Legendary UTEP coach, Haskins, passes away at age 78
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By Herman Rojas, MinerDigs.net Staff Writer Sep 7, 11:34 pm EDT
Don Haskins, the popular and most successful men’s basketball coach in UTEP history, passed away Sunday afternoon at the age of 78.
Haskins had been dealing with numerous physical ailments, most notably with diabetes. He had had a number of procedures done over the last few years, including foot surgery related to his diabetes as well as heart surgery.
“My thoughts and prayers go out to Mary and the Haskins family,” UTEP head coach Tony Barbee said. “We are losing a national treasure. I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to get to know him over the last two years. The information he shared with me was invaluable to a first-time head coach. He is a Hall of Fame coach and a Hall of Fame person. It’s sad to think that we’re losing someone so special to this community and this university, and a national hero at the same time.”
In his 38 years at the bench for the Miners, Haskins single-handedly rewrote the program record books. He accepted the coaching position at then Texas Western College in 1962 and coached at the El Paso university until his retirement in 1999.
“It is a very sad time for all of us,” UTEP Athletic Director Bob Stull said. “Don is an icon of El Paso. He has had a huge impact on the city and the University of Texas at El Paso. Since his retirement, he has remained very interested in our entire athletic program and supportive of all of our coaches. He has been an invaluable resource to everybody in the athletic department. He remains one of the most revered and honored coaches in basketball history.”
Haskins finished his career with a record of 719-354 and led his Miner teams to the postseason 21 times, including 14 NCAA tournament appearances. He also won seven Western Athletic Conference titles. Heading into the 2007-08 season, Haskins ranked as the 19th winningest Division I coach of all time. In 1997, Don Haskins was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
“The Bear’s” most memorable achievement was leading the Miners to the 1966 NCAA National Championship, which to this day remains the only Division I basketball national championship in the state of Texas. That team finished with a 28-1 record en route to the championship. That ‘66 team was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007.
He made history in the championship game by starting five African-American players against Adolph Rupp’s all white Kentucky Wildcat team. It was the first time in a championship game that it had occurred. The Miners went on to pull off the upset and defeated the Wildcats in that game 72-65.
That 1966 championship team was the inspiration for the 2006 Disney film “Glory Road.” The movie won an ESPY award that same year for Best Sports Movie and was nominated for Humanitas Prize and Black Reel Awards.
“His decision to start five black players in the 1966 national championship game, as chronicled in the movie Glory Road, changed college basketball and the sports world,” Stull said. “He will always be remembered for that.”