Bob Wade (basketball) facts for kids
Wade in 1988
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 9, 1944 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Morgan State University |
| Playing career | |
| 1968 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1969 | Washington Redskins |
| 1970 | Denver Broncos |
| Position(s) | Defensive back |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1975–1986 | Dunbar HS |
| 1986–1989 | Maryland |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 272–24 (High School) 36–50 (College) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| USA Today Coach of the Year – 1983 | |
Robert Pernell Wade (born December 9, 1944) is an American who used to play professional American football and coach college basketball. He was the head coach for the men's basketball team at the University of Maryland from 1986 to 1989. Before that, he played as a defensive back in the National Football League (NFL).
From 1996 to 2015, he also worked as the athletics coordinator for the Baltimore City Public School System.
Contents
Bob Wade: Player and Coach
Playing Professional Football
Bob Wade played college football at Morgan State University. After college, he joined the NFL. He played as a defensive back for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1968. Then, he played for the Washington Redskins in 1969. His last NFL team was the Denver Broncos in 1970.
High School Coaching Success
Before coaching at Maryland, Coach Wade led the basketball team at Baltimore's Dunbar High School. He coached there for ten years. His teams had an amazing record of 341 wins and only 25 losses. They were often ranked among the top 10 teams in the country.
In his best two seasons, from 1981 to 1983, Wade's teams won 60 games in a row! The 1982-83 team was even ranked number one in the nation by USAToday. Many talented players came from his Dunbar teams. Four of them later played in the NBA. These included Reggie Lewis, who became a captain for the Boston Celtics. Another famous player was Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues, who was only 5 feet 3 inches tall. He had a 14-year career in the NBA, becoming the shortest player ever in the league. The other two future NBA players were David Wingate and Reggie Williams. They even won an NCAA championship together at Georgetown in 1984.
Coaching at the University of Maryland
Coach Wade was hired to take over the basketball program at the University of Maryland. He replaced Lefty Driesell, who had coached there for 17 years. The university wanted to improve the team's image. Bob Wade was known for being a strict coach. He was also the first African American coach of a major sport in the Atlantic Coast Conference. This was a big step, even though he had no previous experience coaching a college team.
Challenges at Maryland
Bob Wade faced a tough situation when he started at Maryland. He was hired just days before the 1986-87 season began. Several players were not able to play due to team issues. This led to a very difficult first season. The team won only 9 games and lost 17. They didn't win any games in their conference.
However, Coach Wade quickly worked to rebuild the team. The next year, the Terps made it to the NCAA tournament! But in the 1988-89 season, the team struggled again. They lost 20 games, which was the most in the school's history at that time.
Leaving Maryland
Coach Wade resigned from his position on May 12, 1989. He had coached at Maryland for three years, with a total record of 36 wins and 50 losses. His resignation happened because of concerns that he had broken NCAA rules. The NCAA sets the rules for college sports.
Even though some questioned his coaching skills, everyone agreed he was great at finding new talent. In just two years of recruiting, he brought in three players who would later be picked in the first round of the NBA draft. These players were Brian Carson Williams (who later became Bison Dele), Jerrod Mustaf, and Walt Williams.
NCAA Investigation and Penalties
An investigation found that Coach Wade had not followed some NCAA rules. For example, he had given a loan to a recruit and provided free clothes to players. The NCAA gave Maryland some serious penalties. The team was put on probation for three years. They were not allowed to play in postseason tournaments in 1991 and 1992. Their 1988 NCAA Tournament appearance was also removed from the official records because some players were not eligible.
Coach Wade himself received a "show-cause order" for five years. This meant he was not allowed to coach college teams until 1995.
Coaching Record
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland Terrapins (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1986–1989) | |||||||||
| 1986–87 | Maryland | 9–17 | 0–14 | 8th | |||||
| 1987–88 | Maryland | 18–13* | 6–8 | 5th | NCAA round of 32 | ||||
| 1988–89 | Maryland | 9–20 | 1–13 | 8th | |||||
| Maryland: | 36–50^ (.419) | 7–35 (.167) | |||||||
| Total: | 36–50 (.419) | ||||||||
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National champion Conference regular season champion Conference tournament champion |
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* The 1988 NCAA Tournament appearance was later removed from records because some players were not eligible. The official record for that season is 17–12.
^ Without the removed games, Coach Wade's record at Maryland is 35–49 (7–35 in the ACC).
