Remembering a UTEP legend and his impact on Miner basketball and the community
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso continues to mourn the death of Willie Cager, a basketball player for the Texas Western team that won the National Championship in 1966.
Cager passed away on the 57th anniversary of the national championship at age 81.
People ABC-7 spoke to said the timing was fitting because Cager was a basketball guy through and through. After his career for Texas Western finished you could find Cager gracing the sidelines of nearly every UTEP home game.
Now head coach Joe Golding told ABC-7 that Cager would always be there to high-five him after games.
"He just had so much love for everything around here, it's a tough day, I'm going to miss him," Golding said. "He was at one of our last games you know and had the scooter and you'd always go right there and it gave me some peace knowing coach Cager was there."
Golding first met Cager a few days into his tenure and from there Cager had an all access pass to the program. He was around the team at least a few times a week - attending practices, watching film sessions and sharing stories. Golding said Cager would offer his wisdom, share his pride for the program and sometimes harp on about giving guys the freedom to shoot the ball more.
Cager played 77 games for UTEP from 1964-68 under the hall of fame coach Don Haskins but Cager will be remembered for so much more than just what he did on the court.
"One of my favorite memories of him was aobout 2 or 3 weeks ago there's a church on the east side of town where they play youth basketball and one of my sons was playing and I went over there and there was Willie Cager," Golding said. "I think anywhere there was a basketball game going on Willie was around and those were junior high kids. He's just been so influential to so many people in the city of El Paso."
Cager dedicated his life to helping children in the area - starting the Willie Cager foundation and running the Yselta Independent School District's after-school basketball program.
"He loved the kids he worked with his whole life, that was his legacy," 1966 Texas Western teammate Togo Railey said. "He will be cherished for a long time by a lot of people because he touched a lot of lives here in El Paso."
