Coach Carrasco: Pasó por Aquí
An extraordinary story of grit, humanity, and the power of sport
The Story
Coach Carrasco: Paso por Aquí tells the remarkable story of David Carrasco, a trailblazing Chicano coach from El Paso, Texas who challenged racial segregation in college basketball in the 1950s. As head coach at American University in Washington, D.C., Carrasco recruited the university’s first African American players—Wil Jones, Dick Wells, and James Howell—opening the door for them to compete at the highest level of collegiate basketball and building a nationally competitive team.
Raised in El Paso’s working-class Segundo Barrio, Carrasco developed the resilience and determination that would define his life. A boxer, athlete, and World War II Navy veteran, he carried those values into his coaching, confronting the resistance of a segregated sports culture with courage and conviction. His commitment to opportunity extended far beyond the court: many of his players graduated and became leaders in education, coaching, and athletics.
Carrasco’s legacy continued through international coaching clinics across Latin America, service during the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, and his work as founding director of the Job Corps Center in El Paso, where he helped thousands of young people gain education, skills, and hope for the future. His story is one of sport, leadership, and a lifelong dedication to expanding opportunity.
Andrés Alegría captures stories with such raw honesty, it feels like you’re living them.
J. Lee
Every frame tells a story that stays with you long after watching.
M. Diaz
