Nelson Haggerty

Nelson D. Haggerty (September 16, 1973 – April 16, 2021) was an American basketball coach and college basketball player. He had been serving as an assistant coach for the North Texas Mean Green at the time of his death. He played for the Baylor Bears, staying four years; in 1994–95 he led the NCAA Division I in assists, averaging 10.1 per game. He is the all-time leader for career assists for Baylor with 699.

College career Haggerty was born in Houston, Texas, where he attended Willowridge High School. In 1991 he signed to play for Baylor, and in his freshman season he started 15 of 22 games, playing 23.3 minutes per game and averaging 2.8 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists: he ranked second on his team in assists per game behind David Wesley. After Wesley's graduation, Haggerty became the starting point guard for the Bears, and in his sophomore year he started 25 of 26 games, and improved his averages to 6.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and a team and Southwest Conference-leading 7.3 assists per game. On February 27, 1993, in a game against Oral Roberts, Haggerty recorded 19 assists, a career high and the Baylor all-time record for most assists in a single game.

Haggerty's junior season saw him playing 22 games (19 starts) On December 20, 1993, he posted 18 assists against Southwestern Louisiana, the second best mark in his career; In Haggerty's senior season he played a career-high 36.2 minutes per game, starting all of his 28 games, and recorded career highs in points per game (7.3), rebounds per game (3.9) and steals per game (1.2). His 10.1 assists per game (284 in 28 games) led the nation in the 1994–95 season, and were a Baylor all-time record for most assists in a season. Throughout the season he had several games with 13 or more assists, including 14 against Southwestern Louisiana on December 22, 1994, 16 against UMKC on February 1, 1995, and 18 against TCU on February 14. His 699 career assists are a Baylor record as of 2019.

He had a wife, Krissie, and four children (one son and three daughters).