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North Texas assistant coach Nelson Haggerty died Friday in a single-car crash at the age of 47.
North Texas' athletics website released a statement:
"Our hearts hurt for Nelson's family, our men's basketball family, the UNT community and everyone Nelson positively impacted during his life and career," North Texas athletic director Wren Baker said as part of the school's statement. "Nelson had many special gifts and talents. He was full of positive energy and encouragement, and he will be missed dearly. Please keep the Haggerty family and our UNT basketball family in your thoughts and prayers."
Haggerty was a Baylor alum who played four seasons with the program from 1991-95. The Bears offered their condolences to his family and friends on Twitter:
During his senior season at Baylor, Haggerty led the nation with 10.1 assists per game.
Haggerty just finished his second season as an assistant coach on the Mean Green's staff under head coach Grant McCasland.
Prior to joining North Texas, Haggerty spent 10 seasons at Midwestern State. His final eight years with the program were as head coach. The Texas native went 155-87 and was named Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year twice with the Mustangs.
Haggerty won four Lone Star Conference regular-season titles, two conference tournament titles and made appearances in the NCAA Division II tournament in each of his first five seasons with the Mustangs.
UTEP head basketball coach Rodney Terry was hospitalized Wednesday in Miami after an allergic reaction.
The school announced Terry remains in critical condition, but he is expected to make a full recovery after going into anaphylactic shock on Jan. 1.
"UTEP Head Coach Rodney Terry was admitted to a Miami area hospital on the evening of Wednesday, Jan. 1 due to anaphylactic shock," per UTEP's statement (h/t Bret Bloomquist of the El Paso Times). "Medical officials say he is in critical but stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery. There is no timetable for his return to the UTEP bench."
Terry traveled with the team to Miami for Thursday's game when his allergic reaction occurred. Assistant coach Kenton Paulino took Terry's place on the bench for the Miners in their 69-67 loss to Florida International.
"He really wanted to be here," Paulino said in a post-game radio interview (h/t Bloomquist). "He's doing much, much better. They want to hold him a certain period of time, but he's ready to get back."
UTEP will travel to Boca Raton, Florida, for Saturday's game against Florida Atlantic. The team will return to El Paso after that for three straight home contests against Southern Mississippi (Jan. 9), Louisiana Tech (Jan. 11) and UTSA (Jan. 15).
Terry, 51, is in his second season as head coach at UTEP. The Miners' nine wins in 2019-20 have already surpassed their total from all of last season (8-21).
UTEP men's basketball assistant coach Lamont Smith, who led the University of San Diego's men's hoops program from 2015 to 2018, has resigned from his post after USD said he was the coach implicated in the wide-ranging college admissions bribery scandal.
Alex Nicolas of Talk Town Sports El Paso provided an official statement from UTEP:
Allison Horn of ABC 10 News of San Diego provided more information:
"The initial indictment, released earlier in March, alleged real estate developer Robert Flaxman paid about $100,000 to get his son in the 'side door' with the help of a USD coach. Federal documents claim an FBI witness and Smith worked to accept Flaxman's son, an Industrial Systems Engineer Major, as an athletic recruit, although he did not play basketball."
Per the Associated Press (h/t Washington Post), USD "said it was able to publicly identify Smith on Wednesday only after the U.S. Department of Justice modified a confidentiality order."
According to Rebecca Halleck of the New York Times, "federal authorities charged 50 people on [Tuesday, March 12] with taking part in a nationwide scheme to game the admissions process at highly competitive schools." The list includes actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin.
Smith resigned from USD after being arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, assault with force likely to commit great bodily injury and false imprisonment, per Don Norcross and Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Charges were not filed, but Smith stepped down on March 7.
