Hall of Fame UTEP basketball coach Haskins dies at 78

EL PASO, Texas -- The glow from Don Haskins' greatest triumph was mostly a memory when Disney decided to take another look.

Then came the movie Glory Road and a whole new generation learned what Bob Knight already knew about his old friend's career -- and legacy.

COMMENTARY Longtime UTEP coach Haskins braved hate, opened doors by Gary Parrish • What's Your Take? Tell Gary your opinion!

"Don got more out of his teams and players than any coach who has ever coached college basketball," Knight said.

Haskins, the Hall of Fame coach 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 confirmed Haskins' death, but had no other details. UTEP was previously known as Texas Western.

"The word unique does not begin to describe Don Haskins," Knight, the winningest men's coach in the sport's history, said Sunday. "There is no one who has ever coached that I respected and admired more than Don Haskins. I've had no better friend that I enjoyed more than Don Haskins."

"The myth that surrounds Don Haskins in the movie 'Glory Road' and what he did for black players is better said that he cared like that for all his players," Knight added. "To me that tells me more about the man than anything. There was never anyone like him before and there will never be one like him again."

Haskins retired in 1999 with a 719-353 record and seven WAC championships. (Getty Images)

Haskins, who was white, 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 that chronicled Haskins' improbable rise to national fame in the 1966 Championship Game against an all-white, heavily favored Kentucky team coached by Adolph Rupp.

The movie, which was preceded by a book of the same title, also sparked renewed interest in Haskins' career.

Nolan Richardson, who coached Arkansas to a national title, played for two years under Haskins.

"I think one of the truest legacies that he could ever leave was what happened in 1966. He was never political. Those were the times and the days the black kids didn't play at other schools, but he started five and was able to win with them without worrying about what color they were," Richardson said.

Haskins retired in 1999 after 38 seasons at the school. He had a 719-353 record and won seven WAC championships. He took UTEP to 14 NCAA tournaments and to the NIT seven times and briefly worked as an adviser with the Chicago Bulls.

Haskins 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 Western Athletic Conference.