Book Review | Coaching biography goes back to Seattle's hoop roots

"We Still Call Him Coach: The Life and Legacy of Les Habegger"

by Doris H. Pieroth

Cross Training Publishing, October 2008, 192 pages, $15.95

Forget about Washington not playing Gonzaga in men's basketball.

There was a time when all three universities in Seattle had prominent programs.

It was a simpler time in Seattle, before traffic, skyscrapers and the Space Needle.

Around the time the city's landmark was going up, Les Habegger was building a team at what is now Seattle Pacific University. His program shared the spotlight with Washington and Seattle University.

His waltz through Seattle's basketball history is told in colorful detail in "We Still Call Him Coach: The Life and Legacy of Les Habegger."

Author Doris Pieroth, who has a doctorate in history from the University of Washington, chose a third-person approach for the biography, and conducted interviews to complete the fine points of Habegger's story. She said the third-person format was selected because it "befits a man who has remained modest throughout his life."

Habegger, who was raised in a Northern Indiana Amish community, began his coaching career at then-Seattle Pacific College in 1957, with a 6-20 record in his inaugural season. In 1962, after a 20-7 record, the NAIA school received its first invitation to the NCAA postseason tournament, losing to Sacramento State in the opening round in the West Regional.

Becoming known for "race horse basketball," Habegger's team won the 1965 NCAA Division II Pacific Coast Regional with his nephew Gary in the lineup.

He coached 17 seasons at SPU, leaving after the 1973-74 season.

Habegger went on to become an assistant coach under Lenny Wilkens with Seattle's new pro team, the SuperSonics. He helped the Sonics win the 1979 NBA championship and was a general manager for the organization.

Throughout his career, Habegger leaned on his faith. But the NBA wasn't in business to promote Christianity.

"The goal was, 'Hey, win games!' — and delving into the players' personal lives, that was none of your business. ... Only to the extent that it affected the way they played," Habegger said.

Habegger served as an army medic during World War II, and his memories of battles in Germany are recounted. Captain Frank Ellis, a battalion surgeon, once called Habegger and other medics together to say, "Good luck. Just remember, the Germans shoot at medics."

"I'll never forget that," Habegger said in the book. "Some Germans honored the Geneva Conventions, and some didn't. I'm sure some of our guys honored it and some didn't. My best buddy from Ohio got killed — a sniper got him. Shot him right in the middle of the red cross on his helmet."

Overall, Pieroth's book is an interesting read about a man who helped plant Seattle's basketball roots.

Jayda Evans: 206-464-2067 or jevans@seattletimes.com