PonyFans.com

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 02289.html

EL PASO, Texas — Don Haskins, credited with helping break color barriers in college sports in 1966 when he used five black starters to win a national basketball title for Texas Western, died Sunday. He was 78.

Texas-El Paso spokesman Jeff Darby said the Hall of Fame coach died Sunday afternoon. He had no other details. UTEP was previously known as Texas Western.

“The word unique does not begin to describe Don Haskins,â€

Just saw that story - what a shame.

Coach Haskins was a great coach, to be sure, but by all accounts a greater person. He was a pioneer of the highest level and deserves every honor that came his way, and any he receives posthumously. There are an awful lot of basketball coaches and players who owe their livelihoods to Coach Haskins.

I remember being in Moody Coliseum when he coached UTEP there and he recently had reached a milestone win ... 600 or 700, I think. The standing ovation the PonyFans gave him gave me chills.

Rest in peace, Coach. You'll be missed.

As a kid growing up in El Paso, I went to most Texas Western/UTEP home games with my parents. I watched the team from almost the beginning of Coach Haskins career there, which included players like Nolan Richardson, Jim Barnes, Bobby Joe Hill, the '66 team, & Nate Archibald. Almost every game was packed when the Miners played in the old, smaller Memorial Gym. The place was always literally rockin'. That didn't change too much after the move into Don Haskins Center. The fan excitement stirred by the Haskins teams in the early years, and his ability to get the best out of many lesser recruits, even in later years, helped to make a Don Haskins a legend. I eventually transferred to SMU, but my interest in the basketball teams & program here has always been high because of those experiences in El Paso.

Nowadays, it will be rare to see someone stick with the same school for 38 years, turning down far more lucrative offers along the way. Haskins was from a breed that simply no longer exists. UTEP realized that right away with Billy Gillespie & Doc Sadler.

Don Haskins has left an indelible print of greatness on UTEP & college basketball that will never be forgotten.

I watched the 1966 NCAA championship game on a black and white TV with a UHF antenna. The NCAA championship game was not on national TV. for your youngsters the UHF antenna looked like this

I recall the Miners coming into Moody with David Latin, Bobby Joe Hill/ & company and systematically destroying an outstanding SMU team. An SMU team comprised with the likes of Bob Beggert, Denny Holman, Charles Beasly and Bobby Jones to mention a few. The Miners were very sound fundamentally and extremely physical in the paint with Latin a monster with huge muscles. Nothing fancy and no glitz, just sound execution and excellent movement without the ball. Haskens was a bit demonstrative and you knew he was totally into the game and very exacting. Haskins was almost worth the price of the ticket himself. It was no surprise that later that year they become the first all black team to win it all and deservedly so. A game that left an indelible impression on all who were there; however. I do not think that we appriciated how truly gifted they were at that point in the season.

Didn't we beat The Bear in his final game as a coach? Think that's right. It was in the WAC tournament when Renaldo Bratton went coast-to-coast on a layup at the horn.

He was a great coach. He gave El Paso great visibility.

One of the all time greats