University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Men's Basketball Program Mourns Loss of Don Saffer
December 30, 2024 | Men's Basketball
Don Saffer, a three-year UCLA basketball letterwinner in the 1960s, passed away on Thursday at the age of 78. Saffer was a part of two NCAA championship-winning teams as a student-athlete at UCLA.
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After a standout basketball career at Westchester High School, just south of UCLA, Saffer joined the Bruins' freshman team for the 1964-65 season before spending three years as a reserve guard on the varsity squad (1965-66, 1966-67 and 1968-69). During his final two seasons (1967, 1969), UCLA captured the NCAA title.
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Saffer played in 58 games over the course of three seasons, averaging 3.1 points and 0.9 rebounds per contest. He shot 41.1 percent from the field (74-for-180) and 62.0 percent at the free throw line. He played in 23 contests as a sophomore (1965-66), 27 games as a junior (1966-67) and eight games as a senior (1968-69).
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Described in the basketball program's press guide from the 1966-67 season as "undoubtedly the quickest player on the squad," Saffer excelled as a three-year varsity letterwinner at Westchester High School where he secured all-city prep honors in 1963 and 1964. He served as the high school team captain for two years and was selected as the Western League MVP as a senior in 1964.
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One of Saffer's sons, Mike Saffer, competed as an offensive lineman on UCLA's football team from 1999 through 2002, making 41 starts and securing All-Pac-10 honors as a senior (2002).
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