AUSTIN -- Abe Lemons' coaching tenure at Texas was brief but exciting.

	Texas Longhorns players hoist coach Abe Lemons after winning the NIT in 1978.

From 1976 to 1982, the Texas basketball team won 110 games, a share of two Southwest Conference titles and the Longhorn men's only national championship -- the 1978 National Invitation Tournament crown -- before he was fired after a stunning collapse by his last Texas team.

Lemons, who was inducted into the UT Hall of Honor in 1994, died Sept. 2. He was 79.

Lemons, who retired from coaching in 1990, died at his home in Oklahoma City after a long illness, according to his wife, Betty. He suffered from Parkinson's disease for several years and his health worsened after he fell and broke his hip in July.

Although he coached for 34 years and spent considerably more time at Oklahoma City University, Lemons' short stint at Texas was as memorable as any of his coaching stops.

After three seasons at Texas-Pan American, Lemons was hired at Texas by legendary former Longhorns football coach and then-athletic director Darrell Royal in 1976.

Lemons' personality and up-tempo style of play revitalized the Texas program that had two winning seasons in the previous seven years. As fan interest soared, the Longhorns went 110-63 in six seasons, winning a share of two Southwest Conference titles.

He had some memorable battles with then-Arkansas coach Eddie Sutton, who was often a target of Lemons' barbs at banquets.

One occurred at the Southwest Conference tournament in Houston in 1979. Sutton had his fifth-ranked Razorbacks slow things down. Arkansas led 18-15 at halftime and went on to win 39-38, with Lemons fuming at Sutton and Sutton yelling back.

In the 1978-79 season, the Longhorns went 26-5 and won the NIT when the tournament held more prestige than today, beating North Carolina State 101-93 in the final. It was a huge accomplishment for a school with little basketball tradition.

In 1981-82, Texas started the season 14-0 and rose as high as No. 5 in the country, the Longhorns' highest ranking ever, before stumbling to a 16-11 finish. Although he never had a losing season at Texas, Lemons was fired before the next season, a dismissal that stung Lemons for many years.

"I think it's more of a disappointment, that you deserved better on something,'' he said in 1983. "Maybe I am bitter.''

Lemons was born Nov. 21, 1922. He played basketball at Southwestern Oklahoma State in Weatherford and at Oklahoma City before getting into coaching where he was as known for his one-liners as his tactical sense.

Lemons seemed to have a one-liner for any occasion. After his center grabbed only one rebound in the first half of a game, Lemons told him, "That's one more rebound than a dead guy.''

He once told broadcaster Howard Cosell, "You may be big in New York, but in Walters, Oklahoma, you're nobody.''

He enjoyed great success at OCU, where he began his career in 1955. Using a wide-open offense, he won more than 300 games in 18 seasons before moving to Texas-Pan American.

"In all the time I've been in basketball, I'm not sure I've met anybody that more genuinely liked the game more than Abe,'' close friend Texas Tech coach Bob Knight said in a story in Tuesday's Austin American Statesman. "His humor overshadowed his coaching, but I think Abe was a tremendous coach.''

Lemons finished his career by returning to Oklahoma City University in 1983. He retired after the 1989-90 season with a career record of 599-343. He lost by one point in his bid for victory No. 600.

"Damn referees,'' he said after that game. "I'll miss them less than anybody.''

"Maybe it would be best for me to finish at 599,'' he said. "People seem to like you better when you finish just short.''

Funeral arrangements are under direction of Vondel L. Smith North funeral home in Oklahoma City.