Bob Vanatta
A basketball coach who built winning programs at multiple colleges before shaping entire athletic conferences as a commissioner.
1918–2016 (age 98)·American basketball coach and college athletics administrator·Birthday: July 7·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Bob Vanatta's career traced a wide arc across the American sports landscape, from the hardwood to the executive suite. He first made his name as a sharp, successful basketball coach, most notably at Memphis State (now the University of Memphis) where he compiled a stellar 109-34 record and took his team to the 1957 NIT championship game. Earlier, at Missouri State, he captured back-to-back NAIA national titles. But Vanatta's true legacy may be his second act. After hanging up his whistle, he became a skilled administrator, serving as the founding athletic director at Oral Roberts University. He then stepped into the role of conference commissioner, first for the Ohio Valley Conference and later for the Atlantic Sun, where his leadership helped stabilize and guide these collegiate athletic bodies during formative periods.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Bob was born in 1918, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1918
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1918Born
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Started school
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1931Became a teenager
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1934Could drive
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1936Could vote
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1939Turned 21
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1948Turned 30
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1958Turned 40
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 50
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 60
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 70
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 80
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2016Died at 98
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
Key Achievements
- Won consecutive NAIA national basketball championships while head coach at Missouri State in 1952 and 1953.
- Compiled a .762 winning percentage (109-34) as head coach at Memphis State University.
- Led the Memphis State Tigers to the championship game of the 1957 National Invitation Tournament (NIT).
- Served as the first athletic director for Oral Roberts University, building the department from the ground up.
- Held commissioner roles for both the Ohio Valley Conference and the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Did You Know?
He served as head basketball coach at seven different universities throughout his career.
Vanatta was a pilot in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II.
He briefly coached the Army basketball team at West Point.
His tenure as commissioner saw the Atlantic Sun Conference (then the Trans America Athletic Conference) gain automatic qualification to the NCAA basketball tournament.
“You build a program with defense, discipline, and players who hate to lose.”
