The University of Mississippi Athletics
A Look Back at the Tad Smith Coliseum
11/15/2023 | Men's Basketball
The date was February 21, 1966, when Rebel Coliseum, known since 1972 as C.M. "Tad" Smith Coliseum to honor the former athletics director, opened its doors for basketball. The Ole Miss men lost to top-ranked Kentucky that night.
Affectionately known as the Tad Pad in more recent times, the arena hosted its share of dramatic and memorable contests. The last men's basketball game played there was certainly one of those.
On December 22, 2015, Ole Miss men's basketball closed its portion of history in the arena with a nail-biting 83-80 win against Troy - in overtime. The coliseum was packed, and Coach Andy Kennedy's Rebels moved to their new home - The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss - on a winning note.
Likely the most thrilling men's game played on the Tad Smith Coliseum court was on March 4, 1989, when Coach Ed Murphy's Rebels defeated LSU 113-112 in overtime. Tiger star Chris Jackson, a Mississippi native, scored 55 points, while Rebel legend Gerald Glass, also from Mississippi, scored 53. Anytime great games are brought up concerning Tad Smith Coliseum, that contest is usually the first to be mentioned. Certainly it is by those who were in attendance that night.
A 76-74 Ole Miss win in the NIT against Grambling on March 6, 1980, was a momentous occasion. Ole Miss' Carlos Clark hit a jump shot just before the final buzzer to lift the Rebels to their first-ever postseason win - NIT or NCAA - in what was also their first-ever postseason tournament appearance. Coach Bob Weltlich's squad treated Ole Miss fans to their first taste of March Madness that night inside Tad Smith Coliseum, even if it wasn't the NCAA tourney. The following season the Rebels won the SEC Tournament and played in their first NCAA Tournament.
"Let the party begin!" Brent Musberger shouted to an ABC national television audience as the veteran play-by-play announcer, along with legendary commentator Dick Vitale, helped bring to life Ole Miss' thrilling 73-69 victory over third-ranked Kentucky on January 11, 1997. The party in Oxford didn't stop for weeks, and the Rebels played Temple in the NCAA Tournament in Kansas City.
During the following regular season in 1997-98, Temple came to Oxford for a game in a sold-out Tad Smith Coliseum, and the Owls headed back to Philadelphia with an 87-74 loss.
There were plenty of other outstanding and dramatic games, many of them against rivals like Mississippi State, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Some weren't necessarily high-scoring contests. One during the Weltlich era, on February 17, 1982, against Vanderbilt, went four overtimes and the Rebels were victorious 51-48. That was before the 3-point line and also before the shot clock in NCAA men's basketball games.
Weltlich always stressed defense, and his teams were known for making it difficult offensively for the opposition. There was no better example than the game against the Commodores when the two teams combined for 99 total points in 40 minutes plus four extra periods.
During his four seasons in Tad Smith Coliseum from 1977-80, John Stroud became the second all-time leading scorer in Southeastern Conference history with 2,328 points, at the time trailing only LSU's Pete Maravich. The Rebels' Johnny Neumann, who played only one varsity season before turning pro, averaged 40.1 points per game during the 1970-71 season to lead not only the SEC in points per contest but all of college basketball that season.
Former player Rod Barnes thrilled fans with his style of fearless and emotional play at point guard in the late 1980s as he became a favorite, not only among Ole Miss supporters but fans throughout the SEC. He became the Rebels' head coach prior to the 1998-99 season, and his 2000-01 team advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
Ansu Sesay became the SEC Player of the Year competing in Tad Smith Coliseum in 1997-98. Marshall Henderson brought crowds to their feet like few others and helped his team to an SEC Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament berth in 2013. He also set an NCAA record in 2012-13 for 3-point attempts in a season with 394, making 138 of them, a number that ranks No. 1 all-time at Ole Miss.
Chris Warren led the nation in free throw percentage at 92.8 in 2010-11. Sean Tuohy led the SEC in assists for four straight seasons from 1979-82 and remains the league's all-time assists leader with 830. Murphy Holloway set a new Ole Miss rebounding mark with 1,093 career boards from 2009-13.
Stroud (2,328), Joe Harvell (2,078), and Warren (2,021) are the only three players in the 2,000-point club at Ole Miss. All called Tad Smith Coliseum home.
Five times the Rebels won the SEC Western Division title (1997, 1998, 2001, 2007, and 2010) when the league was divided into a West and East. Current Ole Miss athletics director and former player Keith Carter, an Arkansas native, helped make sure the Rebels won more games than they lost against the Razorbacks as a player from 1996-99, and there were some thrillers.
Coolidge Ball's arrival in the summer of 1970, the first African-American player for Ole Miss in any sport, was not only historically significant, but Ball remained a beloved member of the Oxford community until his passing in August of this year. His fierce play on the court belied his calm and even demeanor off it, and he was an ever-present part of the program in Tad Smith Coliseum for years.
When it was packed with some 9,000 fans, no place was louder than the Tad Pad. More than a few visiting coaches talked about how tough it was for their teams to get wins there when it was truly rocking.
After eight years away, the Rebels return. Ole Miss and Sam Houston State will bring the place back to life once more.
Former head coach Rob Evans will be honored for his contributions to the program and for the excitement and winning that he, his staff, and his teams brought to Oxford during six seasons from 1993-98.
For all those alumni and fans who spent countless weeknights and Saturdays in the Tad Pad, enjoy Friday night's game and festivities, absorb all the moments, and cheer the Rebels on again in their former campus home - C.M. "Tad" Smith Coliseum.
Affectionately known as the Tad Pad in more recent times, the arena hosted its share of dramatic and memorable contests. The last men's basketball game played there was certainly one of those.
On December 22, 2015, Ole Miss men's basketball closed its portion of history in the arena with a nail-biting 83-80 win against Troy - in overtime. The coliseum was packed, and Coach Andy Kennedy's Rebels moved to their new home - The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss - on a winning note.
Likely the most thrilling men's game played on the Tad Smith Coliseum court was on March 4, 1989, when Coach Ed Murphy's Rebels defeated LSU 113-112 in overtime. Tiger star Chris Jackson, a Mississippi native, scored 55 points, while Rebel legend Gerald Glass, also from Mississippi, scored 53. Anytime great games are brought up concerning Tad Smith Coliseum, that contest is usually the first to be mentioned. Certainly it is by those who were in attendance that night.
A 76-74 Ole Miss win in the NIT against Grambling on March 6, 1980, was a momentous occasion. Ole Miss' Carlos Clark hit a jump shot just before the final buzzer to lift the Rebels to their first-ever postseason win - NIT or NCAA - in what was also their first-ever postseason tournament appearance. Coach Bob Weltlich's squad treated Ole Miss fans to their first taste of March Madness that night inside Tad Smith Coliseum, even if it wasn't the NCAA tourney. The following season the Rebels won the SEC Tournament and played in their first NCAA Tournament.
"Let the party begin!" Brent Musberger shouted to an ABC national television audience as the veteran play-by-play announcer, along with legendary commentator Dick Vitale, helped bring to life Ole Miss' thrilling 73-69 victory over third-ranked Kentucky on January 11, 1997. The party in Oxford didn't stop for weeks, and the Rebels played Temple in the NCAA Tournament in Kansas City.
During the following regular season in 1997-98, Temple came to Oxford for a game in a sold-out Tad Smith Coliseum, and the Owls headed back to Philadelphia with an 87-74 loss.
There were plenty of other outstanding and dramatic games, many of them against rivals like Mississippi State, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Some weren't necessarily high-scoring contests. One during the Weltlich era, on February 17, 1982, against Vanderbilt, went four overtimes and the Rebels were victorious 51-48. That was before the 3-point line and also before the shot clock in NCAA men's basketball games.
Weltlich always stressed defense, and his teams were known for making it difficult offensively for the opposition. There was no better example than the game against the Commodores when the two teams combined for 99 total points in 40 minutes plus four extra periods.
During his four seasons in Tad Smith Coliseum from 1977-80, John Stroud became the second all-time leading scorer in Southeastern Conference history with 2,328 points, at the time trailing only LSU's Pete Maravich. The Rebels' Johnny Neumann, who played only one varsity season before turning pro, averaged 40.1 points per game during the 1970-71 season to lead not only the SEC in points per contest but all of college basketball that season.
Former player Rod Barnes thrilled fans with his style of fearless and emotional play at point guard in the late 1980s as he became a favorite, not only among Ole Miss supporters but fans throughout the SEC. He became the Rebels' head coach prior to the 1998-99 season, and his 2000-01 team advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
Ansu Sesay became the SEC Player of the Year competing in Tad Smith Coliseum in 1997-98. Marshall Henderson brought crowds to their feet like few others and helped his team to an SEC Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament berth in 2013. He also set an NCAA record in 2012-13 for 3-point attempts in a season with 394, making 138 of them, a number that ranks No. 1 all-time at Ole Miss.
Chris Warren led the nation in free throw percentage at 92.8 in 2010-11. Sean Tuohy led the SEC in assists for four straight seasons from 1979-82 and remains the league's all-time assists leader with 830. Murphy Holloway set a new Ole Miss rebounding mark with 1,093 career boards from 2009-13.
Stroud (2,328), Joe Harvell (2,078), and Warren (2,021) are the only three players in the 2,000-point club at Ole Miss. All called Tad Smith Coliseum home.
Five times the Rebels won the SEC Western Division title (1997, 1998, 2001, 2007, and 2010) when the league was divided into a West and East. Current Ole Miss athletics director and former player Keith Carter, an Arkansas native, helped make sure the Rebels won more games than they lost against the Razorbacks as a player from 1996-99, and there were some thrillers.
Coolidge Ball's arrival in the summer of 1970, the first African-American player for Ole Miss in any sport, was not only historically significant, but Ball remained a beloved member of the Oxford community until his passing in August of this year. His fierce play on the court belied his calm and even demeanor off it, and he was an ever-present part of the program in Tad Smith Coliseum for years.
When it was packed with some 9,000 fans, no place was louder than the Tad Pad. More than a few visiting coaches talked about how tough it was for their teams to get wins there when it was truly rocking.
After eight years away, the Rebels return. Ole Miss and Sam Houston State will bring the place back to life once more.
Former head coach Rob Evans will be honored for his contributions to the program and for the excitement and winning that he, his staff, and his teams brought to Oxford during six seasons from 1993-98.
For all those alumni and fans who spent countless weeknights and Saturdays in the Tad Pad, enjoy Friday night's game and festivities, absorb all the moments, and cheer the Rebels on again in their former campus home - C.M. "Tad" Smith Coliseum.
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