EL PASO, Texas — Hall of Fame basketball coach Don Haskins, credited with helping break color barriers in college sports in 1966 when he used five black starters to win a national championship for what was then Texas Western, died today, Texas-El Paso officials said.
UTEP spokesman Jeff Darby said Haskins, who was 78, died Sunday afternoon. He had no other details.
Haskins was an old-time coach who believed in hard work and was 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 championship game against Kentucky. The movie, which was preceded by a book of the same title, also sparked renewed interest in Haskins' hall of fame career.
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