress; celebrity fan of the Wildcats (men's) basketball team
Kim Yong-ik	M.A.	Author
William English Kirwan		Chancellor of the University System of Maryland; son of former university president A. D. Kirwan
Glenn Kotche		A percussionist and composer, best known as drummer for Chicago rock band Wilco; named the 41st greatest drummer of all time by Gigwise in 2008
John E. Leland		Director of the University of Dayton Research Institute
William Lipscomb		1976 winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Ken Lucas		Former U.S. representative from Kentucky's fourth congressional district
Jerry Lundergan		Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, chairman of the Kentucky Democratic Party[1]
Mitch McConnell		U.S. Senator from Kentucky, current Senate Majority Leader
Rodney McMullen		CEO of The Kroger Company
Hugh M. Milton II		United States Under Secretary of the Army from 1958 to 1961
Russ Mobley		Former state representative from Taylor and Adair counties
Read Morgan	1950–1952	Actor (The Deputy); Wildcats basketball player
Thomas Hunt Morgan		Natural scientist and winner of the 1933 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Thomas Volney Munson	graduated 1870	Horticulturalist
Story Musgrave		Astronaut
Paul E. Patton		Two-term governor of Kentucky
Beverly Perdue		Former governor of North Carolina
Timothy N. Philpot	B.S. (1974), J.D. (1977)	Two-term State Senator of Kentucky (1991–1998), Family court circuit judge (2004–present)
Jean Ritchie		Folk musician, singer, and songwriter who plays the Appalachian dulcimer
Elizabeth Madox Roberts		Kentucky poet and novelist
Don Rosa		Eisner Award winning writer and artist of Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge comic books
John T. Scopes		Defendant in the Scopes Trial
Elvis Jacob Stahr Jr.	1932–36	Secretary of the Army under President John F. Kennedy, President of Indiana University and West Virginia University, and President of The National Audubon Society
Harry Dean Stanton		Actor known for playing Roman Grant on Big Love
Ted Strickland		Former Governor of Ohio
Chris T. Sullivan		Founder of Outback Steakhouse
Kristine Sutherland		Actress, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
Tom Jefferson Terral		Governor of Arkansas from 1925 to 1927
Lee T. Todd, Jr.		Former president of the University of Kentucky; inventor; entrepreneur
Rudy Vaughn		Musician, singer-songwriter
Frank Vogel		Current head coach for the Indiana Pacers
Edwin O. Ware, Sr.		Baptist clergyman and principal founder of Louisiana College in Pineville, Louisiana
Ed Whitfield		U.S. Representative from Kentucky's First Congressional District
Yang Sung-chul	1970 (Ph.D.)	Political scientist, South Korean ambassador to the United States (2000–2003)[2]
Michael York		Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting

Sports alumni

Basketball

Derek Anderson	1994–97[b 1]	Former NBA player (2005–06 NBA champion)
Kelenna Azubuike	2002–05	Former NBA Cleveland Cavaliers player
Eric Bledsoe	2009–10	One of five first-round picks from UK in the 2010 NBA Draft and current player for the Phoenix Suns
Keith Bogans	1999–2003	NBA Boston Celtics player
Devin Booker	2014–15	NBA player for the Phoenix Suns
Sam Bowie	1979–84[b 2]	2nd pick in 1984 NBA Draft (ahead of Michael Jordan)
Ramel Bradley	2004-2008	Playing for Hapoel Holon in the Israeli Super League[3]
Dwane Casey		Former Minnesota Timberwolves
Rex Chapman	1986–88	Former NBA player and first-ever draft choice in Charlotte Hornets franchise history
DeMarcus Cousins	2009–10	One of five first-round picks from UK in the 2010 NBA Draft and current player for the Sacramento Kings[4]
Joe Crawford	2004–2008	NBA New York Knicks player; 2nd round draft; 58th pick overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers
Erik Daniels	2000–04	NBDL Fayetteville Patriots player
Anthony Davis	2011–12	Consensus men's college player of the year in 2011–12; now in the NBA with the New Orleans Pelicans
Tony Delk	1992–96	NBA Detroit Pistons player
Victoria Dunlap	2007–11	WNBA player with the Washington Mystics
Fabulous Five	N/A	1948 Olympic basketball gold medalists
Richie Farmer	1988–92	Never played professional basketball; former Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture, 2003–2011; spent two years in federal prison for crimes committed while Commissioner of Agriculture
Gerald Fitch	2000–04	TBL Galatasaray Cafe Crown player
Travis Ford	1990–94[b 3]	Oklahoma State University men's basketball head coach
Taylor Fowler	1948–1957	NBA Miami Heat player
Anthony Epps		Former NCAA basketball champion
Jack Givens	1974–78	1978 NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player
Kevin Grevey	1972–75	Former NBA player
Josh Harrellson	2008–11	NBA player for the Detroit Pistons
Chuck Hayes	2001–05	NBA player with the Toronto Raptors
Dan Issel	1966–70	All-time leading men's scorer and former Denver Nuggets head coach
Terrence Jones	2010–12	18th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft and current player for the Houston Rockets
Enes Kanter	2010–11[b 4]	3rd pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and current player for the Oklahoma City Thunder
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist	2011–12	2nd pick in the 2012 NBA Draft and current player for the Charlotte Hornets
Doron Lamb	2010–12	NBA player for the Orlando Magic
Brandon Knight	2010–11	8th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and current player for the Phoenix Suns
Trey Lyles	2014–15	NBA player for the Utah Jazz
Kyle Macy	1976–79[b 5]	Former Morehead State University men's basketball head coach
Jamaal Magloire	1996–2000	NBA Toronto Raptors player
Jamal Mashburn	1990–93	Former NBA All-Star; current ESPN basketball analyst
Steve Masiello	1996–2000	Current head coach at Manhattan College
Walter McCarty	1992–96[b 6]	Former NBA player; current assistant coach at the University of Louisville
Ron Mercer	1995–97	Current NBA free agent who has played with 7 different teams
Darius Miller	2008–12	Former NBA player; currently playing in Germany with Brose Baskets
Dirk Minniefield	1979–83	Former NBA player
Nazr Mohammed	1995–98	NBA Chicago Bulls player; member of the 2004–05 NBA champion San Antonio Spurs
Randolph Morris	2004–07	Former NBA player
Cotton Nash	1961–64	Former NBA player and MLB outfielder
Nerlens Noel	2012–13	6th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft and current player for the Philadelphia 76ers
Daniel Orton	2009–10	One of five first-round picks from UK in the 2010 NBA Draft
Scott Padgett	1994–99[b 7]	Former NBA and ACB player; current head coach at Samford University
Patrick Patterson	2007–10	One of five first-round picks from UK in the 2010 NBA Draft and current player for the Toronto Raptors
John Pelphrey	1988–92	Current assistant at the University of Florida; former head coach at the University of Arkansas
Mark Pope	1993–96[b 8]	Former NBA player; current head coach at Utah Valley University
Tayshaun Prince	1998–2002	NBA Memphis Grizzlies player; member of the 2003–04 NBA champion Detroit Pistons
Frank Ramsey	1950–54	Seven-time NBA champion
Julius Randle	2013–14	NBA player for the Los Angeles Lakers
Pat Riley	1963–67	NBA Miami Heat former coach, and current team president; coached the 2005–06 NBA champion Miami Heat
Rajon Rondo	2004–06	NBA Sacramento Kings player; member of the 2007–08 NBA champion Boston Celtics
Jeff Sheppard	1993–98[b 9]	1998 NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player
Valerie Still	1979–83	Leading scorer in UK basketball history, male or female; played professionally in Europe and the ABL before briefly playing for the Washington Mystics in the WNBA; younger sister of UK football great Art Still
Marquis Teague	2011–12	NBA player for the Brooklyn Nets
Karl-Anthony Towns	2014–15	1st pick of the 2015 NBA draft; current player for the Minnesota Timberwolves
Wayne Turner	1995–99	ANBL New Zealand Breakers player; ended his UK career as the all-time NCAA leader in games played (record since surpassed)
Antoine Walker	1994–96	Retired NBA player with several teams (2005–06 NBA champion with the Miami Heat)
Kenny Walker	1982–86	1985–86 All-American and 5th pick in the 1986 NBA Draft
John Wall	2009–10	1st pick of the 2010 NBA draft; current player for the Washington Wizards
Bobby Watson		Former NBA player
Sean Woods	1988–92	Current head coach at Morehead State University

Notes

• For players who enrolled from 1954 through 1971, their actual playing career did not start until a year after they first attended. At that time, freshmen were ineligible to play at varsity level.

1. Did not play until 1995State]].
2. Did not play in the 1981–82 or 1982–83 seasons due to injury.
3. Did not play until 1991, as he had to sit out the 1990–91 season after transferring from Missouri.
4. Although Kanter enrolled at Kentucky, he never played because he was declared ineligible by the NCAA due to financial benefits he had received from his former Turkish club team of Fenerbahçe Ülker.
5. Did not play until 1977, as he had to sit out the 1976–77 season after transferring from Purdue.
6. Did not play in the 1992–93 season for academic reasons.
7. Did not play in 1995–96 or the first half of the 1996–97 season for academic reasons.
8. Did not play until 1994, as he had to sit out the 1993–94 season after transferring from Washington.
9. Did not play in the 1996–97 season due to injury.

Football

Name	Years attended	Notable for
Derek Abney		NFL, former Chicago Bears wide receiver
George Blanda		American Football League MVP, 1961, two-time AFL champ, and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Shane Boyd		Former Arizona Cardinals quarterback
Chuck Bradley		Gridiron football offensive tackle
Neal Brown		Former offensive coordinator at Troy University, Texas Tech, and UK; current head coach at Troy
Vincent "Sweet Pea" Burns		Former NFL Indianapolis Colts defensive end
Jerry Claiborne	1946–1950	Former head football coach
Randall Cobb	2008–2016[5]	Current wide receiver and return specialist with the Green Bay Packers; first person born in the 1990s to play in the NFL
Tim Couch	1996–1999	Former Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback
Dermontti Dawson		Former NFL offensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers; inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012
David De La Peralle		Former CFL offensive lineman
Mark Higgs		Former NFL running back
Glenn Holt		NFL Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver
Christian Johnson		Arena Football League player
Dennis Johnson		Former San Francisco 49ers defensive end; currently with the Lexington Horsemen
Don King		Former NFL defensive tackle
Kelly Kirchbaum		Professional football player
Jared Lorenzen		Former New York Giants quarterback
Ricky Lumpkin		NFL player
Tim Masthay		Current punter for the Green Bay Packers
Marlon McCree		Former San Diego Chargers, current Denver Broncos safety
Rick Nuzum		Former NFL center
Babe Parilli		Three-time American Football League all-star and 1968 Super Bowl champ
Joe "Joker" Phillips	1981–85	Former wide receiver for the Washington Redskins and the CFL's Toronto Argonauts; former UK head coach
Artose Pinner		Former Minnesota Vikings running back
Derrick Ramsey	1974–78	Former tight end for three NFL teams; athletic director at Coppin State University, 2008–2015; Kentucky Secretary of Labor, 2015–present
Dewayne Robertson		Former New York Jets, former Denver Broncos defensive tackle
Howard Schnellenberger		Retired football coach, most recently with Florida Atlantic; former head coach of the NFL's Baltimore Colts, and of Miami, Louisville, and Oklahoma in the college ranks
Art Still		Former Kansas City Chiefs player and 4-time Pro Bowler; older brother of Valerie Still (see basketball alumni)
Jeff Van Note		Former Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman and 6-time Pro Bowler
Moe Williams		Former Minnesota Vikings running back
Ken Willis		Former Dallas Cowboys kicker
Earl Wilson		NFL and CFL player
Craig Yeast	1995–1998	Former Cincinnati Bengals receiver

Baseball

Name	Years attended	Notable for
Joe Blanton		Major League Baseball pitcher with the Pittsburgh Pirates; member of the 2008 World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies, winner of Game 4 of the 2008 World Series
Collin Cowgill		Outfielder with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Andy Green		Currently with the New York Mets, former player of the Arizona Diamondbacks
Jason Kipnis		Second baseman for the Cleveland Indians
Jim Leyritz		Former Major League Baseball player, most notably for the New York Yankees
A. J. Reed	2011–2014	Current Minor League Baseball player in the Houston Astros organization; consensus NCAA Division I player of the year in 2014
Brandon Webb		Pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner

Golf

• Russ Cochran, Golfer on the PGA Champions Tour^[7]
• Steve Flesch, Golfer on the PGA Tour
• J. B. Holmes, Golfer on the PGA Tour
• Chase Parker, Golfer on mini-tours, made cut at 2016 U.S. Open

Gymnastics

• Jenny Hansen, 13-time All-American gymnast, who continues to hold every individual gymnastics record in UK school history; selected as the "NCAA 25th Anniversary Most Outstanding Gymnast"

Soccer

• Andy Gruenebaum, MLS goalkeeper
• Barry Rice, American soccer defender

References

1. Gerth, Joseph (September 22, 2013). "Ky. Senate candidate's dad brings connections, baggage". USA Today. The Courier-Journal. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
2. Bak, In-gyu (2007-12-27). "고려대 국제대학원 양성철 교수" [Korea University professor Yang Sung-chul]. Pressian. Retrieved 2013-10-17.
4. "DeMarcus Amir Cousins". Basketball-Reference.Com. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
5. Left full-time study at UK for the NFL in 2011; received degree in 2016.^[6]
6. Goodbread, Chase (May 9, 2016). "Aaron Rodgers attends Randall Cobb's graduation ceremony". College Football 24/7. NFL.com. Retrieved May 11, 2016.