Clem Haskins

Birthday: 11 August 1943, Campbellsville, Kentucky, USA

Former head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He lead the team to an NIT championship, a #1 seed and final four appearance in the NCAA, and many years of continual excellence and competition in t ...Show More

Former head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He lead the team to an NIT championship, a #1 seed and final four appearance in the NCAA, and many years of continual excellence and competition in the Big Ten conference. However, his reign as head coach ended as temultuosly as it began. When he took over as head coach (after coaching Western Kentucky), the Minnesota program was in scandal and needed a coach that could lead and guide its players/students. Clem did this, however, he did it to well. In 1999, shortly after gaining a #7 seed in the NCAA tournement and just before playing Gonzaga, the roof caved in. 2 players were suspended for the game (and a freashman walk-on depite 20+ points and 10+ rebounds could not save the gophers). Gonzaga's win was no fluke as they continued to the sweet 16 and repeated the same seeding feat the following year. However, Clem Haskins would never coach for the Golden Gophers again. In the biggest academic scandal since before he became coach, allegations of term papers writen for students (over 200), bribes, and Haskin's having knowledge of the incident caused the University to buy out his remaining contract (for fear that a drawn out battle may hinder the U's future--> in the $1 million range). The fact that Clem Haskins had personal approval of these actions does not shed great light on his future. The Gophers basketball program attempted to make ajustments by slapping a 1 year post season ban on itself. Gonzaga's coach was hired as the new Gopher coach and the new reign started. Glen Mason and the rest of the Gopher's staff implemented new rules that went beyond the NCAA GPA minimums and in fact one player was suspended and later quit the team because of it. Hide