LEXINGTON, Ky. — Charles “Cotton” Nash, a three-time All-American men’s basketball player and a University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Famer, died Tuesday. He was 80-years-old.

Nash was a player for the Wildcats from 1962 to 1964. He appeared in 78 games for the Wildcats. He was a member of two Southeastern Conference championship squads and was tabbed an All-American during three seasons of his basketball career.

Nash also earned All-SEC Eastern Division honors as a member of the baseball team, and was a discus thrower for the track and field team.

“As a three-sport competitor, Cotton Nash was one of the greatest all-around athletes ever to wear the Blue and White,” said Mitch Barnhart, UK Director of Athletics. “His accomplishments in basketball and baseball made him a rarity in American sports history.”

Nash would become just one of 13 players to appear in both the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball following his career at UK. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers and San Francisco Warriors during the 1964-65 NBA season, and he also played nine seasons of professional baseball, including three in the MLB with the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins as a first baseman and outfielder. Nash also played in the American Basketball Association with the Kentucky Colonels in 1967-68.

His No. 44 men’s basketball jersey hangs from the rafters inside of Rupp Arena. At the conclusion of his career, he was Kentucky’s all-time leading scorer and still ranks ninth in UK history with 1,770 career points and fifth with 962 career boards. He paced the team in scoring and rebounding in each of his three varsity seasons. Nash is the only player in program history to average at least 20 points per game as a sophomore, junior and senior.

Nash was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fam and is a member of the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame.

Nash was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. He earned his famous nickname around the age of nine when an uncle began calling him “Cotton-top” in reference to his bright, blonde hair. His family moved to Indiana, and he was coached by former UK men’s basketball two-time national champion Cliff Barker in basketball at Jeffersonville High School.

During his time in high school, his father was transferred to Texas for a job and Nash concluded his career at Charles High School in Louisiana. It was there he was dubbed “The Bayou Bomber” for his basketball prowess. Nash also participated in football and set a high school state record in the discus throw in track and field. He did not play baseball because the school did not have a team but did participate in summer ball locally. Nash was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.

After being recruited by more than 50 programs, Nash ultimately wanted to compete in the SEC, and he chose to play for Adolph Rupp and the Wildcats while also being accepted into UK’s dental school.

Following his professional basketball and baseball careers, Nash began a career in real estate and also briefly coached minor league baseball. He and his wife, Julie, eventually settled in Lexington, where he bred and owned standardbreds for around 30 years.

Nash is survived by his wife Julie, three children and their spouses, as well as nine grandchildren.