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Robert “Bob” White, who coached the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh men’s basketball team to 232 victories, three conference championships and pair of national tournament appearances from 1965-84, passed away Wednesday (June 16) in Stillwater, Minnesota, at the age of 94.

White and his wife, Shirley, both arrived on the UW Oshkosh campus in 1964 to teach in the school’s Health, Physical Education & Recreation department. White’s position also included replacing Russ Young as the Titans’ head men’s basketball coach.

White’s coaching presence at UWO was felt immediately as he took a men’s basketball team that posted a 9-11 record in 1964 to a 13-9 record and a fourth-place Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) finish in 1965. The Titans continued their success the following season by earning a 15-7 record and a second-place conference ranking.

During White’s third season at UWO the Titans tallied a 17-6 record, won the WIAC championship and advanced to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Tournament in Kansas City. UWO earned its trip to the 32-team national tournament with a thrilling 96-94 victory over Lakeland University in the NAIA District 14 championship game. The Titans lost an 84-82 decision to Westminster College (Pennsylvania) in the first round of the national tournament.

In 1968, UWO registered a 23-6 record, repeated as WIAC and NAIA District 14 champions, and finished third nationally. The Titans defeated Lakeland University, 124-113 in double overtime, in the NAIA District 14 title game to earn its second straight visit to the national tournament in Kansas City. UW Oshkosh opened the national tournament with wins over top-ranked Guilford College (North Carolina), Montana State University Billings and Drury University (Missouri) before suffering a 76-74 loss to Fairmont State University (West Virginia) in the semifinals. The Titans took third place in the 32-team tournament after their 102-68 win over Westminster College.

UWO captured its third and final WIAC championship under White in 1978. The Titans achieved an 18-10 record that season, including an 82-68 loss to UW-Parkside in the NAIA District 14 championship game.

White’s 232 coaching victories rank third in UWP and 14th in WIAC history. White picked up his 100th coaching win during UWO’s 106-99 victory over Northern Michigan University on Jan. 7, 1972 and his 200th during the Titans’ 65-62 overtime triumph over UW-River Falls on Jan. 19, 1980. Ted Van Dellen, who started on White’s 1978 WIAC championship team, ranks first and Robert Kolf second in UWO history with 358 and 243 coaching victories, respectively.

White coached Ralph Sims (1977-78) and Tom Witasek (1968) to NAIA All-America recognition. He also coached 11 players to a total of 17 All-WIAC First Team awards, including Sims three times (1976-78) and Ron Hayek (1967-68), Greg Holmon (1974-75), John Lallensack (1967-68), and Greg Seibold (1972-73) twice each. White was named WIAC Coach of the Year in 1967, 1968 and 1978.

Besides coaching basketball and teaching at UWO, White also was an assistant men’s track & field coach (1965), head men’s golf coach (1988-91) and chair of the Health, Physical Education & Recreation department (1966-68). White retired from teaching at UWO in 1994 and his wife, Shirley, in 2005.

White came to UWO following a very successful high school coaching career in Ohio. During a seven-year stretch as the head boys’ basketball coach at University High School in Columbus, White’s teams totaled 101 victories in 131 games. His final three teams compiled a 65-6 record and posted winning streaks of both 21 and 22 games.

White was born April 4, 1927, to Forest and Bernice White. White graduated from John Glenn High School in New Concord, Ohio, and remained in his hometown to attend Muskingum University, where he played both basketball and football for the Fighting Muskies.

White, a 1950 Muskingum University graduate, went on to earn his master’s degree from Kent State University (Ohio) in 1954 and doctorate degree from the Ohio State University in 1962.

White was inducted into the NAIA District 14 Hall of Fame in 1994 and the UWO Hall of Fame in 1997. He was one of three grand marshals for UW Oshkosh’s 2007 Homecoming Parade, with the others being former student-athlete Dorian Boyland and former student-athlete and coach Russ Tiedemann. Boyland played basketball for White and baseball for Tiedemann while attending UWO.

White is survived by Shirley, his wife of 71 years, daughter, Carol (White) Hustad, son-in-law John Hustad, and granddaughters Lydia and Sylvie Schifsky.

Visitation will be Tuesday (June 22) from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church (115 4th Street North) in Stillwater. A memorial service will be held at the church, beginning at 11 a.m.