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The winningest coach in New Mexico women's basketball history, Don Flanagan has nurtured the Lobo program into an upward-rising basketball powerhouse. In 12 years at the helm of the New Mexico program, Flanagan has guided the Lobos to 11 consecutive winning seasons and 10 straight postseason appearances, including seven trips to the NCAA Tournament. Suprisingly, Flanagan received his first individual award in 2004-05 as he was named MWC Coach of the Year and his second award in 2005-06 as he was named Russell Athletic/WBCA Region Seven Coach of the Year. Under Flanagan's guidance, the Lobos have finished in the upper half of the Mountain West Conference for six straight years and were in the upper echelon of the WAC before joining the MWC. Flanagan took over this struggling program in 1995 and the Lobos have improved to a remarkable 263-113 (.699). They've captured three regular-season conference championships, five conference tournament titles (four in a row in the MWC from 2004-07) and have made 10 consecutive postseason appearances. Flanagan became the school's all-time leader in victories in 1999-2000, surpassing Doug Hoselton's previous mark of 89 from 1980-87. Amazingly, Flanagan took just 133 games to reach 90 wins for his career, while Hoselton won 89 in 194 tries. Of course winning is nothing new for Flanagan - in fact he is winning almost as much now as in his previous job as head girl's coach at Albuquerque's Eldorado High School, where he compiled an astounding 401-13 record and won 11 state championships in 16 years. Under Flanagan, UNM has become a consistent threat to win the conference title, as the Lobos have finished no worse than third in each of the last nine seasons. Flanagan's teams have become noted for their stifling defense. New Mexico has finished among the conference leaders in scoring defense every year and has consistently ranked in the top-20 in the nation in that category as well. Fan support has been tremendous as a result of the Lobos' defense and intense style of play. Last season the Lobos finished fourth in the nation in average attendance for the fourth straight season with 10,354 fans a game. The Lobos had seven crowds in excess of 10,000. In 2005-06 Flanagan led the Lobos to a 22-10 mark and a third place finish in the Mountain West Conference at 11-5. The Lobos were ranked for 16 consecutive weeks, including a No. 16 ranking, which is the highest in school history. New Mexico also won its first ever road game against a top-25 team with a win at then No. 12 Texas, as well as its first NCAA Tournament win away from The Pit with a victory over Florida in Tucson, Ariz. New Mexico finished the 2004-05 season with an overall record of 26-5 and finished first in the MWC at 12-2. In the postseason, UNM won its third consecutive MWC Tournament title and earned its fourth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Lobos also received their first ever ranking in the Associated Press top-25, reaching 23rd. In 2003-04, UNM finished the season with an overall record of 23-8. In the regular season UNM was 20-7 and finished first in the Mountain West Conference at 12-2. In the postseason, the Lobos won the Mountain West Conference Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The Lobos for the first time in school history led the country in both scoring defense and field goal percentage defense. During Flanagan's tenure at New Mexico the Lobos have rewritten the women's basketball record book and have chalked up many historical moments. In 2002-03, UNM finished with an overall record of 24-9. In the regular season UNM was 19-8 and finished second in the Mountain West Conference at 9-5. In the postseason, the Lobos won the Mountain West Conference Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. In 2001-02, UNM finished 22-9 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for only the second time in program history. The Lobos finished tied for second in the Mountain West Conference at 10-4. The 2000-01 season saw UNM finish with a record of 22-13 and advance to the championship game of the WNIT. The Lobos finished tied for fourth in the MWC with an 8-6 record. UNM finished 1999-2000 with a record of 18-11 and advanced to postseason play in the WNIT for the second consecutive year. The Lobos tied for third in the inaugural year of the MWC with a 9-5 record. In the 1998-99 campaign, the Lobos finished 24-7, posted a school-record 12-2 mark in Western Athletic Conference play and tied for the regular-season crown in the Pacific Division. UNM also set a school record with a 24-game home court winning streak. UNM received a No. 1 seed during the 1999 WAC Tournament. Although Los Lobos did not advance to the NCAA Tournament, they accepted an invitation to the Postseason Women's NIT. UNM hosted all three games in The Pit and made it as far as the quarterfinal round. Flanagan brought the program into uncharted territory during the 1997-98 season. UNM won 26 games, destroying the previous school record of 19 wins set during the 1978-79 season. To top it off, Flanagan led the team into the WAC Tournament as the No. 4 seed and came away with its first conference championship. The Lobos won four straight games to capture the title. It was the first time in the history of the WAC Tournament that a team other than a No. 1 or No. 2 seed came away with the trophy. The Flanagan-led Lobos were rewarded with their first trip to the NCAA Tournament. UNM received a No. 8 seed in the East Region and although the Lobos lost to Nebraska in the first round, it did not diminish what they accomplished. In his second season at New Mexico, 1996-97, Flanagan led the Lobos to an 18-10 mark, which was the second-best overall record in the 19-year history of the women's basketball program up to that point. The Lobos finished the WAC season with a mark of 8-8, which was good for fourth place in the Mountain Division. Flanagan had an immediate impact on the Lobo program and finished his first season with a mark of 14-15, which by and far, gave him the best record of any first-year head coach in the history of women's basketball at New Mexico. The Lobos had gone just 14-96 the four years before his arrival. He led UNM to the championship game of the WAC Tournament, a feat never before accomplished by a first-year head coach in the WAC. UNM also snapped a 54-game road losing streak and a 34-game WAC-road losing streak with Flanagan at the helm, and finished with its highest WAC standing - fifth - in school history to that point. Additionally, the Lobos improved in 19 of 20 statistical categories under the guidance of the first-year coach. Flanagan was hired as the fourth head coach in the history of the women's basketball program at the University of New Mexico on April 16, 1995. Before coming to the Lobos, Flanagan left his mark firmly engraved in the annals of New Mexico high school girl's basketball. He established numbers on the high school level that were, in a word - mind-blowing. In fact, Flanagan posted a win-loss record at Eldorado High School in Albuquerque that will never be duplicated in New Mexico. His incredible 401-13 career record in 16 years was good for a winning percentage of 97.0 percent. Flanagan's accomplishments included 14 different tournament championships, 15 district championships, winning streaks of 77, 74, 69, 66 and 60 games, respectively, and his teams averaged 25 wins a year for 16 years. During those 16 years, Flanagan's teams went undefeated nine times. In 1987, Eldorado was honored as Albuquerque Sports Hall of Fame Team of the Year. Additionally, Eldorado was ranked nationally seven different years, including 1980, 1981, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1991 and 1992. And it didn't stop there. The honors for Flanagan have rolled in continuously year after year. Following the 1997-98 season, Flanagan was inducted into the Albuquerque Sports Hall of Fame for a lifetime of achievement. He was nominated for National High School Coach of the Year honors on three occasions (1985, 1994 and 1995) and was named Region VIII Coach of the Year for 10 consecutive years (1985-94). He was named Albuquerque Sports Hall of Fame Coach of the Year (1992), Bank of America Coach of the Year (1993 & 1994), Albuquerque Tribune Coach of the Year (1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1987 and 1990) and Albuquerque Journal Coach of the Year (1980, 1981, 1984, 1987, 1990 and 1992). In 2002, Flanagan was inducted into the East Hartford Connecticut Explorers Tip-Off Club Hall of Fame and in 2003 he was inducted to the Fort Lewis College Hall of Fame. Flanagan was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and earned his bachelor of arts degree from Fort Lewis College in 1971 where he was a member of the Honor Roll. He played on the basketball team at Fort Lewis all four years. He was also honored during college as a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference All-Academic team. Flanagan, 62, and his wife Wahleah, have three children, Sean, 34, Shane, 28, and Brent, 26. |
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