Don Haskins
Don Haskins
Donald Lee Haskins, nicknamed "The Bear", was an American collegiate player and basketball coach. He played for three years under coach Henry Iba at Oklahoma A&M. He was the head coach at Texas Western Collegefrom 1961 to 1999, including the 1966 season when his team won the NCAA Tournament over the Wildcats of the University of Kentucky, coached by Adolph Rupp...
might script second spent
I spent 18 months, off and on, with the script writer. I might as well have not spent one second with him.
coming dawn hate letters life next thousands time until weeks won worst
The worst time of my life was the next two weeks that we won the championship and thousands of hate letters started coming in. And it really didn't dawn on me what this was all about until that time.
care early people start themselves walk wished
I walk now and try to take care of myself, but I wished I had done some things a lot earlier. People need to take care of themselves and they need to start it at an early age.
bled color easy exact lasting left looked mark players regardless treated
That left a lasting mark on me. Here was a person who bled the same color as I did, yet he was treated differently. That's why it was very, very easy for me to treat all of my players the exact same regardless of what they looked like.
best-coaches coaches intimidated
I played for the best coach who ever lived, Henry Iba. I wasn't intimidated by Adolph Rupp.
basketball country player
I really did not think a thing about playing five black players to start the game; they were our best players and deserved to start. But if I knew all the misery it was going to cause me in the weeks following the game, I'd have thought long and hard about it. The players from Kentucky were gracious about it, but many of their fans and people from other parts of the country did not want to see it.
heart play giving
It's not about talent, it's about heart. It's about who can go out there and play the hardest. They're not going to give us anything, so you've got to go out there and you've got to take it.
believe deal kentucky particular shock thinking total
They made it a big deal after the Kentucky game. That particular night, believe me, I'm not thinking about that. We got home, and all of that was a total shock to me.
black five guys
I see five black guys on the first-team All-SWC team.
black leaders remember
I remember some black leaders said I was an exploiter.
deaf name remember turn whatever
I remember a lot of name calling. If I didn't turn around, they didn't get to turn around. Whatever was said was said to deaf ears.
glad happy
I'm glad they got it done. I'm happy for the players; I'm happy for the fans, even the ones who weren't around at the time.