Half a century in the making, Rob Evans continues touching lives with the Mean Green

[Skipper]

As men’s basketball associate head coach Rob Evans strides through the glass doors that separate the basketball offices from the concourse of the Super Pit, he stops to say a quick hello to all who cross his path.

The 70-year old Evans gets to his office amid those trying to give their greetings and gets settled at his desk. He looks around, reminiscing on over half a century of basketball memories that include a scrapbook from the Final Four team Evans was a graduate assistant on to something a bit more personal – a picture of his wife of over 45 years.

In his home away from home, that is the thing displayed front and center.

“I enjoy getting up and coming to work,” Evans said. “I’ve spent a lot of time working in college athletics and a lifetime in coaching. I’ve worked with a lot of coaches and I’m not sure if I’ve enjoyed it any more than I have with Tony [Benford].”

In the lobby of the basketball office sits administrative coordinator Bonita White. White has developed a friendship with Evans over the years, something that is not hard to do with the easy-going coach.

“It’s terrific to have him around because he can always make you feel like you’re a part of something bigger,” White said. “It gives you value within the program. He has a way for making people feel valued.”

Just down the hall from Evans’ office sits lifetime friend, head coach Tony Benford. Evans has known Benford since the day he was born, and the pair both grew up in the oil town of Hobbs, New Mexico.

The Sandlot

Evans was born in Hobbs in 1946 and was one of seven children, growing up with three older brothers, a younger brother and two sisters. His love for sports came from tough brotherly love from his older siblings.

He would tag along with his older brothers to play sandlot baseball, basketball and football. Hanging around an older crowd, Evans knew he would have to get tough to survive.

“I would get banged up a little bit and start wanting to whine,” Evans said. “But they would tell me if I wanted to go play with the little guys I could go play with the little guys. Otherwise, shut up and play.”

He shut up.

Evans went on to be a multi-sport standout in Hobbs before blossoming as a shortstop. He caught the eye of MLB scouts from the Colt 45s, now the Houston Astros, who wanted to draft Evans straight out of high school.

But Evans’ mother wanted him and all of her children to get an education.

“She told me it’s great they drafted you,” Evans said. “But if they want you, they can come get you after you graduate. It was not if I was going to go but where was I going to go.”

Education and athletics

Evans started his education at Lubbock Christian University where he became an All-American in 1966. Evans then made the jump to Division I in his home state at New Mexico State University.

The English major captained the Aggies to two NCAA tournament berths, being defeated by Elvin Hayes and Houston in 1967. In 1968 the Aggies were downed by the mighty Bruins of UCLA, led by NBA Hall-of-Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who were the eventual national champions.

Prior to his final year of college, Evans knew he wanted to get into coaching, but an interesting opportunity arose. The football staff had been trying to get him to play football, and when John Madden of the Oakland Raiders was on the New Mexico State campus checking out football prospects, the football staff told him about Evans.

Madden was interested and asked Evans to run a forty-yard dash for him. Impressed, he asked Evans if he would join the Raiders in camp.

After a very quick stint with the Raiders, Evans decided with the help of his mother he would return to New Mexico to become a graduate assistant.

“That’s what I wanted to do with my career,” Evans said. “I’ve been very blessed. I was blessed to have a mother that helped take me down the right path. Every decision was with her blessing.”

The beginning of an illustrious career

Evans always knew he would be a coach, and his time at New Mexico State was just the beginning of a long career. An Aggie team made up of former teammates of Evans’ would earn a trip to the Final Four in 1970 with him as an assistant.

He then helped three Texas Tech squads claim Southwest Conference Tournament titles, and in two years with Oklahoma State University, he and the Cowboys reached two Sweet 16 appearances. After 24 years as an assistant, Evans got a chance he could not turn down.

But it was not the most attractive option.

Evans was a candidate for the head coach job at the University of Mississippi. The problem was, the Rebels only had one winning season in the last nine years.

Evans’ boss at Oklahoma State, College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Eddie Sutton, warned him to not take the job.

Evans did not heed his friends’ advice.

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[EagleMBA]

Nice story about a good man. It has a certain "feel" to it...or is it just me?

I thought I heard Dandy Don singing quietly in the background.

Edited February 15, 2017 by EagleMBA

[DeepGreen]

Good to see that Benfords buddy has a nice, comfortable state job.

[GrandGreen]

I'm really glad he enjoyed working for Benford.   Winning must not be high on his happiness meter.  

Evans is obviously a basketball icon, but there is no way to support that he has been a success at NT.  I can't imagine this program being worse than the current state without Coach Evans.  

[greenjoe]

"And Coach Evans finished his coaching career with 5 consecutive non-winning seasons at North Texas."

[EagleMBA]

30 minutes ago, greenjoe said:

"And Coach Evans finished his coaching career with 5 consecutive non-winning seasons at North Texas."

Sad, but true. Apparently resigned to that result, he has whipped out his violin and is playing "Nearer My God to Thee" while the Titanic sinks.