| Glory Road - 2 Stars (Average) | | | | ever made, but the story of Texas |
| Basketball Coach Don Haskins does not | | | | Western is on par with other great |
| have to wait for his legend to happen. | | | | victories in sports history, including |
| He is a member of the Texas Sports Hall | | | | the 1980 U. S. Hockey team winning the |
| of Fame and the Naismith Memorial | | | | Gold Medal in the Olympics. |
| Basketball Hall of Fame. | | | | Contrary to the movie version, the title |
| Few today would remember Don Haskins. He | | | | game was not as big an upset as was |
| was the coach at Texas Western in 1966 | | | | depicted. Texas Western had an excellent |
| when his 27-1 team played Adolph Rupp's | | | | team, as evidenced by its No. 3 ranking |
| 27-1 University of Kentucky Wildcats for | | | | the final polls that year. Haskins was |
| the NCAA title. | | | | not the first coach to play African |
| Nothing too unusual about that, except | | | | Americans, Texas Western had African |
| that Haskins would become the first | | | | American players on its roster before |
| coach in NCAA history to start an | | | | Haskins arrived. |
| all-African American lineup when the | | | | Haskins was the first to start an |
| Miners squared off against Rupp's | | | | all-African American lineup in the NCAA |
| all-white Kentucky team that featured | | | | title game, and it is also true that |
| two players who would become well-known | | | | Texas Western was the first college in a |
| in the NBA pro league: Pat Riley and | | | | Southern state to integrate its athletic |
| Louie Dampier. | | | | teams. Good for Texas Western. |
| Remember these names: Bobby Joe Hill, | | | | Glory Road had a good message of hope |
| David Lattin, Orsten Artis, Willie | | | | for African Americans. At least one |
| Worsley and Harry Flournoy during | | | | coach had the backbone to play the best. |
| February, Black History Month. They were | | | | Do not think for a moment that this was |
| the starting lineup for Texas Western | | | | Don Haskins' one moment of glory, and |
| when the Miners won the NCAA | | | | that he was courageous but not an |
| championship against an all-white | | | | excellent basketball coach. |
| Kentucky team, 72-65. | | | | Since Glory Road was not as much about |
| I would graduate from Michigan State | | | | Don Haskins as some very talented, very |
| University two months after Texas | | | | tolerant and very brave Texas Western |
| Western won the title, and would not be | | | | players, let it be known that Don |
| aware of just how historic this event | | | | Haskins: |
| was. My high school and college | | | | 1) Played three years at Oklahoma A&M |
| cross-country and track teams were | | | | under Hall of Fame coach Hank Iba and |
| integrated. Kentucky would not even | | | | was Team Captain. |
| offer African Americans basketball | | | | 2) Was tied for 4th place among the |
| scholarships, and there were many other | | | | NCAA's most winning active coaches when |
| colleges and universities which excluded | | | | he retired with 719 wins and 353 losses. |
| African American players in 1966. | | | | 3) Had 33 winning seasons at UTEP in 38 |
| There was a lot of hatred in the South | | | | years of coaching. |
| at that time. Heck, there was a lot | | | | 4) Led UTEP to no less than 17 |
| hatred everywhere, but not in Don | | | | 20-win-seasons, an NCAA title in 1966, 7 |
| Haskins' will to win for Texas Western, | | | | Western Athletic Conference (WAC) |
| known today as UTEP, the University of | | | | championships, 4 WAC tournament titles, |
| Texas at El Paso. Haskins was | | | | and 21 postseason trips (14 to the NCAA |
| color-blind and simply put the best | | | | playoffs and 7 NIT-National Invitational |
| players on the floor to compete. | | | | Tournament-appearances). |
| Haskins recruited the best players, | | | | 5) Changed college basketball forever by |
| nothing else mattered. Not even the | | | | starting an all-African American team |
| lousy treatment and death threats both | | | | against an all-white Kentucky team in |
| Haskins and his players received from | | | | the NCAA tournament and winning the |
| die-hard, ignorant, bigoted Texas | | | | title. |
| Western boosters and donors. They sing a | | | | 6) Coached Hall of Famer Nate "Tiny" |
| different tune in Texas today, | | | | Archibald, NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway, |
| especially at the University of Texas. | | | | and Antonio Davis, and mentored future |
| Glory Road in 2006 retold the story of | | | | coaches Nolan Richardson and Tim Floyd. |
| Don Haskins and Texas Western. Josh | | | | Glory Road is a film for every |
| Lucas played the role of Don Haskins, | | | | basketball enthusiast. It has a great |
| Derek Luke played Bobby Joe Hill and | | | | message and represents a great moment in |
| John Voight played Adolph Rupp. | | | | the evolution of basketball as we know |
| Glory Road is not one of the best movies | | | | and enjoy it today. |