i also recall Haskins stating that the facilitilies in the early 70s made recruiting tough. Games were played at the Coliseum until the SEC was built in 77.
Don Haskins Era
- Thread starter FiliUTEP
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There’s nothing to capitalize on. Marshall didn’t get a bunch of great recruits because of their movie either.
Penn St harbored a child molester for years. Outrage lasted for 1 year, back to getting the best of the best. Baylor had one of their basketball players murdered and got an almost death penalty. They won the national championship last year.
Whatever you think Glory Road could have done for UTEP, could never have and 15 plus years later? Just something to watch on Disney +.
Actually difficult to dispute that considering how the starters turned out. In the 80s Haskins claimed we had turned our back on them
Considering the greatest UTEP player ever; Nate Archivald came after this time it’s difficult to wonder why the ensuing years and the 70s were so bad. The 80s(IMO) were actually the glory years for UTEP
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Well i have been doing a little bit of research. Its looks like during the 1966 era Utep was a indy during that time. Then in the 70s they joined the WAC. Maybe it got harder to win being in a conference?? Haskins really didnt win much after 1966. Actually he did a horrible job. Haskins wouldnt have lasted 2 seasons if he coached in this time. During 1976 to 1979 how did he not get fired?
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You’re going to fire a coach that brought a national championship to El Paso ?Well i have been doing a little bit of research. Its looks like during the 1966 era Utep was a indy during that time. Then in the 70s they joined the WAC. Maybe it got harder to win being in a conference?? Haskins really didnt win much after 1966. Actually he did a horrible job. Haskins wouldnt have lasted 2 seasons if he coached in this time. During 1976 to 1979 how did he not get fired?
UTEP Miners Men's Basketball Index | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
Check out the UTEP Miners College Basketball History, Stats, Records, Polls, Leaders and More College Basketball Stats at Sports-Reference.com
Times were different back then. Duke hired Coach K after a 9-17 season at Army. No school like Duke would hire a coach coming off a season like that now.
Those seasons you’re talking about, aren’t even “that bad”, all things previous considered. Would it fly today? No.
The only thing that UTEP did after the movie was name a street Glory Road. I think UTEP could have done so much more after the movie. The responsibility is on UTEP to capitalized after the movie. What if Utep changes its name back to Texas Western?
Wow interesting i did not know that . I wonder how a basketball court would look at the Coliseum.
This is a stupid question, but I will go ahead and answer it anyway:Well i have been doing a little bit of research. Its looks like during the 1966 era Utep was a indy during that time. Then in the 70s they joined the WAC. Maybe it got harder to win being in a conference?? Haskins really didnt win much after 1966. Actually he did a horrible job. Haskins wouldnt have lasted 2 seasons if he coached in this time. During 1976 to 1979 how did he not get fired?
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Check out the UTEP Miners College Basketball History, Stats, Records, Polls, Leaders and More College Basketball Stats at Sports-Reference.com
From the time Haskins took the reigns of the Miners in the fall of 1961 through the 1975-76 season he had coached 15 seasons at UTEP. During that time he won more than 73% of his games, made two NITs, and made the NCAA Tournament six times, winning once. In the fifteen years prior to his arrival (to compare the same time period) the Miners had won less than 47% of their games and had not made a single NCAA Tournament or NIT. In fact, the Miners had not made a NCAA Tournament or NIT in their history until Haskins arrived, and those tournaments have been around since 1939 and 1938, resp. It would have been stupid to fire a coach who brought you unparalleled success for your program, and won your only national title in a sport other than track and field, especially after you had just built him the arena he had asked for. History proves the athletic department did the right thing, as over the next 17 years after those three losing seasons he made the NCAA Tournament eight times and the NIT five times.
I am ecstatic that you are not our AD.
AD? Would you want him to paint your house or do an oil change on your car? I wouldn’t.
whats lame??
Kevin Ollie won a Title for Uconn and in 3 years he was fired. Only reason UTEP kept Haskins was because of low standards. I remember in the late 90s Haskins was in the hot seat. If social media was around in the 70s Haskins would've been in the hot seat. What AD would allow 3 straight losing seasons?? It took Haskins like 3 years after 79 to start winning in the 80s. UTEP gave Haskins a very long leash .
Tim Floyd had a winning record when he was here and people want him out of town after his 4th season. I find it hard to believe if Haskins was coaching now and had 3 losing seasons you wouldn't be upset.
Shortly after the 5th season I wanted him out for sure. 1st and 5th seasons he blew it.
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I know that I shouldn't get into a battle of wits with an unarmed man, but what the hell. UConn was a powerhouse when Kevin Ollie took over. UTEP was a bad program when Haskins took over, and had more success in his first fifteen years then they had in their history. Do you see the difference? If it had been Jim Calhoun, the man that built UConn into a powerhouse, who had a couple of losing seasons, don't you think that he would have been given more leeway than Kevin Ollie? I guarantee you that he would have.
Very few people wanted Floyd gone after year 4. After he continued to run players off, embarrass UTEP with his antics, and fail to meet his promises when hired, then yes, people wanted him gone. But again, he wasn't the one that built the program from nothing.
Oh, and by the way, not everyone believes social media to be the be-all end-all that you do.
One thing that I forgot to mention in my post above: this is absolutely not the case. In the 1979-80, the year after the three straight losing seasons, he went 20-8 and made the NIT. The year after that he went 18-12 and made the NIT. And the next year (1981-82) he went 20-8 again. These are all good seasons. So no, it did not take him three years after 79 to start winning again.
The years from 1976-79 are the only times that Haskins teams with a full complement of scholarships failed to have a winning season.
Fili,
What is your intent if this thread? Kudos to you, you got a good one going.
Little Steven Van Zant remarked a few short years ago that some of the best music in American history, perhaps some of the best in human history was recorded in late fifties, sixties and early seventies. The music scene exploded from Jazz, rock, (international) fusion, you name it. He has facts and memories.
My point is this, it would have not mattered the background circumstances for Haskins, he as a natural leader and was not afraid to use the right people available. He was unorthodox and it worked. Powerful people in the sport did not like it. He upset the apple cart and they made him pay with negative press, lies that personally attack (not just your "don't go to that school, they have lousy weight rooms" type stuff), and put a bullseye on him. Now, like in the laker biopic on Netflix, he's getting his just reward that is long, long overdue. Haskins brought in top assistants and then there were others that made Miner nation scratch their head, "What was Coach Haskins thinking?".
That brings me to here. Like Little Stevie Van Zant, there are facts and memories of Haskins. The point to me is his character. There will be no other like him and no one like him at UTEP. If UTEP did fail to redo his contract so long ago he would've booked it and made Lamar, or someone else, successful.
"I find it hard to believe if Haskins was coaching now and had 3 losing seasons you wouldn't be upset."
It happened and people were not happy about the late seventies. He rebuilt it and the rest is history. His belly still had the fire. However, by the late nineties a new A.D. came to town and he made everyone retire or he fired them. S.I. Director Eddie Mullens saw the smoke and retired. His assistant was forced to quit. The only one who came out smelling like a rose was Teicher who got to renegotiate his contract. But that and the background history of sixties, seventies and eighties and early nineties does not over match Haskins drive, desire and character. He let his players do the talking on the hardwood. Good leaders know how to block out the background noise, but yet knowing when to listen to the assistants.
What is your intent if this thread? Kudos to you, you got a good one going.
Little Steven Van Zant remarked a few short years ago that some of the best music in American history, perhaps some of the best in human history was recorded in late fifties, sixties and early seventies. The music scene exploded from Jazz, rock, (international) fusion, you name it. He has facts and memories.
My point is this, it would have not mattered the background circumstances for Haskins, he as a natural leader and was not afraid to use the right people available. He was unorthodox and it worked. Powerful people in the sport did not like it. He upset the apple cart and they made him pay with negative press, lies that personally attack (not just your "don't go to that school, they have lousy weight rooms" type stuff), and put a bullseye on him. Now, like in the laker biopic on Netflix, he's getting his just reward that is long, long overdue. Haskins brought in top assistants and then there were others that made Miner nation scratch their head, "What was Coach Haskins thinking?".
That brings me to here. Like Little Stevie Van Zant, there are facts and memories of Haskins. The point to me is his character. There will be no other like him and no one like him at UTEP. If UTEP did fail to redo his contract so long ago he would've booked it and made Lamar, or someone else, successful.
"I find it hard to believe if Haskins was coaching now and had 3 losing seasons you wouldn't be upset."
It happened and people were not happy about the late seventies. He rebuilt it and the rest is history. His belly still had the fire. However, by the late nineties a new A.D. came to town and he made everyone retire or he fired them. S.I. Director Eddie Mullens saw the smoke and retired. His assistant was forced to quit. The only one who came out smelling like a rose was Teicher who got to renegotiate his contract. But that and the background history of sixties, seventies and eighties and early nineties does not over match Haskins drive, desire and character. He let his players do the talking on the hardwood. Good leaders know how to block out the background noise, but yet knowing when to listen to the assistants.
Great analogies and you’re exactly right I don’t recall anyone who wanted CTF out after four years. Btw I will always wonder had Isaac Hamilton played how different the Floyd era might have turned out
Terrible comparison. Ollie was caught up in a host of ethical issues. Do you research anything ?
Had we made a run in year 5 with Hamilton and McKenzie Moore at the helm, CTF would have left for a better job (especially with VH going pro). He was always looking.
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What I'm figuring out here, from Minermaniac, is talking down on Don Haskins is a no no.lol We better not question the great Don Haskins. I wasnt alive in the 70s so idk how it was back then.i do see Haskins did save his career a little bit in the 80s and early 90s. But if we went by today's standards Haskins probably would have been run off . I dont think a coach could have 3 losing seasons in this time .
When looking at the past Utep coaching records the one who really had a impressive resume was Doc Sadler. He was a big part in Billy Gillespies rebuilt and did pretty well after Billy G left. He also did recruit CUSA 3rd all time leading scorer Stefan Jackson.
Run off? Lmfao. You're talking about a university that allowed a football coach who accomplished much much less than Haskins did to stay for 7 straight losing seasons.
Coach K was 38-50 in his first three years a year after Duke went to the Elite Eight. They probably should have ran that loser off.
Texas Western just shown in pre-game promo. The NCAA always recognizes 1966 this time of year.
He can't even get a hostess job. You're giving him too much credit that he can paint houses or do oil changes.
a casual look back at the roster from back then will show a core group of players that stuck with haskins while he stuck with them. That core saw the Miners through the rough patch and set the table for what would transpire the rest of the decade
America's Best Sports Colleges In SI's ranking of all 324 Division I athletic programs, Stanford and Texas battled for the top
The lighting protocol for the UT Tower, the 27-storyadministration building at the center of the Texas campus, is nomore complicated than, say, molecular
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The other 2 major articles were these: One was in 1984 when UTEP was in the Top 10
The Miners Are Still Going At It Pick And Shovel
The names roll trippingly off the tongue: Bobby Joe...the Shadow...Big Daddy D...Orsten Artis—quaint handles found in any trivia collector's basic answerthon
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and this one in 1999:
The Bear In Winter His UTEP Miners are only a shadow of the team that wrought a basketball revolution by winning the 1966 NCAA title, yet coach Don Haskins has no recourse but to sit tight through these rocky times
Don (the Bear) Haskins sits, elbows resting against knees spreadfar apart. His forearms dangle between his legs, and much of therest of him--the ursine swell
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There will never be another one like him. I miss the Haskins days.
Well said. I remember going to the Wyoming , UTAH, UNM, and BYU games as a kid and the atmosphere in the DHC was insane and the product on the court was top notch.
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Those were some great years in UTEP basketball history and the SEC, as it was called back then, was a tough place to play. UTEP basketball games would sell out and the crowds would get loud from start to finish. The old WAC was a very competitive league and the Miners had some true rivals.
Damn, he could have grandstanded after the '66 game, but he was so humble in front of the mic, he never wanted to take credit for the monumental social impact the game had.
im glad this thread was bumped . What do you think now?? Will you give Golding 3 years or should he be fired?
That’s actually a good point you’ve brought up. The Miners were terrible in the 70s. Wonder if Haskins job was ever at risk
