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Hofman Set to Transition into Retirement
Winter 2015-16
Legendary Fort Lewis College head men's basketball coach Bob Hofman is spending his last year as coach emeritus during the 2015-16 season. Hofman submitted his retirement letter effective August 1 but will serve a transition year as coach emeritus.
"I certainly appreciate Coach Hofman's long tenured service to the college," said FLC Director of Athletics Gary Hunter. "I look forward to his mentoring our coaches and players this next season."
Fort Lewis College’s new men’s basketball head coach, Bob Pietrack, is no newcomer to the Skyhawks’ court. He played for FLC as a student and coached on Hofman’s staff for eleven years.
In 19 years as head coach at Fort Lewis, Hofman owns every single coaching record in the history of FLC men's basketball: Wins (359), winning percentage (.654), league wins (245), league winning percentage (.683), and most seasons as a head coach (19).
Hofman's record at FLC is far and away the best in school history. His FLC teams have posted an overall record of 359-190 (.654) and a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference record of 245-115 (.683). During his tenure in Durango, Hofman's Skyhawks and Raiders have won three RMAC regular season crowns, four RMAC postseason championships, six RMAC West Division trophies and seven NCAA Division II playoff berths.
With his first victory in 2011-12 campaign, Hofman reached 400 career-victory milestone at the college level. His overall collegiate coaching record through the 2012-13 season is 437-280 (.609) in 25 seasons, which includes stints at NCAA Division I Eastern Washington University (32-54 from 1987-90) and RMAC rival Western State College (82-55 from 1995-2000). At the NCAA Division II level, he has posted a 405-226 record (.643) in 22 seasons.
Even more impressive is his record since returning to Fort Lewis in 2000-01. During this time span, Hofman's troops have won two RMAC regular season titles, three RMAC Shootouts, six RMAC West Division crowns and qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs eight times. During this time, his overall record is 259-124 (.676), while his RMAC slate is 178-78 (.695). The Skyhawks have finished no lower than second in the RMAC West since the 2001-02 season, when they captured West Division and RMAC Shootout titles.
His 2010-11 Skyhawks advanced to the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen, picking up the first two NCAA playoff wins in the history of the FLC men's basketball program. Along the way, the Skyhawks embarked on a magical playoff run that saw them reel off five straight wins — three in the RMAC Shootout and two in the NCAA Division II Central Regionals. FLC's 24 wins in 2010-11 tied a school record for most wins in a season.
Fort Lewis went 16-12 in 2011-12, advancing back to the semifinals of the RMAC Shootout.
Hofman earned a pair of RMAC Coach of the Year awards (in 1986-87 and 2004-05) and one RMAC West Division Coach of the Year accolade (in 2007-08). He was also chosen as the NAIA District VII Coach of the Year in 1986-87, the Big Sky Coach of the Year (at Eastern Washington) in 1989-90, and the Denver Post RMAC Coach of the Year in 1998-99 (at Western State).
Prior to returning to Fort Lewis, Hofman spend five seasons as the head coach at Western State from 1995-2000. To this day, he remains the winningest coach in Mountaineers men's basketball history.
Hofman is the seventh head men's basketball coach since Fort Lewis College began competing as a four-year school during the 1962-63 season. Others to coach FLC men's basketball teams include Don Whalen (1962-70), Larry Overcast (1970-72), Chuck Walker (1972-83), Sam Antcliffe (1987-88), Jim Cross (1988-98) and Keith Durham (1998-2000).
During his first tenure as the FLC men's basketball skipper, from 1983 to 1987, Hofman built the Raiders (the school's nickname changed to Skyhawks in 1994) into a regional powerhouse, posting a 64-47 record, while qualifying for the NAIA District VII playoffs three of four seasons.
Hofman's 1986-87 squad won the RMAC regular season and postseason championships with a 20-6 overall record and a 12-2 league record. After guiding the Raiders to their best season ever at the time (.769 winning percentage, 20-6 overall), Hofman was honored with the RMAC Coach of the Year award.
His 1985-86 team came within one game of qualifying for the NAIA National Championships, losing a 61-58 heartbreaker to Southern Colorado in the NAIA District VII championship game. Still, the Raiders went 22-9 overall and 13-3 in the RMAC, setting a school record for most victories in a single season. He received the Floyd Theard Memorial Award as the NAIA District VII Coach of the Year for his efforts.
1985-86 marked just the second 20-win season in school history. During his 15 years at FLC, Hofman-coached teams have eclipsed the 20-win plateau eight times, including 24-win campaigns in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2010-11 — the most victories in a single season in FLC history. The only other FLC coach to reach 20 wins in a single season was Chuck Walker in 1977-78 (21-8).
Hofman left Durango in August 1987 to pursue an NCAA Division I job at Eastern Washington, where he served as head coach from 1987-90. In 1990, he won Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year accolades and led the Eagles to an 18-11 record and within one game of a berth in March Madness.
After his stay at Eastern Washington, Hofman served as an assistant coach in the NCAA Division I ranks at Fresno State from 1990-95.
He returned to the RMAC in 1995 as head coach at Western State, guiding the Mountaineers to five appearances in the league playoffs and an 82-55 overall record. Hofman's teams finished second in the RMAC West Division three straight years from 1996-97 to 1998-99. The Denver Post chose Hofman as their 1998-99 RMAC Coach of the Year.
Prior to coming to Fort Lewis College in 1983, Hofman served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Colorado, from 1981-83.
He was a highly successful high school coach before that, posting a 97-49 record in seven seasons at Fairview High School in Boulder, Hinkley High School in Aurora, and St. Anthony High School in Wailuka Maui, Hawaii. He was chosen as the Colorado High School Coach of the Year in 1981 after guiding Fairview to a 23-2 record and the Colorado 4A championship. His 1980 Fairview team advanced to the district finals.
He and his wife, Nancy, have three sons, Luke, Robbie, and Nick.