Hot Springs, Arkansas – Lyon College men’s basketball standout Jim Haney, ’68, has been inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. Haney was inducted alongside other players, coaches, and individuals who have made an impact on Arkansas sports.
Haney was a member of the then-Arkansas College Scots men’s basketball team that won the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference tournament championship in 1968 under head coach R.C. “Dick” Winningham. He earned numerous accolades from 1964 to 1968, including three first-team All-AIC selections, and received the AIC Sportsmanship Award three consecutive years. In 1968, he led the AIC in scoring with 639 points and went on to play in the National AAU Basketball Tournament with Carder Buick. That same year, he was invited to a tryout camp for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Haney is still in the record books for Lyon, standing fourth in career scoring (1,892), third in career field goals made (742), third in single-season scoring in 1967-68 (639), and sixth in single-season scoring in 1966-67 (616).
After his playing career ended, Haney began a coaching career that spanned a decade. Fresh out of college, he returned to Salem, Arkansas, to become the head basketball coach at Salem High School, his alma mater. He quickly transferred his knowledge of the game to his players, leading the team to a championship in 1969. Haney departed Salem after the 1971 season and continued coaching in Jonesboro from 1971 to 1975 and in Highland from 1975 to 1978.
His honors included multiple district and regional Coach of the Year selections in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, and 1976. He was also recognized by the Arkansas High School Coaches Association in 1969 as an assistant coach and in 1971 as a head coach. Haney served as a member of the Northeast Arkansas Invitational Basketball Committee and officiated high school basketball for seven years at the local, regional, and state levels.
He has been an active member of his community, giving his time to numerous organizations that support and improve the lives of others. His service includes roles with the Highland High School Athletic Hall of Fame, Highland School Board, Ozarka College Board of Trustees, Northeast Arkansas Cardiology Board of Directors, Arkansas Affiliate of the American Heart Association State Board, president of the Sharp County American Heart Association Affiliate, White River Regional Hospital Advisory Board, Fulton County Hospital Board, Worthen Bank of Batesville Board, and as an original board member of First Community Bank in Batesville.
Haney also served on the Arkansas College (now Lyon College) Board of Trustees and established the Coach R.C. Winningham Endowed Scholarship at Lyon College. In recognition of his achievements, he was inducted into the Lyon College Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984.
Haney went on to a successful 30-year career as an insurance agent. He and his wife, Jan, have been married for 52 years. They have two daughters, Lee-Ellen and Whitney, and four grandchildren, Jack, Maree-Claire, Abby, and Parker.
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