Statue of late UTEP basketball coach Don Haskins unveiled in El Paso celebration

A quarter century after he last walked the sideline in the arena that bears his name, Don Haskins, The Bear, made an appearance of a different sort Friday.

With the pomp befitting his Hall of Fame career, with his family, some of his most famous players and other UTEP royalty in attendance, a 7-foot-tall statue of the late Haskins in a classic "bear hug" pose that gave him his nickname was unveiled in front of the Don Haskins Center.

It was the first of two unveilings, as another one was set for the public on Saturday, and the sentiment was the same.

"It's great, it's fantastic, it's long overdue," said Hall of Famer Tim Hardaway, who played for Haskins in the late 1980s. "It's nice for the Haskins family. A lot of people don't know what coach Haskins did for basketball, what he did for so many people."

"It's fantastic, he'd be proud," said Togo Railey, one of several members of the 1966 national championship team on hand. "He'd be proud to see all his old players. He always said it was a crying shame the '66 team got so much attention because of all the other great players he had.

"I'm getting to meet them all today."

In memorial as in life, Haskins, who died in 2008 and then lied in state in the Don Haskins Center for a public viewing, was all about bringing people from different backgrounds together.

There was so much to the legacy of UTEP's all-time winningest coach, but his indelible imprint was winning that 1966 national championship with a starting lineup that was all Black, the first time that ever happened. Thanks to that team, it would not be the last, as the college game changed forever.

"When he won that national championship and brought it here to El Paso, other coaches followed his example," UTEP president Heather Wilson said. "The NCAA was desegregated because of Don Haskins. The neat thing about him, he never would have claimed that.

"We honor him today as a coach and also as a man who chose a different path and helped to change America. Long live The Bear."

The statue, conceived almost 20 years ago and revived as a "COVID project" by local media personality Steve Kaplowitz, was funded by Dan and JoAnn Longoria.

"Coach Haskins' courageous actions in championing racial equality extended far beyond the basketball court," JoAnn said. "He broke down barriers and set new standards for our country, changing the game of basketball forever.

"His actions resonate now more than ever. This legacy serves as a reminder of the power of determination and integrity in effecting positive change. It is our hope this statue will stand as a beacon of inspiration for generations to come."

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It gave her husband Dan something tangible to remember Haskins by, as he revealed that shortly after he came to El Paso 20 years ago, he received, then unthinkingly gave away, a signed ball from Haskins. After learning his legacy, he wanted to help with the statue.

The bronze monument was based on a photograph by local photojournalist Brian Kanof and sculpted by Brian Hanlon, the sculptor for the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

After the 1966 team was inducted into that Hall of Fame in 2007, Hanlon came to El Paso to meet with the Haskins family and that's when the idea of a statue first emerged.

"What gets me about these statues is the backstory," Hanlon said. "Don's story is one of the most remarkably, spiritually fit, intellectually fit stories we have in NCAA history. That's why I'm proud of doing this historical marker.

"To me it's more than art because it has this perpetuating, beautiful story of history that's intellectually and spiritually fit. When you look at this statue, please understand the backdrop."

Don's son Steve, one of many family members in attendance, including Don's wife Mary, was visibly moved by the ceremony.

"We're overwhelmed," he said. "It started in 1961 when we moved into the dorm. This wouldn't have happened in a lot of cities (winning a national championship in 1966 with an all-Black starting lineup), but El Paso let it happen.

"He stayed here 38 years for a number of reasons. He loved El Paso and El Paso loved him right back."

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Don Haskins statue unveiled outside Don Haskins Center on Glory Road