Clem Haskins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Clem Haskins

Haskins as a senior at WKU
Personal information
Born	(1943-07-11) July 11, 1943 (age 82) Campbellsville, Kentucky, U.S.
High school	Taylor County (Campbellsville, Kentucky)
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
College	Western Kentucky (1964–1967)
NBA Draft	1967 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Pro career	1967–1976
Coaching career	1977–1999
Career history
As player:
1967–1970	Chicago Bulls
1970–1974	Phoenix Suns
1974–1976	Washington Bullets
As coach:
1977–1980	Western Kentucky (assistant)
1980–1986	Western Kentucky
1986–1999	Minnesota
Career highlights and awards
As player Consensus first-team All-American (1967) 3× OVC Player of the Year (1965–1967) No. 22 jersey retired by Western Kentucky Hilltoppers As coach NCAA Division I Regional – Final Four (1997*) 2x NIT champion (1993, 1998*) OVC tournament champion (1981) 2× OVC regular season champion (1981, 1982) Big Ten regular season champion (1997*) AP Coach of the Year (1997*) Henry Iba Award (1997*) NABC Coach of the Year (1997*) Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award (1997*) OVC Coach of the Year (1981) Sun Belt Coach of the Year (1986) Big Ten Coach of the Year (1997*) * Vacated by the NCAA or Big Ten
Career NBA statistics
Points	8,743 (12.8 ppg)
Rebounds	2,087 (3.1 rpg)
Assists	2,382 (3.5 apg)
Medals Assistant coach for  United States men's national basketball team Olympic Games Gold 1996 Atlanta Team

Clem Smith Haskins (born July 11, 1943) is a former American basketball player and coach. He played both college and professional basketball. In 1963, Clem and another player, Dwight Smith, made history. They were the first Black athletes to join the Western Kentucky University (WKU) basketball team. This was a big step for college basketball in the Southern United States.

Later, Haskins coached the University of Minnesota's men's basketball team for 13 years (1986–1999). He had to leave this job because of a problem with the team. This event also meant he could not coach college basketball for several years.

Early Life and School

Clem Haskins was born and grew up in Campbellsville, Kentucky. He was one of eleven children. His parents were sharecroppers, meaning they farmed land owned by someone else and shared the crops.

When he was younger, Clem went to Durham High School, which was an all-Black school. This was because schools in the South were often separated by race back then. In 1961, Haskins became the first African American student to attend Taylor County High School. His younger brother, Merion, also became a great basketball player at the University of Kentucky.

College Basketball Career

Clem Haskins and his teammate Dwight Smith were very talented. They were asked to join the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers team in 1963. They were the first African-American athletes to play for Western Kentucky.

Under coach John Oldham, the team won the Ohio Valley Conference two years in a row. Haskins was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year in 1966. In the 1966 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, his team almost beat Michigan. A close call in the game stopped them from playing against the University of Kentucky.

In 1967, Haskins broke his wrist during a game. Even with his injury, his team still won the Ohio Valley Conference again. In the 1967 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, the team lost in overtime to Dayton.

Playing in the NBA

After college, Clem Haskins was chosen by the Chicago Bulls in the 1967 NBA draft. He also had an offer from the Kentucky Colonels in another league.

Haskins played nine years in the NBA. He played for three teams: the Bulls, the Phoenix Suns, and the Washington Bullets. He stopped playing in 1976 because of knee injuries. During his NBA career, he scored a total of 8,743 points.

Coaching Basketball

After his time in the NBA, Haskins went back to Western Kentucky University. He started as an assistant coach in 1977. Then, in 1980, he became the head coach. As head coach, he led Western Kentucky to play in the NCAA tournament twice and the NIT tournament once.

In 1986, Haskins became the head coach for the University of Minnesota's men's basketball team. He helped the team become very successful. In 1997, the Gophers won a school-record 31 games and reached the Final Four. Haskins also won several awards that year, including the Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award. He led Minnesota to win the NIT in 1993 and 1998.

Haskins also helped coach the United States men's basketball team. They won the gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

At home games in Minnesota, Haskins was known for sitting on a special four-legged stool. This was because the basketball court at Williams Arena was raised, which was hard on his knees.

Challenges at Minnesota

In 1999, a newspaper reported that someone had written schoolwork for some of the Minnesota Golden Gophers players. This included papers and tests. Because of this, four players were suspended from a big tournament game.

The University of Minnesota asked Haskins to leave his coaching job after the season. The school found out that Haskins had paid someone to write papers for the players. He had also told some players to not tell the truth about what happened.

Because of these actions, the NCAA (the main college sports organization) put a special rule on Haskins. This rule meant he could not coach college basketball until 2007. Most schools would not hire a coach with this rule. This effectively ended his college coaching career. The university also had to give back some of its wins from past seasons.

Life After Coaching

After his coaching career ended, Clem Haskins did not return to coaching. He moved to his large ranch near Campbellsville, Kentucky. There, he raises cattle. He has also worked as a sports commentator for Western Kentucky basketball games.

Career Playing Statistics

NBA Regular Season

NBA Playoffs

Awards and Honors

• High School Scholastic All-American, 1963
• Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year, 1966, 1967
• First team All-American, 1967
• Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year, 1982
• Associated Press Coach of the Year, 1997

See also

In Spanish: Clem Haskins para niños