Coolidge Ball, born in Indianola, Mississippi

Indianola, Mississippi

Indianola is a city in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 12,066 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Sunflower County.-History:...

, was the first African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

 athlete to play any sport at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)

University of Mississippi

The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...

 in Oxford, Mississippi

Oxford, Mississippi

Oxford is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1835, it was named after the British university city of Oxford in hopes of having the state university located there, which it did successfully attract....

. Ball played forward for the Ole Miss basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 team. Because freshmen were not allowed to play with the varsity team back then, Ball played just three seasons (1972, 1973 and 1974). He enrolled in 1970 and received a basketball scholarship.

College career

Ball signed scholarship papers to New Mexico State before he signed the national letter of intent to Ole Miss. He was recruited by New Mexico State assistants Rob Evans

Rob Evans

Robert Oran Evans is an American college basketball coach. He served as head coach at the University of Mississippi from 1992 to 1998, and as the head coach of Arizona State University from 1998 to 2006. He is a current assistant coach for the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs.Evans was...

 and Ed Murphy, both future Ole Miss head coaches. Ball also was recruited by then-Jackson State University

Jackson State University

Jackson State University is a historically black university founded in 1877 in Natchez, MS by the American Baptist Home Mission Society of New York. The Society moved the school to Jackson in 1882, renaming it Jackson College, and developed its present campus in 1902. It became a state supported...

 head coach Paul Covington.

As of August 2008, Ball ranked 11th on the Ole Miss scoring charts with 1,072 points and fifth in career rebounds with 754. Ole Miss had a winning season in all three seasons he played.

After college

Since 1979, Ball has owned and operated Ball Sign Company, a business he started upon his return to Oxford after a four-year stint coaching basketball at Northwest Mississippi Community College

Northwest Mississippi Community College

Northwest Mississippi Community College is a two-year public community college located in Senatobia, Mississippi, USA and has been in existence since 1928. As of August 2008, Northwest's enrollment exceeds 7,100 students. There are approximately 3,000 students on the Senatobia campus—1,100 of which...

.

Honors

In 2005, Ball was part of the SEC Basketball Legends 2005 class honored at the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament at the Georgia Dome

Georgia Dome

The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the...

 in Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

.

In August 2008, Ball was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

Ball is also in the Ole Miss Athletic Hall of Fame.