By Cody Parker, Athletic Communications Intern
PEMBROKE - UNC Pembroke women's basketball head coach John Haskins is in his 27th year with the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and, in that time, he has served as a coach for both the men's and women's basketball, men's golf and tennis programs.
"You don't stay somewhere as long as I've been here if it's not a special place," Haskins said.
Haskins and his family moved around a lot growing up, and he attended a different school each year from sixth through 10th grade. The family spent time in Virginia, Kansas and Charlotte and Raleigh during that time.
He decided to try coaching when he was in high school and wondered what else he could do, but knew he loved sports and competition. When the family moved to Raleigh, they moved in next door to the Broughton High School basketball coach Ed McLean. Haskins watched McLean who proved to be a great role model for him during that time.
McLean coached "Pistol" Pete Maravich while he was at Broughton, but left to be an assistant coach at N.C. State and led the Wolfpack to the national championship in 1983.
Haskins began playing football in the third grade and picked up basketball in the fourth grade. In high school, he was a post player, but made the transition to the wing position in college.
"I had to get used to playing away from the basket, shooting the ball and handling it," Haskins said.
Haskins was not recruited out of high school, but attended different workouts and joined the Lees-McRae basketball team which was a junior college at the time. While with the Bobcats, he earned all-conference accolades as a sophomore and was able to sign a scholarship at UNC Wilmington. During his time at Wilmington, he played with John Calipari, who is the current men's basketball head coach at Kentucky.
"I enjoyed taking charges and diving on the floor for loose balls, or hacking a person. I was the sixth man my junior year and I fouled out of five games," Haskins said.
Haskins is the all-time leader in wins as coach of the women's basketball program at UNCP. He is in his 12th season as coach and has racked up 142 wins during his tenure. Kapica Davis has been his assistant coach for the past 10 seasons after serving as a graduate assistant for two years while obtaining her master's degree.
"I have enjoyed the way he leads by example. He is compassionate, forgiving, intelligent and a service leader with a great sense of humor. He is a nurturing figure to our players and everyone on our staff," Davis said.
Haskins wants five things to happen for each student-athlete in his program: earn their degree, grow as people, be successful on the court, form lifelong bonds and friendships and enjoy their time at UNCP.
Haskins and his wife, Kelly, have two children, Morgan and Connor. He has only volunteered as the assistant coach for Connor's youth soccer team, but has been a valuable asset to Connor's advancement in his collegiate football career.
"There was a game where I was just screaming 'Connor, Connor', everything was Connor and Dan Kenney [former Director of Athletics and current Chief of Staff] walked by and said 'Hey coach, you probably need to learn somebody else's name' and I thought that was funny." Haskins said.
In his off time, he enjoys reading especially crime fiction and history. Some of his favorite authors are Michael Connelly and John Grisham. Books about coaching and leadership can be found throughout his office as well.
