Times have changed for Oscar Haddorff.

Sunday, September 05, 1999

Times have changed for Oscar Haddorff. Gone are the days of late-night bus rides and stacks of papers waiting to be graded for the next day.

Good riddance.

"I never did like those bus rides," the former Austin High School boys’ basketball coach said. "You’d get back from Winona or Mankato late at night, after working 12 or 14 hours and then you’d have to be at school early in the morning the next day."

Haddorff, 69, was recently inducted into the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame along with his peers: Ron Hestad (Fairmont), Darrel Kreun (Sibly East), Steve Kjorness (Westbrook) and Mike Morrissey of KDHL in Faribault was selected from the media.

"I’m real honored and grateful of everything," said Haddorff, who will be inducted in November.

Haddorff coached varsity basketball at Austin from 1964-78, with the highlight coming in 1972 when he guided the Packers to a runner-up finish at the Class AA State Tournament.

Haddorff won 198 games and three Big Nine titles (1969, 74,75) in his 14 years as the Packers’ coach.

After coaching the B-squad for nine years, Haddorff inherited the mantle of varsity head coach following the resignation of legendary coach Ove Bervan, whose name graces the small gym north of where the Packers play now.

Haddorff, who also coached at St. Charles before coming to Austin, called a challenge because of the high expectations raised by Bervan.

"I felt fortunate because Ove had a wonderful system in place," Haddorff said. "I was lucky to have great kids and good assistant coaches."

Following his stint as the boys’ basketball coach, Haddorff remained involved as coach at Austin until 1984.

Shortly after retiring, Haddorff was drawn back to basketball as the Packers’ score keeper.

A job, if you can call it that for some who loves Austin basketball this much, he shares to this day with his good friend and coaching successor, Howie Strey.

Since leaving the sport as a coach, high school basketball has almost undergone a complete metamorphism.

"Now it’s a strength game," Haddorff said. "You have to be more aggressive. It was a foul 20 years ago if you touched someone. Now they just let the big guys go."

Other differences include the three-point shot, which didn’t exist at the high school level until a little over a decade ago.

Would the outcome have been different if there was a three-point shot at the 1972 state tourney?

"Undoubtably," Haddorff said. "We had good outside shooters."

"Coaching use to be only four months a year," Haddorff added. "Now you’re expected to work year round."

Haddorff and his wife of 52 years, Marian, who he calls his inspiration because "she put up with all my shenanigans for all those years," have four children; Rob, Rick, Nancy and Mark.

Haddorff, a graduate of Hamline University, was a four-sport athlete at Mound High School, where he played football, basketball and ran track under his father as well as played baseball for a different coach.

Haddorff, who stays busy working part-time as a researcher for the social sciences department at the University of Michigan, said he doesn’t have any regrets about his coaching career. Not even the two victories he fell shy of 200.

"I felt you don’t think about the numbers until after you retire," he said. "You make a decision at the time and then you do it."