Don Haskins, credited with helping break color barriers in US college sports in 1966 when he used five black starters to win a national basketball title for Texas Western University, died on Sunday. He was 78.
University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP) spokesman Jeff Darby said the Hall of Fame coach died. He had no other details. UTEP was previously called Texas Western.
Haskins was an old-time coach known for his gruff demeanor. That attitude was portrayed in the 2006 movie Glory Road, the Disney film that chronicled Haskins’ improbable rise to national fame in the 1966 US college final against University of Kentucky. The movie sparked renewed interest in Haskins’ career.
He turned down several more lucrative offers, including one with the now-defunct American Basketball Association, to remain at UTEP as one of the lowest paid coaches in the US.
WINNING RECORD
Haskins retired in 1999 after 38 seasons at the school. He had a 719-353 win-loss record and won seven Western Athletic Conference championships. He took UTEP to 21 national tournaments, was an assistant coach for the US team at the 1972 Munich Olympics, and briefly worked as an adviser with the Chicago Bulls.
As a coach, Haskins became a star early in his career by leading Texas Western to the 1966 final, then making the controversial decision to start five blacks against all-white, heavily favored Kentucky. The Miners won, and shortly after that many schools began recruiting black players.
BEST PLAYERS
Haskins said he wasn’t trying to make a social statement with his lineup; he was simply starting his best players. The move, however, raised the ire of some who sent Haskins hate mail and even death threats during the racially charged era.
“When they won the national championship against the University of Kentucky, that changed college basketball,” former college coach Eddie Sutton said. “At that time, there weren’t many teams in the South or Southwest that had African-Americans playing. There was a change in the recruiting of the black athlete. It really changed after that. They’ve had a great impact on the game.”
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