Follow @HCUHoops

HCU is saddened to share the news of the passing of former men's basketball coach Gene Iba, who died peacefully on Monday evening. He was 84.

Leading the Huskies from 1977-85, Iba compiled a 128-96 record, the second-most coaching wins in program history. He led the Huskies to the 1980-81 Trans America Athletic Conference regular season title and was named TAAC Coach of the Year. Three years later, the Huskies would capture the TAAC regular season and tournament titles en route to the first and only NCAA Tournament appearance in school history.
 
He was a two-time HCU Hall of Honor inductee, named individually in 2017 as well as with the 24-7 team of 1983-84. He recorded 20-win seasons in each of his last three seasons at the helm of the Huskies and also posted two second-place TAAC finishes in 1982-83 and 1984-85. 


 
Iba was no stranger to legendary coaches. He played at the University of Tulsa for his father Clarence Iba before starting his college coaching career as a graduate assistant for his uncle, Hank Iba, at then Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State). After three years of coaching on the high school level, he served as an assistant to Don Haskins at UTEP prior to getting his first head coaching job with the Huskies. He later served at Baylor and spent his final 15 seasons at Pittsburg State. He ended his coaching career in 2015 with 487 wins over 30 seasons.
 
There will be a small family service with a public celebration of life at a later date to be determined.
 

#DawgsUp