A Don Haskins story you shouldn't miss

wetzel's name is on the book Glory Road -- Coach Don Haskins with Daniel Wetzel. ane one of wetzel's stories on haskins appeared in the best american sports writing (1999) with richard ford as the guest editor.

good guy, too.

 

i can vouch for wetzel, and i'll take wetzel's word on haskins.

 

Nicely done, but I wonder why Wetzel contradicts his own book.

In the column he makes much of Haskins gettng no job offers because starting 5 blacks made him a pariah.

In the book, Haskins and Wetzel write: "For a while, after the championship, schools used to call every year with offers." Says he took the U of Detroit job for a day. Says Indiana called him before hiring Knight. Talked to New Mexico 2, 3 times. The Dallas Chapparals of the old ABA wanted him. Turned down Okla State twice. Got a $500,000 annuity from UTEP to say no to Lamar.

He said no so often, according to the book, that only then did people quit calling.

 

There was much ado about the Detroit job at the time and I believe that's when Detroit wound up hiring Vitale. Don and Knight were very close and I wouldn't be surprised if he recommended Knight. I know he helped Ellenberger at New Mexico and then after Ellenberger got in trouble with the Lobos, Don was the one who extended his hand and helped Norm get back. He also had the opportunities at Oklahoma State.

I don't know Wetzel, but I did write him after reading his book and told him I thought it was a wonderful book because he did not get in the way of a truly fantastic story. You could hear the Bear roaring in that book, a tribute to Wetzel's ability.

 

Here's an APSE winner that Bill Knight wrote a few years ago on the aftermath of the '66 championship. Definitely worth reading.

http://apse.dallasnews.com/contest/2001/writing/40-100.feature.third.html

 

Here's that SI story from 1968 that blasts UTEP (and many other schools) for "exploiting" its black players:

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1081325/index.htm

Crazy, mind-blowing stuff. This passage in particular:

Of course, as Knight wrote, four of those seven UTEP players did graduate, and two of the other three (Lattin and Hill) were highly successful in their business careers.

I don't think the '66 Miners' achievement can be emphasized enough. Amazing.

 

Very cool story.
Well-written by Wetzel.
Insightful as hell.

 

I'm bookmarking that one. It should be mandatory reading in every journalism class.