Bob Hofman always sent his senior players out of Whalen Gymnasium with a piece of the old basketball court. Now, Fort Lewis College is sending Hofman off with the whole floor.
After serving as the head coach of Fort Lewis College men’s basketball for 19 seasons before being asked by the administration to serve his 20th and final season with the program as head coach emeritus, the college knew of only one way to honor the man who led the Skyhawks to 359 wins: name the floor inside Whalen Gymnasium in Hofman’s honor.
When the decision was first announced at the beginning of the 2015-16 season, Hofman initially said he was embarrassed by the honor. More than seeing his name displayed on the court, Hofman is looking forward to reconnecting with his former players.
“The last time Fort Lewis replaced the floor, I took a bunch of it home with me and put it in my garage,” Hofman said. “Every senior that has ever come through our program has received a piece of that floor with their name on it and the words, ‘For your dedication and hard work, you will forever own a piece of the Fort Lewis College floor.’ I hope it means as much to them as anything they ever receive, and it’s the favorite legacy I have.
“What I’m doing now is accepting it for all of them.”
Hofman worked twice at FLC. His first college head coaching job was in 1983 when the team was still called the Raiders. Against the will of the hiring committee, the late Troy Bledsoe took a chance on Hofman.
He spent four seasons in Durango and helped the team win Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships during the 1986-87 season. He left to coach Division I basketball at Eastern Washington, where he spent three seasons and led the team to a second-place finish in the Big Sky Conference his final year. After one year as an assistant at Fresno State, Hofman returned to Division II and the RMAC at Western State College, where he coached the Mountaineers for five seasons before being lured back to Fort Lewis.
“At the time that happened, we were trying to build a program back up after it hadn’t been doing very well after Hofman left,” said former FLC athletic director and current Chadron State athletic director Joel R. Smith, who brought Hofman back to FLC in 2000. “The fact Bob was ready to come back at the same time was huge for Fort Lewis.”
In 14 of the 15 years since Hofman’s return, FLC finished in the top four of the conference, with one fifth-place result. In all, he has delivered Fort Lewis three regular season conference titles, four RMAC Tournament championships, six RMAC West Division crowns and has made seven NCAA Division II playoff appearances. At the collegiate level, Hofman has amassed a 475-299 overall record to go with a 97-49 mark in seven seasons as a high school head coach. He owns every men’s basketball coaching record in FLC history.
Coaches are evaluated by wins and losses, but Hofman taught his teams to look beyond results. He taught English for seven years before becoming a college coach. He often assigned his players to read books.
“Coach Hofman is curious and has a holistic approach as a coach,” said 2013 FLC graduate and five-year Skyhawk Torrey Udall. “It very much came out of him being a teacher. He’s always trying to learn, read and think outside the realm of basketball. He brings a unique flavor and perspective.”
Hofman is as well-known for stomping his foot on the sideline as he is for two favorite quotes: “Great ones adjust,” and “You get the success you deserve.”
“From my perspective, one of the best things Hofman did is let people be themselves within his system,” said 2003 graduate and FLC Hall of Fame member Kevin Hatch. “A lot of coaches try to mold their kids to be exactly what they want on and off the court. Hofman let people be who they are.”
During his final few seasons as the Skyhawks’ head coach and after a heart attack in 2012, Hofman gave more control of the team to 11-year assistant coach Bob Pietrack, who also played for Hofman before joining his staff. Hofman said his only goal was to ensure Pietrack would succeed him.
In May, FLC moved Hofman to head coach emeritus and promoted Pietrack to interim head coach. He has the Skyhawks ranked No. 10 in the country and off to the best start in program history at 19-3 overall and 14-3 for first place in the RMAC.
“He took a chance on me as an unproven coach in 2004; for that, I am very thankful,” said Pietrack, who has shared 239 victories and three RMAC championships as a coach with Hofman. “The thing that sticks out the most is that you need to have good people and good players; the players have to be both. That is something our program will always have.”
Hofman is originally from Pasadena, California, and he played college basketball at the University of Colorado. Colorado honored Hofman earlier this season by naming its practice court in his honor, a contribution by George Boedecker, one of Hofman’s former players at Fairview High School who became a billionaire through the creation of Croc’s sandals. Boedecker has been a big supporter of FLC men’s basketball and Hofman’s and even served as an assistant coach in 2011.
Hofman also has been supported by his wife, Nancy, and three sons Luke, Nick and Robby. Nick played soccer at FLC and was a member of the 2009 and 2011 NCAA Division II national championship teams.
At 65, Hofman isn’t 100 percent sure if his coaching career is complete. He said he misses relationships more than actual coaching, but he knows his life in basketball isn’t finished.
“I think I have a lot to give back to the game,” Hofman said. “In what capacity, I don’t know. Basketball is what I know best. It hasn’t changed as much as people think. I don’t think the game has passed me by. To be continued.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
What they’re saying
“He did a lot of thinking, especially scheme-wise. There were days we would come in and he would have anew play based off a dream he had, and that happened on multiple occasions. All of a sudden we’re working, creating, designing a whole play based off something in his head that he kind of knew how to come up with but didn’t know exactly.” – Matt Morris, five-year Fort Lewis player and 2012 graduate.
“Coach Hofman has been a HUGE influence on my game as well as my life. He always pushed me on the court to be a better player as well as a teammate. My biggest takeaway would be how dedicated he was to the game. He always wanted to teach his players everything he could in the few years he had them. One thing i miss the most is ‘The Hof’ tripping over a line on the court in those gumdrop bottom shoes!” – DeAndre Lansdowne, 2010 graduate; leading scorer in Fort Lewis men’s basketball history; professional for Hertener Loewen in Germany.
“The thing that I am most grateful of learning from him is how to be a basketball player, I came in a really raw player, and he helped me learn how to really play the game,” Alex Herrera, 2015 graduate; career blocked shots leader; professional for KTP-Basket in Finland.
“Every player would agree that when you gathered around him or interacted with him in a crucial moment in the game, you could see the experience, tranquility and calmness that came over him that comes over someone with that experience. It gave you confidence.” Torrey Udall, five-year Fort Lewis player and 2013 graduate.
“He’s a great coach. Most of what he means to the (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) is written in those wins and losses he’s had. Fort Lewis College is very fortunate for the time Bob Hofman dedicated.” – Joel R. Smith, former Fort Lewis College athletic director and former RMAC Commissioner; current athletic director at Chadron State.
“As a coach, you have the ability to wreck a person’s day by not saying something. When I was a player in college and I’d walk by my coach’s desk and say, ‘Hey coach, how’s it going,” and he wouldn’t look up from his desk, I was crushed. I never forget that feeling. Whenever I see players today, I make sure I have a word for them because I know how important it was to me.” – Bob Hofman.
“We shared 239 victories and three RMAC championships together as coaches. What an incredible journey coach and I shared. The time spent together will always have special meaning to me.” – Bob Pietrack, longtime assistant coach and former player of Bob Hofman’s; current FLC interim head coach.
“I’m proud of our continuity and rate of success, especially our graduation rate. I don’t like the word culture, but we do have a culture, especially with five-year players who take a red shirt and seeing it all the way through graduation. As far as teams in a non-city environment, I don’t think you can find a team better than Fort Lewis.” – Bob Hofman.
Bob Hofman’s career
Fort Lewis College Men’s Basketball
359-190 overall record
245-115 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference record
7 NCAA Division II Tournament appearances
6 RMAC West Division championships
4 RMAC Tournament championships
3 RMAC regular season championships
1 NCAA Division II Sweet 16 (2010-11)
Collegiate Career
475-299 overall record
27 seasons as a head coach
High School Coaching Career
97-49 overall record at Fariview High School in Boulder, Hinkley High School in Aurora and St. Anthony High School in Wailuka Maui, Hawaii.
1 state championship at Fairview High School (1981)
Durango Herald
