Farmington, NM – Richard Drangmeister, 70, passed away Friday morning after a long illness. Drangmeister was a longtime men's basketball coach at WNMU and also served as Athletic Director.
Under Coach "Drag," the Mustangs were 272-152 from 1969-82 and again in 1992-94. His WNMU teams won six RMAC championships, 2 NAIA District 7 Championships and made two visits to the National Championship tournament. In 21 seasons of coaching Drangmeister suffered only two losing seasons.
"Western lost a friend, a family member an ambassador, and a legend today," said WNMU Athletic Director Scott Woodard. "Coach Drag put us on the map in basketball and his memory and philosophy will live in everyone's life he touched. His students and players are better people for having known him and his legend will be forever a part of this university," continued Woodard.
"Drag" was named NAIA District Coach of the Year five times and at the time of his retirement in 1994, he was the 21st winningest coach in collegiate basketball.
Coach "Drag" graduated from WNMU in 1961 with a BS in Secondary Education and earned his Master's Degree from Western in 1962 in Counseling.
The highly successful coach also led the basketball teams at CSU-Pueblo (formerly The University of Southern Colorado) and Adams State College. Prior to his collegiate coaching, Drag led teams at Deming Junior High School and Alamogordo High School. His last coaching stint was in Farmington as an assistant to his former player Marv Sanders where he and Sanders led the Scorpions to a third-place finish in the 1999 New Mexico State High School Championship.
He is survived by his wife Cheryl as well his children Wally, Felicia, Cooper and Tim Drangmeister. He also has five grandchildren.
Funeral services are scheduled for Friday, June 16 at 9am at Brewer, Lee and Larkin Mortuary in Farmington. The family requests that in lieu of flowers that contributions be made to the WNMU Foundation in his name for scholarship
