Division regular season and conference tournament champion

The arena he coached in is now known as "The Don Haskins Center". Although Haskins was never able to duplicate his 1966 success, he is nonetheless regarded as an important figure in basketball history.

On numerous occasions, Haskins stated that he believed his 1964 team could have won the NCAA Tournament had All-American Jim Barnes not fouled out after playing only eight minutes in a 64–60 loss to Kansas State in the tournament. Mr. CARR: I mean, when it really hit him, you know, is when he found out that I couldn't drink out of the same water fountain that he drank out of, you know. He served as an assistant coach under Hank Iba in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. NPR's Tom Goldman has this remembrance of Coach Haskins.

He is survived by his wife, Mary; three sons Brent, David and Steve and three grandsons, John Paul, Cameron and Dominick. His teams won 719 games and made 14 NCAA tournament appearances. These scenes would have depicted a formative influence on Haskins' game of basketball. The watershed game initiated the end of racial segregation in college basketball.

He's best-known for leading tiny Texas Western to the 1966 NCAA championship. We Insist: A Timeline Of Protest Music In 2020, 'Glory Road' Plays Fast and Loose with Facts, Pioneering Basketball Coach Haskins Retires. He was the head coach at Texas Western College (renamed the University of Texas at El Paso in 1967) from 1961 to 1999. By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism. In 1997, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports hall of Fame. His 1966 team was inducted in its entirety by the same Hall of Fame on September 7, 2007. He changed the course of the college game in 1966 when he started five black players and led Texas Western to a championship upset over an all-white University of Kentucky team. Among the players he coached at UTEP over the years were future NBA all-stars Nate Archibald, Tim Hardaway, and Antonio Davis. His son Steve is a professional golfer, who began play on the Champions Tour after reaching the age of 50 and won two events on the Nationwide Tour during his regular career years. Haskins stayed at Texas Western, which was renamed the University of Texas El Paso, until 1999. Haskins died at his home on September 7, 2008. "I just wanted to win that game. Don was 78 years old at the time of death.

Texas Western's upset win … A fourth son, Mark, died … Drive nail into coffin of farming in Northern SJ Valley by voting ‘yes’ on Proposition 15, Community member calls for censure of Councilman, Local nonprofits struggling in wake of fundraiser cancellations, PLAY BALL? GOLDMAN: Haskins' relationship with Carr raised Haskins' consciousness enough to prompt him to recruit more African-American players when he took over at Texas Western in 1961. Accuracy and availability may vary. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. But I went out there and I showed him, you called me a big girl, huh? Haskins led UTEP to 17 20-plus-win seasons and served as an assistant Olympic team coach in 1972.[1]. Hunt, Darren. College basketball is mourning the death of one of its great coaches. He took a pay cut for a chance to be a college coach, accepting a job offer at Texas Western College—now known as the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in 1961.[2]. BLD Manteca reopens for youth team practices only, Straining fingers with rapid response pointing ignores City of Manteca’s $67 million question, The three ‘R’s are awesome & so will be Katelyn, Michael & Wyatt, If you like playing chicken while driving Manteca gives you a lot to cluck about, The coming post pandemic world may accelerate growth in Manteca, Lathrop, Haunted Graveyard Halloween House In Turlock | Studio209, Sisters Of The Valley: Merced's Weed Nuns | Studio209, Soundcheck209: Cole Hinkle & The Debauchery | Studio209. "[7], Though credited with advancing the desegregation of college basketball teams in the South, he wrote in his book, Glory Road, "I certainly did not expect to be some racial pioneer or to change the world.". Haskins stated his disappointment[9] at the cutting of the movie scenes of his one-on-one games with his boyhood friend Herman Carr, who is African-American. His greatest triumph occurred in 1966, when his team won the NCAA Tournament over the Wildcats of the University of Kentucky, coached by Adolph Rupp. He was real interested in basketball and I was, too. [6], Later asked about his decision to start five African American players, Haskins downplayed the significance of his decision. He and his 1966 Texas Western team had a renaissance two years ago, thanks to the Disney film "Glory Road." "I really didn't think about starting five black guys. "Bluegrass Retort; Kentucky hopes film won't degrade coach, '66 team". Haskins died at his home on September 7, 2008. And, you know, of course I was kind of angry at him. Tom Goldman, NPR News. His friends and family remember him as someone who was always joking and went out of his way to make them laugh. He was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997 as a basketball coach. 57th Annual Ripon Almond Blossom Festival. The Texas Western Miners finished the 1965–66 regular season with a 23–1 record, entering the NCAA Tournament ranked third in the nation in the final regular season AP college basketball poll. They again reached the NCAA Tournament in 1964 and played in the NIT in 1965. Mr. CARR: Well, he kind of changed that by calling me the wild man, you big girl. It chronicled their David-over-Goliath moment against Kentucky, and it elicited a Haskins growl with its depiction of him as somewhat of a social crusader.

Carr was African-American, Haskins white, and it was through Carr that Haskins learned about segregated America. He will be deeply missed. Hall of Famer Don Haskins died yesterday at the age of 78. Don Haskins Birthday and Date of Death. After college and a stint with the Amateur Athletic Union's Artesia Travelers, Haskins began coaching small-town Texas high schools (Benjamin, Hedley and Dumas) from 1955 to 1961. Death. Don Haskins passed away peacefully on June 29, with his wife Penny by his side.

Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. The Miners finished with 72 points to Kentucky's 65, winning the tournament and finishing the year with a 28–1 record. ", UTEP Miners men's basketball head coaches, Texas Western Miners basketball 1965–66 NCAA champions, Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 1994 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, 1965–66 Texas Western Miners basketball team, List of college men's basketball coaches with 600 wins, List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach, Official Website of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame - Hall of Famers, ia.utep.edu/gloryroad > The Team > Coach Don Haskins, "ia.utep.edu/gloryroad > The Team > Making History", "Don Haskins, 78; basketball coach was first to win NCAA title with 5 black starters", NCAA Basketball Tourney History - CBSSports.com, Ex-Miners coach Don Haskins wasn't playing the hero during a racially charged 1966 championship, but Hollywood doesn't seem to mind : Sports : Albuquerque Tribune, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture profile, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Don_Haskins&oldid=984236366, College basketball announcers in the United States, College men's basketball head coaches in the United States, High school basketball coaches in the United States, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees, Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball players, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 19 October 2020, at 00:32.