By Zack Ciboth, Sports Editor
Longtime Basketball coach John Haskins has announced his retirement at the end of the 2023-24 season. As the head coach of both the men’s and women’s basketball programs, Haskins has recorded more than 350 wins including his 250th as the head coach of the women’s team in a 76-47 victory over Barton last night.
He informed his team following the win over Barton last night.
“It’s a bittersweet moment,” Haskins said. “I am really going to miss the young ladies and having a team to coach. I am grateful to have been able to coach and teach at this outstanding university for 35 years. I will cherish the memories and the relationships I have made here during the course of my career. I am excited about the remainder of the season and doing some special things with this team.”
He began his coaching career at UNCP as a men’s assistant basketball coach before taking over for then-head coach Dan Kenney after the 1991 season. From there, Haskins took the helm in the 1992 season and played a key factor in the Braves’ jump to the Division II level. Haskins produced all-conference players and put together a 15-win season in the 1995-96 seasons to go along with 105 total victories as the men’s coach.
In between serving as a basketball coach, Haskins also served as the men’s golf coach from 2002-05. He led a successful golf program that saw top-5 finishes at a variety of events and helped multiple golfers reach the NCAA postseason, including being ranked 34th nationally following the 2004-05 season.
In 2004, he took over as the women’s basketball coach and has had a successful tenure leading the Braves to six consecutive winning seasons including last year’s impressive 22-win season, capturing the Conference Carolinas Championship, and punching a NCAA Division II Tournament berth for the first time in program history. The previous season in 2021-22, he pieced together 19 wins, marking the most since the 1991-92 campaign.
To add more accolades to his legendary coaching career, he has won PBC Coach of the Year and Dan Kenny Coach of the Year during his time at UNCP. Haskins will end his legendary coaching career here at UNC Pembroke as the winningest coach in the history of the women’s program.