EL PASO, Texas -- Don Haskins' son and doctor came to the UTEP campus Sunday evening to the arena named after the coach, standing feet from Glory Road, to tell the media that "The Bear" had died.

"We were able to make him comfortable, he was comfortable throughout the day, quite peaceful and calm, and passed away very quietly among his family and friends at 4:30 this afternoon," said Dr. Dwayne Aboud.

Aboud said Haskins about a month ago decided to stop going to the hospital, and his family knew they didn't have much time left.

"I thought he was going to hang on in there, and I came out and everybody was in tears," said Don's son Brent Haskins.

Donald Lee Haskins was born March 14, 1930, in Enid, Okla. He came to El Paso to coach Texas Western, and started five African-American players for the first time ever in the 1966 championship game against Kentucky. The team won that game, forever engraved in history.

In 1997, Haskins, was inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He retired with 719 wins in 1999.

"My father was beloved by the city of El Paso, and he loved the city of El Paso as well," said Brent.

On Sunday, KFOX sat down with Tina Hill, the wife of Bobby Joe Hill, a player on the 1966 championship team.

"It's an emptiness in my heart and in my stomach, it just hit me in the last hour. I miss him already," said Hill.

Hill told KFOX that it was during Haskins' final years is when she grew closest to Haskins.

"I love hearing his stories, and believe it or not they would call him "The Bear," but he turned into a teddy bear in his later years," said Hill.

"We all told him how much we loved him, he had his eyes open, and he knew that when he went, he knew that he was loved," said Brent.

Haskins is survived by his wife Mary, and sons, John, David and Brent. He was 78.