New Mexico West Texas Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame
Once a month I will be choosing a Coach from The New Mexico West Texas area to go into the Hall of Fame. They will be listed underneath here and short biography on their accomplishments. I am only covering this area and back to the 1953-54 season only. Any accomplishments outside the area, years or a team I haven’t researched will not be included. No active coaches will be included until their retirement.
July 2019
Ralph Tasker, Hobbs, 1953-54 to 1997-98
Tasker is the winningest Coach in this area with a 1003-215 (.823 pctg) record (not his complete record) in 45 years at Hobbs High School. Tasker’s teams won the New Mexico State Championship 11 times during this span. Tasker had two seasons 1965-66 and 1980-81 that finished undefeated. Tasker coached teams averaged over 100 points per game an amazing eight times which is a national record. Tasker is the first inductee for this websites Hall of Fame. His Coaching percentage ranking number of 36.993 is also a national record.
Numbers 45 seasons 1003-215 .823 36.993 .822
August 2019
Clifton McNeely, Pampa, 1953-54 to 1959-60
McNeely’s record from 54-60 was 176-26 (.871 pctg) with three State Championships, one State Runnerup and one final four appearance. Two of the season McNeely’s team went undefeated with a 28-0 record in 1954 and a 31-0 record in 1959. Pampa had a 77 game winning streak started before the 53-54 season and ended in the 1954-55 season.
Numbers 7 seasons 176-26 .871 6.053 .865
September 2019
Bobby Lesley, El Paso Eastwood, 1966-67 to 1992-93.
Lesley’s record at Eastwood in 27 seasons was 622-193 (.763 pctg). Lesley’s Eastwood team won the 1976 State Championship in Texas Big School class. This is the only El Paso school to win state since C D Jarvis’ El Paso High teams did in the 1940s, Eastwood had three teams that were finalist in Regionals, 1973-74 (26-5), 1976-77 (32-2), and 1980-81 (35-4).
Numbers 27 seasons 622-193 .763 20.277 .751
October 2019
Jim Hulsman, Albuquerque, 1968-69 to 2001-02
Hulsman’s record at Albuquerque was 660-223 (.747 pctg). Hulsman’s teams won the New Mexico State Championship seven times in 1971 with a 26-1 record, 1977 with a 23-5 record, 1984 wit ha 21-5 record, 1990 with a 25-1 record, 1993 wit ha 22-4 record, 1995 with a 23-3 record and 1998 with a 26-3 record. and finished as New Mexico State Runnerup another seven times in 1970, 1972, 1873, 1974, 1978, 1981 and 1989.
Numbers 34 seasons 660-223 .747 25.189 .741
November 2019
Tony Harper, El Paso Burges 1971-72 to 1984-85, El Paso 1985-86 to 1989-90, El Paso Montwood 1991-92 to 2012-13,
One of three coaches from the New Mexico West Texas with 1000 wins, Harper led Burges to six playoff appearances. At El Paso Harper led El Paso to a 28-5 record in 1988 and a regional semifinal appearance. Harper led El Paso to four playoff appearances in the five seasons he was there. Harper opened up Montwood High which began varsity play in 1992. Harper led Montwood to 15 playoff appearances and in 2006 led Montwood to the regional finals and a 30-1 record. Harper finished at El Paso Cathedral and reached the 1000 win mark.
Numbers 41 seasons 902-392 .697 28.430 .693
December 2019
Russ Gilmore, Amarillo Tascosa 1984-85 to 1997-98, Hobbs 1998-99 to 2010-11
Gilmore came to Tascosa after coaching five seasons at Cowley (KS) Junior College. Gilmore led the 1988 Tascosa team to a 26-6 record and in 1989 his Tascosa team was a regional finalist ending the season at 25-8. Gilmore led Tascosa to the playoffs six different seasons. Gilmore then went to Hobbs winning four straight State Championship including the undefeated 99 team. Gilmore again led Hobbs to a State Championship in 2008.
Numbers 27 seasons 573-236 .708 19.187 .711
January 2020
Jack Stephenson, Midland, 1978-79
Stephenson started at Midland in the 79-80 season and coached there for 27 seasons. Midland won the 1998 State Championship with a 37-1 record. In the 1994 season Midland advanced to the Texas State semi-finals. Midland was a regional finalist in 1999 finishing with a 31-4 record.
Numbers 27 seasons 610-261 .700 18.554 .687
February 2020
Lou Henson, Las Cruces 1958-59 to 1961-62
Henson coached at Las Cruces for four seasons winning the State Championship three times while there. In 1959 his record was 24-6, 1960 his record was 27-3 and his record for his third championship was 28-1. Henson began his college career after 1962 coaching at Hardin Simmons, New Mexico State and Illinois.
Numbers 4 seasons 102-16 .864 3.459 .865
Mar 2020
Carl Irlbeck, Plainview 1985-86 to 1993-94
Irlbeck is the third coach with 1000 wins on the list. Most of his wins were from Girls Basketball. While at Plainview Irlbeck’s team won the Texas State Championship in 1994. In 1993 Irlbeck’s Plainview team made it to the final four of the Texas State playoffs. His 1990 team was a regional finalist losing to Fort Worth Dunbar.
Numbers 9 seasons 216-73 .747 6.649 .739
April 2020
Gerald Myers, Lubbock Monterey 1960-61 to 1966-67
Myers coached at Monterey for seven years. Myers had two final-four appearances in the Texas playoffs defeating Bryan Austin in the 1962 third place game and defeating Austin McCallum in the 1966 third place game. Myers moved on to the College ranks coaching at Houston Baptist and Texas Tech.
Numbers 7 seasons 152-53 .741 5.128 .733
May 2020
Marv Sanders, Farmington, 1980-81 to 2003-04
Sanders coached at Farmington for 24 seasons. In that time he won the New Mexico State Championship twice in 1982 which ended the season 26-0 and 1986 with a 24-2 record. Sanders finished the 2002-03 as New Mexico State tournament runner-up. Sanders previously coached at Mentone Indiana, Hatch, Silver City, Portales and Lovington as well as coaching the girls for a season at Capitan. Sanders won State Championships at Hatch (1964) and Silver City (1975). Sanders finished his coaching career with over 750 wins.
Numbers 24 seasons 427-177 .707 16.867 .703
June 2020
Frank Castillo, Albuquerque Cibola 1978-79 to 1985-86, Albuquerque La Cueva 1986-87 to 2019-20
Castillo retired as the only coach at La Cueva since the school opened in 1986. Castillo ended his coaching career with a 737-386 won-loss record and .656 percentage record. Castillo’s teams won the New Mexico state title five times, in 1989 with a 25-1 record, 1994 with a 22-4 record, 2003 with a 24-3 record, 2009 with a 24-8 record and 2010 with a 27-6 record. Castillo’s team were runner-up another three times in 1990, 1999 and 2012.
Numbers 42 seasons 737-386 .656 27.033 .644
July 2020
Alvis Glidewell, El Paso Austin 1965-66 to 1976-77, El Paso Irvin 1977-78 to 1993-94
Glidewell ended his coaching career with a 568-328 record. Glidewell led Austin to a regional semifinals and a 26-6 record in 1968-69, Austin was a regional finalist in 1969-70 finishing with a 28-7 record. Glidewell’s 1972-73 Austin team finished as a regional semifinalist losing to state runner-up to Midland finishing 29-4 record. In 1988-89 Glidewell led Irvin to a regional finals and a 23-10.
Numbers 29 seasons 568-328 .632 18.206 .632
August 2020
Bob Haack, El Paso Parkland 1973-74 to 1977-78, El Paso Bel Air 1980-81 to 1986-87, El Paso Socorro 1992-93, El Paso Hanks 1987-88 to 1990-91 and 1993-94 to 2002-03, Deming 2005-06 to 2006-07, Santa Teresa 2007-08 to 2015-16
Bob Haack coached for 38 seasons with six different schools finishing with a 654-486 record, in the 1982-83 season Haack led Bel Air to a 27-3 record and the regional semi-finals losing to Fort Worth Dunbar. Haack’s 1990 Hanks team ended the season with a 25-5 record and losing to Fort Worth Dunbar in the regional finals. Haack led the 2000 Hanks team to a 31-7 record losing in the regional finals to Duncanville. Haack led his Santa Teresa team to the 2012 New Mexico State Champions finishing 21-10.
Numbers 38 seasons 654-486 .574 21.566 .568
Sept 2020
Paul Steuckler, El Paso Austin 1957-58-1960-61, Midland Lee 1961-62-1989-90
Steuckler coached for 33 seasons at Austin and Lee High Schools finishing with a 611-414 record. Steuckler led Lee to the 1975 Texas State Semifinals losing to eventual State Champion Houston Kashmere and a 33-4 record. Steuckler led Austin to State playoffs twice while at Austin and Lee six times.
Numbers 33 seasons 611-414 .596 19.531 .592
Oct 2020
Mike Harper, El Paso Jefferson 1977-78-2000-01, Anthony Gadsden 2001-02-2014-15
Harper coached for 38 seasons and compiled a 560-535 record while at El Paso Jefferson and Anthony Gadsden. Harper led his 1982-83 team to a 25-5 record losing to regional finalist El Paso Eastwood in the first round of state. The next year Harper’s team had a 29-4 record and finished as regional semi-finalist losing to Southwest High School out of Fort Worth.
Numbers 38 seasons 560-535 .511 19.262 .507
Nov 2020
Britt Cooper, Roswell 1994-95 to 2016-17
Cooper coached for 23 years at Roswell High compiling a 417-200 record and four State Championships. Cooper’s first State Championship was in 2009 defeating Artesia 59-50 and finishing with a 23-7 record. The following season Roswell defeated Espanola 63-60 finishing with a 27-2 record. Cooper’s third State Championship defeating Los Lunas 56-41 for the 2014 State Championship finishing with a 29-1 record. Cooper’s last season ended with his fourth State Championship defeating Santa Fe Capital 74-53 and finishing with a 25-4 record.
Numbers 23 seasons 417-200 .676 15.233 .662
