Ralph Tasker

Ralph Tasker
Born(1919-07-15)July 15, 1919
Moundsville, West Virginia, U.S.
DiedJuly 19, 1999(1999-07-19) (aged 80)
Hobbs, New Mexico, U.S.
Known forHigh school basketball coach

Ralph Edwin Tasker (July 15, 1919 - July 19, 1999) was a high school boys' basketball coach. He coached for over 50 years, including 49 years at Hobbs High School in Hobbs, New Mexico. He won twelve New Mexico Boys' State Basketball Championships: one with Lovington High School (1949) and eleven with Hobbs (1956, 1957, 1958, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1980, 1981, 1987, 1988).[1] His other accomplishments include twice being named National High School Coach of the Year, induction into the National High School Sports Hall of Fame, and being chosen for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Morgan Wootten Award.[2] The Hobbs High School home gymnasium is named Ralph Tasker Arena in his honor.

As head coach at Sulphur Springs (OH), Lovington (NM), and Hobbs, he compiled a win-loss record of 1122-291 (.794).[3] Tasker was known for employing a full-court press for the entire game.[4] Tasker's teams were often high scoring, with his 1969-70 team averaging 114.6 points per game and recording 14 consecutive 100-point games, both national high school records.[5]

  1. ^ "New Mexico Boys State Basketball Champions", New Mexico Activities Association. Retrieved on 2009-11-08.
  2. ^ "Morgan Wootten Lifetime Achievement Award" Archived 2010-12-06 at the Wayback Machine, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2009-11-08.
  3. ^ "Obituaries", Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, 1999-07-22. Retrieved on 2009-11-08.
  4. ^ Wolff, Alexander. "Living Legends", Sports Illustrated, 1995-12-25. Retrieved on 2009-11-08.
  5. ^ 2009 National High School Sports Record Book Archived 2012-08-15 at the Wayback Machine, page 47, National Federation of State High School Associations. Retrieved on 2009-11-08.