Glory Road

2006 Drama

A true-life story of a basketball team who broke down barriers while racking up victories is the basis for this sports drama. Don Haskins (Josh Lucas) was a high school and college basketball star who, after six years of working with high school teams, became the head coach at Texas Western University in 1962. At that time, Texas Western's basketball program was not well respected, but Haskins was determined to change that, and in 1966 Haskins assembled what he was certain was a winning team. However, Haskins' starting lineup was comprised entirely of African-American athletes at a time when racially integrated teams were still a novelty in the South and West. Despite generating a firestorm of controversy, Haskins and his players showed they could succeed where it counted -- on the court. In post-season play Haskins and the Texas Western team found themselves competing for the NCAA championship against the University of Kentucky's all-white team, lead by legendary coach Adolph Rupp (Jon Voight). Glory Road also stars Derek Luke, Alphonso McAuley, Mehcad Brooks, Al Shearer, Damaine Radcliff, Sam Jones III, and Schin S. Kerr as members of Haskins' winning team. more..

Director: James Gartner

Starring: Josh Lucas, Derek Luke, Emily Deschanel, Austin Nichols, Jon Voight

Reviews

  • Where it succeeds is as the story of a chapter in history, the story of how one coach at one school arrived at an obvious conclusion and acted on it, and helped open college sports in the South to generations of African Americans.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    26 April 2013

  • This isn't a great film, but it's a surprisingly good and confident one, with a minimum of the showboating that often substitutes, in the feelgood genre, for simple feelings.

    Joe Morgenstern - The Wall Street Journal

    26 April 2013

  • Stirring tale of a team whose big win speeds the integration of intercollegiate sports.

    Kirk Honeycutt - The Hollywood Reporter

    26 April 2013

  • At least a more satisfying basketball saga than last year's "Coach Carter."

    Mike Clark - USA Today

    26 April 2013

  • Still, it's only just a jump shot or two before Glory Road settles into its rudimentary, music-cued rhythms of classroom civics lessons punctuated by on-court action.

    Lisa Schwarzbaum - Entertainment Weekly

    26 April 2013

Awards

  • Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted

    Black Reel Awards (2007)

     
  • Best Sports Movie

    ESPY Awards (2006)

  • Feature Film Category

    Humanitas Prize (2006)