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Bob Collins - Suring / Oshkosh Lourdes / Green Bay Premontre / Nicolet / Peshtigo

03/01/1996, 12:00am CST
By Wisconsin Sports Network

Inducted in 1996

Graduate of Royall High School 1960, B.S. Physical Education U.W. LaCrosse, 1964, M.A. Education New Mexico State University, 1971, Administration Certification U.W. Superior, 1986.

Bob began his athletic career at Kendall High School and lettered four years in football, basketball, and baseball before graduating from Royall (Elroy-Kendall combined). He had the distinction of playing on a championship 8-man football team in 1959 and an 11-man team in 1960. As a basketball player he was all conference for three years.

Bob has worked and taught high school at Ladysmith, Bayport, Campbellsport, Suring, Oshkosh Lourdes, Cedarburg, Green Bay Premontre and Nicolet. After completing his M.A. degree, Bob taught two years at Richland Jr. College in Dallas, Texas, where he was the campus Intramural Director and Head Baseball Coach. His 1973 team won the Dallas County League Championship.

Bob’s head football career record is 98 and 95. Championship teams included Suring (1970), Oshkosh Lourdes (1974), Green Bay Premontre (1984 and 1985) and Nicolet (1989). His Premontre teams were 21-5, along with two consecutive W.I.S.A.A. state championship runner-up awards. His 1989 Nicolet team won only the second title in the school's thirty-year history. In 1974 Bob had his cinderella season. After taking a team that had only won three games the previous two years, Bob led the team to a W.I.S. A.A. title. For this accomplishment he was selected by the U.P.I. Coaches Committee as their WISC Prep Coach of the Year.

In addition Bob has received several other coach-of-the-year-honors. These include:

Peshtigo Times Coach of the Year (1970),
Green Bay Press Gazette Coach of the Year 1984 and 1985,
U.W. LaCrosse Alumni Coach of the Year 1984 and
Milwaukee Suburban Newspapers Coach of the Year in 1989.
Bob did not direct his efforts entirely to football. He has been a head coach in baseball (2 years), boys basketball (1), girls basketball (1), track (4), tennis (2). Bob has been the boys's head golf coach the past four years.

Over the years, Bob also has worked as an assistant in basketball, football and track. He served nine years as an athletic director and coordinator at Cedarburg, Premontre, and Nicolet High Schools. Bob has served as a clinician at several football clinics and worked football camps for ten years. Bob spoke at the first W.F.C.A. Clinic in Madison in 1975.
 
Bob cites, "Being a part of the Hall of Fame is a great honor, but the real reward has been the opportunity to be part of the great football coaching fraternity, and to have worked with so many great coaches and players. Having had Joe Rothbauer of Lourdes, and Craig Raddatz of Cedarburg go on to be captains of the Wisconsin Badgers was a great highlight. To see Pat McKenzie of Lourdes on the sideline of the Green Bay Packers as their team physician is a great thrill. Having had the opportunity to serve as an assistant for Don Dalton at the 1990 All Star Shrine Game was also a great honor."

"John Brodie, Bob Larsen, Harold Schumerth (current members of the Hall of Fame), and my cousin Dave Collins had a strong influence on how I coached the game of football. I credit my wife, Sylvia, and my parents John and Catherine for providing the support and patience necessary to pursue my career."

Tag(s): Hall of Fame