Former Texas men’s basketball coach Leon Black, right, and Jimmy Blacklock, one of his star players, pose for a photo at a recent UT event. Blacklock was a star at Tyler Junior College before playing for Black, a native of Martin’s Mill, at Texas. Coach Black passed away on Tuesday.

Growing up in East Texas, one is privileged to meet many wonderful people — salt of the earth, if you will.

From a young age, my father would take me and my brothers to many football, basketball and baseball games around the area.

Two of the names I remember from those early days in the 1960s were Floyd Wagstaff and Leon Black. They were two men my dad admired and that was passed along to me.

I would get to watch Coach Wagstaff and his teams here in Tyler and it was always a treat to make a trip to Austin or just up the road to SMU or Fort Worth to see Coach Leon Black’s teams.

Although it was fun watching their teams, my father emphasized the traits of these beloved coaches — their faith and family, along with helping others.

Both were instrumental in making not only Texas better, but also our country and the world.

Coach Wagstaff passed away in 2000 while Coach Black continues to fight the good fight.

As we get close to football season, there is always time to talk a little basketball.

Coach Black, 89, grew up on his family’s farm in the Martin’s Mill area.

Along with his chores, he grew to love basketball, the sport that made Martin’s Mill High School famous.

Back in the day, Black had what the kids say today as “hops.”

It is legend and a fact that the 5-8 Black could take a single step and dunk the basketball.

During his senior year as a Mustang, he was acting coach and starting point guard, leading MM to a 54-4 record and the 1949 Texas State Championship. That season, eight teams earned berths in the state tournament. The Mustangs won over Marfa (38-24) in the quarterfinals, followed by a 40-38 win over Waelder. In the championship game, Martin’s Mill defeated Livingston Big Sandy 39-33 for the Class B state title.

The future Texas High School Hall of Famer led the Mustangs, along with his teammate O’Neal Weaver, to a 109-8 record his junior and senior seasons.

The Piney Woods hoop star had always wanted to be a Longhorn. All seven Southwest Conference schools, along with Oklahoma, LSU and Notre Dame, offered Black scholarships but he knew all along he would go to Austin.

After Martin’s Mill, Black headed to the 40 Acres and played for the Texas Longhorns. He was a member of the 1951 Southwest Conference tri-champions and the Longhorns finished second in 1952. He became starting point guard and captain and lettered from 1949 to 1953. He graduated with his bachelor’s degree and his Masters of Education. Black was also a member of the Texas Cowboys.

After UT and service in the Army, Black began coaching at what is now Schreiner University in Kerrville.

Then, Black was the head coach at Van High School, leading the Vandals to a record of 26-6 in 1959.

After Van, Black became head coach at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, where he won 131 games in five years against 37 losses. He led the Bearcats to a runner-up spot in the 1962 NJCAA National Tournament. That same season he was National Coach of the Year. In 1963 LMC was unbeaten in the Texas Eastern Conference. The 1964 team, which featured future Longhorn and Lon Morris coach Dale Dotson, placed seventh in the nation.

During those years back in East Texas, Black met his bride Peggy. They have been married for 64 years.

In 1965, Black became an assistant coach at Texas, under Harold Bradley. The Longhorns tied SMU for the 1965 SWC title. Texas was second in 1967.

He became head coach of Horns beginning with the 1967-68 season. The Longhorns finished second that year.

For the 1969-70 season, Black asked freshman track athlete Sam Bradley to join the basketball team and Bradley became the first African-American to play for the Texas basketball team.

The next season Black recruited Tyler Junior College standout point guard Jimmy Blacklock, who picked UT over Michigan State because of Black. Blacklock, who later played and coached the Harlem Globetrotters, became the first African-American basketball letterman at Texas.

Blacklock led the Longhorns in scoring in 1970-71.

In 1971-72, Black recruited Larry Robinson fresh out of high school and Robinson became the first African-American to sign a letter of intent to Texas. Robinson at one time held every scoring and rebounding record at UT and he was a two-time SWC Player of the Year. He scored in double-figures in 59 of 64 games. Black also recruited future NBA players Johnny Moore and Ovie Dotson.

With Blacklock at point guard the Longhorns tied for the SWC title with SMU and won the tie-breaker to advance to the NCAA Tournament where they upset Arp’s Guy V. Lewis’ Houston Cougars in the Midwest Regional and advanced to the Sweet 16 before falling to Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana-Lafayette). Texas was 19-9.

After Robinson suffered a knee injury the following season, Texas bounced back to win the SWC title in 1972-73. After starting the year 1-11, the Longhorns was 11-3 in the Southwest Conference. They fell to Creighton in the first round of the NCAA.

Black would coach two more seasons before resigning and Abe Lemons taking over. In 1974, he was the Southwest Conference Coach of the Year.

Still, Black was instrumental in getting the Longhorn basketball program on track. After playing in the small Gregory Gymnasium, Black knew for Texas to be a force in recruiting and basketball they needed a big arena.

Eventually, the 16,000-seat Erwin Center opened thanks in part to the push from Black, who continued to work at the University until retiring in 2008.

While many coaches are judged by their record, Black, who was 106-121 at Texas, was a key to the later successes of Lemons, Tom Penders, and his friends Rick Barnes (now at Tennessee) and Shaka Smart (now at Marquette).

To recruiting the first African-American basketball players to Texas and helping pave the way for a big arena, Black was huge for the Longhorns program.

His vision and love for the University has helped the program to this day. He was inducted into the UT Hall of Honor in 1989 and the Greater Austin Sports Foundation Hall of Honor in 2020.

Black’s journey is deeply rooted in his Christian faith and “always doing the right thing.”

And it all started in the Piney Woods of East Texas.

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