Don Haskins, the coach who is best known for starting five black players for Texas Western in the 1966 NCAA Championship game, died today at the age of 78.
In that 1966 game, Haskins famously broke color barriers by starting an all-black lineup in their championship victory over Adolph Rupp's Kentucky Wildcats. The story was told in the Disney movie Glory Road.
Haskins, whose health had been failing over the past couple of years, coached for 38 years at Texas Western, which would eventually be renamed the University of Texas at El Paso (or UTEP).
Former coach Eddie Sutton had this to say about the impact of that 1966 team:
"When they won the national championship against the University of Kentucky, that changed college basketball," 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."
Haskins had just five losing seasons in his career at UTEP, 14 WAC championships, 14 NCAA Tournament appearances and 719 wins before retiring in 1999. He was elected to the Basketball Hall Of Fame in 1997, while the entire 1966 team was inducted exactly one year ago.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-08-2008 @ 12:08AM
MemphisMike said...
He led them to the championship, he'll lead them to Heaven.
Godspeed Coach.
Reply
9-08-2008 @ 1:24AM
petejayhawk said...
The thing that everyone forgets when talking about how REVOLUTIONARY Haskins was is that the team that UTEP questionably beat in the Final Four to make it to the championship game was the University of Kansas, who also had an all-black starting lineup and is a much more relevant college basketball program. The popular narrative is that Texas Western was the first team to roll out an all-Black starting five. That's not the case at all; besides, KU's players were better.
Reply
9-08-2008 @ 10:18AM
David W. said...
Pete: Your Jayhawk enthusiasm is duly noted (and you suck, by the way. I went to Iowa State).
However, two things:
1. Kansas was defeated in the ELITE EIGHT.
2. i have not confirmed they had a black starting five, but it is irrelevant. The fact is Coach Haskins started an all-black line-up in the championship game, against an opponent from a conference with a racist recruiting philosophy (jury's still out on Rupp). After significantly playing these black players all over the South.
Kansas and Texas are two different creatures in the '60s, dude. And just because KU and UTEP play in the same conference now doesn't negate the fact that wasn't the case then, and wasn't even the case when I was in school.
So GO JAYHAWKS (not). And stop pissing on Haskin's career.
9-08-2008 @ 5:57PM
RIck said...
They didnt questionably beat KU, they just beat them. The better team won and went on to win the National Championship.
9-09-2008 @ 11:08PM
bill said...
look at the film.
11-22-2008 @ 3:30PM
harry said...
KU did not have an all black starting lineup. I was at that game.KU was lucky to have played one ot let alone two. TEXAS WESTERN just beat them. Check your facts before you start hating on someone. Don Haskins was a great coach
9-14-2008 @ 12:40PM
Rich said...
Peety - You must of been hit by flying debris during that tornado that Dorothy and Toto were in.........Jo Jo White
was the only starting African American on that team....and yes he did step on the line...........Go Kansa State........Go
9-08-2008 @ 3:27PM
kevin b said...
Few coaches ever get a chance to make history outside the arena of sport. Most follow tradition and the unwritten rules. At a time when even having five black players on your team let alone start them, Coach Haskins had the courage to stand up to prejudice and do it in front of an all white racist lineup at Kentucky for the Nationsl Championship.
Reply
9-10-2008 @ 10:08PM
b said...
my father played for Don Haskins the year after they won the national championship. He was married in the blazer Mr. Haskins gave him to wear on the road because he didn't have one. He still has the blazer today! My father never had a kind word to say about him, however he always said that Mr. Haskins had the most profound effect on his life.
Reply
9-10-2008 @ 8:00PM
HASKINSFANFOREVER said...
Correct me if I'm wrong but TWC beat Kansas in that same year. I guess your players were better but our TEAM was better. I grew up watching Haskins. Bobby Knight said the same thing that everyone in the El Paso area has always said. Nobody got more out of a player than Don Haskins. After all, what prime time players wanted to move to El Paso?
Reply
9-09-2008 @ 10:59AM
joe said...
Petejayhawk is just bitter cause 66 wasn't the only time a UTEP team knocked out his team in March... 1992 NCAA's anyone... How do you stop a Jayhawk? U-TEP on its tail.
Reply
9-15-2008 @ 11:55AM
chacho said...
i had the pleasure of seeing UTEP's, practice as a kid growing up in el paso. i would sit on the floor at memorial gym and watch haskins run his practices. i also had the pleasure of seeing many games at the don haskins center. and his greatest game "COACHED" was that victory over kansas in 1992. the jayhawks had a #1 seed and UTEP was a #9. haskins came up with a game plan and out "COACHED" the jayhawks. thank you COACH for giving me that pleasure to see you COACH.
Reply
9-11-2008 @ 11:28PM
GV said...
Many may try to downplay the importance of Coach Haskins' accomplishments. These people know nothing about the man. He did more for El Paso as a humanitarian than he ever did as a coach for TWC (UTEP). He demonstrated how to be humble and how to treat everyone with respect and dignity, regardless of socioeconomic level or race. He was more than a basketball coach; he was a life coach. He was El Paso's coach.
Reply
9-17-2008 @ 11:08PM
joejohn said...
I want to let everyone know that people do things in life that change the future whether its on sports or anything else, but the importance is that he did do alot for El Paso, Texas and the entire community, I meet the man when i was a little boy he was coming out of a bar, I was star struck, but Don Haskins aka the BEAR made me feel like a human by hugging me and telling me to have a great day, I thank him for that, people its about what you do for people and not brag about it, he did just that, I will miss you Don Haskins for all the great memories that you gave the country and me, do the same in heaven Don Haskins, (tears in my eyes) thank you everyone for your comments on him.
Reply