Robert Hughes Dies at 96; Basketball HOF Inductee Was Winningest HS Boys Coach Ever

Basketball Hall of Famer Robert Hughes, the winningest high school boys hoops coach ever, died Tuesday at the age of 96.

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame released a statement after his passing.

“The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is saddened by the loss of legendary high school basketball coach Robert Hughes. Coach Hughes’ record of success at Fort Worth Dunbar is unparalleled, and he opened doors for Black athletes across Texas. His contributions to basketball will live on in the lives of the young men he coached and at the Naismith Hall of Fame.”

Hughes won a total of 1,333 games for two schools in Fort Worth, Texas: I.M. Terrell High School (1958-1973) and Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (1973-2005). His teams earned five state championships and 35 district titles. In addition, Hughes won the 2003 National High School Coach of the Year award as well.

Hughes obviously faced many challenges on and off the court in the era of segregation, as the Hall noted.

“From 1958-1973, Hughes was the head coach of I.M. Terrell High School, an all-black school in Fort Worth, Texas where he refused to let society dictate the future of his players, often placing otherwise forgotten young men in junior colleges in the era of segregation in the South.”

On the court, Hughes’ teams ran their opponents ragged, leading to many victories.

“I’ll admit that we were a bullet going up and down the court,” Hughes said when he was inducted into the Hall (h/t Conor Ryan of MassLive).

“We were runners. That’s what we excelled at. And one of the things we really stressed was that we would never, ever let anyone outrun us, period. We had superintendents going bonkers, we had other teams calling us bad names because we ran so much. It was just our way of life.”

After news of his passing, many people expressed their heartfelt condolences to a man many consider a tremendous pioneer and leader.

Hughes also played for Texas Southern from 1951-1954, posting more than 20 points per game during his senior season and becoming a three-time all-conference player.

After his collegiate career, he played for the Harlem Magicians. In 1955, the Boston Celtics used a supplemental draft pick on Hughes.

Hughes ultimately made a tremendous impact as a high school basketball coach, starting his career two years later. The rest is history, and Hughes leaves a tremendous legacy that won’t soon be forgotten.