Bob Vanatta (1918-2016)

Teams coached: Central Methodist Eagles, Southwest Missouri State Bears, Army Cadets, Bradley Braves, Memphis State Tigers, Missouri Tigers, Delta State Statesmen
Central Methodist record^: 61-20 (.753)
Southwest Missouri State record^: 73-12 (.857)
Army record: 15-7 (.682)
Bradley record: 22-33 (.400)
Memphis State record: 109-34 (.762)
Missouri record: 42-80 (.344)
Delta State record^: 11-14 (.440)
Overall record^: 333-200 (.625)

Career Accomplishments:

• NCAA National Championships:  0
• NCAA Tournament Appearances:  2  (1955, 1962)
• NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  1  (1955)
• NCAA Tournament Final Four:  0
• NIT Championships:  0  (Runner-up in 1957)
• NIT Appearances:  3  (1957, 1960, 1961)
• MIAA (NAIA) Regular Season Champion:  2  (1952, 1953)
• NAIA National Championships:  2  (1952, 1953)   
• NAIA Tournament Appearances:  2  (1952, 1953)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1972-1973	Delta State
1962-1967	Missouri
1956-1962	Memphis State
1954-1956	Bradley
1953-1954	Army
1950-1953	Southwest Missouri State
1947-1950	Central Methodist

Bob Vanatta Facts

• Bob Vanatta
• Born July 7, 1918
• Died October 22, 2016
• Hometown: Columbia, Missouri
• Alma Mater: Central Methodist University (BA, 1945)
• After playing at Central Methodist in Fayette, MO, Vanatta spent three years as the head coach of the Eagles
  • Went 61-20 during his first tenure as a collegiate head coach
• Moved on to Missouri State in 1950, then a NAIA school known as Southwest Missouri State College
  • Was 73-12 in three seasons, leading the Bears to back-to-back NAIA National Championships
• Spent one year as the head coach at Army, followed by two seasons at Bradley
  • Took the Bradley Braves, then an NCAA Independent, to the Elite Eight in 1955
    • Also served for a short time as the athletic director at Bradley
• Hired by Memphis State in 1956, coaching the Tigers to a 109-34 record over the next six seasons
  • Went to the postseason four times, one NCAA Tournament and three NITs (NIT Runner-up in 1957)
• Returned to his home state in 1962, spending five seasons as the head coach at Missouri
  • Did not have much success at Mizzou, going just 42-80 including two 3-win seasons to end his tenure
• After one year as the head coach at Division II Delta State, Vanatta began his administrative career
  • Spent three years as the athletic director at Oral Roberts
  • Hired as commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference in 1976, serving in that capacity for three years
  • Served as commissioner of the Trans America Athletic Conference (now the A-Sun) from 1979-83
  • Became the athletic director at Louisiana Tech in 1983, leading that department for three years
• Hired in 1986 to be the commissioner of the D-II Sunshine State Conference, working for that organization for eight years
• Final role was a stint as the athletic director at Florida Atlantic, from 1997 to his retirement in 1999
• Inducted into the Missouri State Athletics Hall of Fame (c/o 1953) and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame (c/o 1989)
• Passed away in 2016 in Jupiter, FL at the age of 98

Bob Vanatta Coaching Tree

• Stan Albeck (Bradley, Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver, Northern Michigan, Adrian)
• Dean Ehlers (James Madison, Memphis State)
• Gary Garner (Dakota State, Southeast Missouri State, Fort Hays State, Drake, Missouri Southern)
• Chuck Orsborn (Bradley)
• Bill Thomas (Southwest Missouri State)
• Wayne Yates (Northwestern State, Memphis State)

 

^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I, Division II and NAIA levels; (then-Southwest) Missouri State was a NAIA program while Vanatta was coaching there