Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/106140
I didn't like the dorm food, so I did not eat it. I walked into his office one day. He took one look at me, and said, 'Oh my goodness. Have you been sick?' I told him no, I just didn't like the dorm food. At that very moment he got up from his desk. He took me across the street to the Dairy Queen, and said that he was going to buy me a milkshake. I told him I didn't like milkshakes. Then, he said that he would buy me a chocolate sundae. I told him I didn't like chocolate sundaes. He then asked me, 'Do you like anything?' "My reply was simply that I like ice cream cones. He then bought me the largest ice cream cone that they had. He was always looking out for the players' best interest." Randy Shields Rick Mount and King had a long-time friendship as both hailed from Lebanon, Ind. Mount, a high school All-American, was the top player King ever recruited to Purdue and helped the Boilermakers reach the 1969 Final Four. I was going on vacation, Coach Bob rounded up the signatures Jerry Johnson and personally delivered the ball Center, 1967-70 "Having lost my father at a to my business (about two hours young age, Coach Bob was one from campus), while I was away." of the most influential men in my Academic Mentor memory. Surely he forgot more Mike Steele about Indiana and college hoops Guard, 1973-76 than most ever new. "When I came to Purdue in "One fond memory, of many, 1974, Coach Bob was the oldesthappened in late '70s a decade after I had left Purdue. A charity looking 54-year-old. When I talked radio auction requested of me to him when he was 90, he looked an autographed Purdue basket- like he did when he was 54. "He treated the good players ball, on short notice. It was April, like Park (Bruce Parkinson) and Frank (Kendrick) and the not-sogood like (Dick) Satterfield and I …the same. He was like the IRS: If he asked you if you missed that 8 a.m. class, you knew he already knew. There was no reason to get in more trouble for not telling him the truth. You would get lectured by him, and it felt like you had let him down but you would go on your way knowing Coach Bob always had your back. "He thought I had the ability to coach or at least he knew I wasn't going to make it out of Krannert Business School with a degree. He helped me change majors and focus on a future. It's amazing how that GPA goes up when you have a passion for something and you get your butt to class. "Now, we have academic advisors, hosts of computers, tutors, study tables, etc.; back then all we had was Coach Bob. Damn were we fortunate." Rick Mount Guard, 1967-70 "Bob was the glue to the whole Purdue basketball program. He was the guy. "We were really good friends, but he could kick you in the butt a little bit. But the good thing was all the professors on campus really liked him. They may have not liked us (the players) all that much, but they liked him. "That came in handy." Facilitator Bob "Robbie" Shelton Student Manager, 1969-72 "It was between my sophomore and junior year and I was married and needed a summer job to help out with expenses. I asked Coach Bob if he knew of anyone needing help. Sitting at his desk in his office in the arena, he picked up the phone and made a call. He called a local business owner and said, 'One of our basketball managers needs a summer job. Do you have anything for him?' "Next thing I know I am on my way out to the office at U.S. Metalite. What I thought was going to be me filling out an application for work ended up being a statement ... saying, 'If Bob King says you are OK, that's good enough for me. When can you start?'" Dave Alexander Purdue baseball coach and academic administrator with King "Bob was the best crisis manger, problem solver that I ever knew. People have no idea what all he did." Race and gender 'justice' Ralph Taylor Forward, 1967-69 "A story Coach Bob shared with me about his basketball coaching experience as the assistant coach at Indianapolis Shortridge High School in the 1950s illustrated to me his character, conviction and courage. "Indianapolis Crispus Attucks High School and Shortridge were fierce rivals and the dominant basketball forces at this time in Indianapolis. However, Coach Bob had the utmost respect for the Crispus Attucks teams and its great coach, the late Ray Crowe. During this time, when Shortridge would be defeated by Crispus Attucks in the sectionals, Coach Bob would assist the Crispus Attucks teams by providing the scouting reports on their upcoming opponent in state tournament play. This would seem like a nice gesture by a rival coach in the same city, except for one thing: Coach Bob shared that the white coaching fraternity in the state was not too happy with his decision to help the black school and they let him know their feelings on this matter. "The opinions of his coaching peers did not matter to him and he continued to assist the GoldanDBlack express • volume 23, express 19 • 12