Oklahoma State University Athletics
OSU Basketball Loses two Former Players
September 08, 2008 | Cowboy Basketball
Parrack, a member of the 1945 national championship team, passed away late Friday night at his home in Perkins. The former Oklahoma State, Oklahoma City and Oklahoma basketball coach was 86.
Parrack began his coaching career at Shawnee High School. He went to play professionally for the Chicago Stags — NBA predecessor to the Chicago Bulls — in 1946-47. He left after one season to coach college basketball at OCU.
In 1955, Parrack accepted an offer to serve as the head coach at OU. In 1959, he was recognized as the Big Eight Coach of the Year. Despite his successes in Norman, he chose to return to his alma mater in 1962 and served as both the freshman basketball coach and assistant to his longtime mentor, Mr. Iba, until 1970.
Haskins, who played for Mr. Iba's Aggies from 1949 until 1953, died Sunday from congestive heart failure. He was 78. He was a starting guard for the 1953 squad which went 23-7, including a perfect 12-0 mark at home, won the Missouri Valley title and finished the season ranked eighth in the final Associated Press poll.
Haskins later went on to coach at Texas Western, now Texas-El Paso (UTEP). In 38 seasons, he compiled a 719-353 record while winning 14 Western Athletic Conference championships and four WAC tournament titles. He led his squad to 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, including a national title in 1966.
Haskins was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997, two years prior to his retirement. The 1966 squad was inducted into the Hall on Sept. 7, 2007, exactly one year prior to his death.
