Brand Champion of the Day- Don Haskins, University of Texas at El Paso

 

Growing up watching Western Athletic Conference basketball, and then attending one the conference's universities, I was always a fan of one of the league's most winning and interesting coaches, Don Haskins. It seems that every year, his University of Texas at El Paso Miners team either won the conference championship, or was right there. As a result, his team (not mine) always went to the NCAA tournament.

Despite his victories, Mr. Haskins, who passed away this week, should be remembered for his accomplishments on civil rights. As you probably know, his 1966 team won the NCAA national championship, while starting a team of five African American men. It is hard to believe today, but that was unheard of back in the 60s.

For his contributions to human dignity, Don Haskins is the Brand Champion of the Day!