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.”
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