Bob Brock to join NFCA Hall of Honor in 2016
12/5/2015 8:07:00 AM | Softball
Bob Brock, Bearkat head softball coach since 2002 and a Sam Houston graduate, will be one of four honorees to be inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) at the organization's Hall of Honor at the next annual convention in New Orleans on Dec. 9, 2016.
NFCA First Vice President Pat Conlan announced the Hall of Honor's Class of 2016 at the conclusion of the 2015 awards ceremony Friday night at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis' Atrium Ballroom.
Joining Brock as 2016 NFCA Hall of Honor inductees will be Michigan State head coach Jacquie Joseph, University of Saint Thomas (Minn.) head ocach John Tschida and former Utah head coach Mona Steven.
Brock stands as one of only 27 head coaches in NCAA softball history to total more than 1,000 career victories. He served as head coach at Baylor from 1980 to 1981 and at Texas A&M from 1982 to 1996. Six times he directed teams to the College World Series, winning national titles in 1982, 1983 and 1987 and finishing as runner-up in 1984 and 1986.
Since returning to his alma mater as head coach, Brock has directed the Bearkats to 362 victories, the most by any head coach in Sam Houston's 36-year softball history.
His teams' achievements include Sam Houston's first NCAA Division I regional playoff appearance (2007) and four trips to the Southland Conference tournament finals in league post-season appearances.
“Congratulations to Coach Brock on this well-deserved honor,” Sam Houston director of athletics Bobby Williams said. “Bob has done so much for college softball and Sam Houston athletics. He has touched the lives of so many student-athletes during his career. The university is very proud of his achievements.”
When Brock became SHSU head coach in 2002, the program had fallen on hard times. Sam Houston won three national championships (AIAW in 1981, NCAA Division II in 1982, and NIT in 1993) and three Southland titles (1988, 1990, and 1993). But, between 1998 and 2001, the Bearkats finished either ninth or 10th in the league.
Brock was voted 2005 Southland Conference “Coach of the Year” after SHSU finished as runner-up and reached the tournament finals.
Sam Houston won the Southland tournament title in 2007 and, in the NCAA College Station regional, defeated Louisiana-Lafayette before falling to Texas A&M in the regional semifinals.
The Bearkats have earned a Southland Conference post-season tournament berth nine of the last 12 seasons. The Bearkats reached the tournament finals in 2005, 2007, 2012 and 2013 and the semifinals in 2014.
Brock came to Sam Houston after three years as assistant coach for the University of Tennessee Volunteers. He helped direct the Vols to their first appearance in the NCAA Regional playoffs.
In 1997, he was head coach of the Tampa Bay Firestix in the Women's Professional Fastpitch League. He joined the University of Tennessee staff in 1999. He also managed his own hitting and pitching clinics in College Station for nine years.
Brock has coached 21 All-Americans, 60 All-Regional honorees and two members on gold medal winning U.S. Olympic Teams.
In November, 2013, Brock was one of nine men named as the inaugural group of inductees for the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame. In September, 2006, Brock was inducted into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame
He was honored as National Softball “Coach of the Year” in 1983 and received National Softball Coaches Association Regional “Coach of the Year” honors in 1986, 1987, 1990 and 1991. He received a Bachelor's Degree in criminal justice from Sam Houston State in 1969 and his Master's Degree in criminology from Central Texas University in 1978.
