On Friday, Francis Flax was inducted into the Highland Community College Hall of Fame alongside fellow inductee Tom Bond.
Flax, who was inducted into the NJCAA Men’s Basketball Hall of Fame back in 2008, was honored by the selection.
“My time at Highland means everything to me because it gave me the foundation to know how to recruit and how to compete and that’s what allowed me to win over 600 JUCO games. I’m humbled and honored, Highland gave me a stepping stone to a great career and for them to reach out and make me a part of their storied hall of fame means everything.”
Flax, a native of Ransom, Kansas, served as the athletic director, head men’s basketball coach and head softball coach at Highland Community College from 1979-1988.
He coached a total of 32 years at the community college level, ending his exceptional career as the Second All-Time Wins Leader in Region VI men’s basketball history.
Following his time at Highland Community College, Flax began the athletic department at Brown Mackie College in Salina, Kansas, serving as athletic director from 1990-2017.
He started as the head men’s basketball coach in 1992 until handing the reigns over to his son in 2016.
During his tenure at Brown Mackie, he won six Region VI titles, sending his teams to the NJCAA Division II National Tournament, where they won two National Championships, placed third once, fourth twice and fifth once.
Flax sent 113 players to four-year schools, with 58 of them All-Region VI selections and 14 NJCAA Division II All-Americans.
He was named the KBCA Junior College Coach of the Year four times, and served as the president of the NJCAA Basketball Coaches Association from 2013-15 and was enshrined into the NJCAA Men’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.