Biography: Coach Bob Bennett

By The Informer
for HRSInformer.com

Published: November 19, 2009

Photo by: Justin Kase Conder

In the history of college baseball, there are many coaches celebrated for their excellence. After finishing up his career in 2002 with a record 1,302-759 all-time, ranking him seventh all-time in NCAA division 1 history, Bob Bennett is definitely a coach to be celebrated.

Bob Bennett, former baseball coach of Fresno State, is only the seventh coach in NCAA history to achieve 1,300 wins, and had a record 32-27 in his final coaching season. This closed out his career with 26 consecutive winning seasons, and in his 34 years of coaching only two of his seasons were losses.

Throughout his coaching career, over one-hundred players coached by Bob Bennett have gone on to professional baseball careers. Other accomplishments of players under his leadership include 65 first-team all-conference honors, 32 All Americans, nine first-round MLB draft picks, and 35 major league players.

Bob Bennett was recognized many times for his coaching achievements. This includes earning the Coach of the Year honor 14 times, earning the prestigious Lefty Gomez Award in 2000, and being named the 1988 NCAA Coach of the Year by The Sporting News.

In 2002 Bob Bennett announced his retirement. Before the end of his last season, he was honored by becoming the first coach or player in Fresno State history to have his number retired, a respect befitting of his outstanding career.

Even though Bob Bennett has retired from coaching NCAA, he is still passing on his coaching and training techniques in his line of Coaches Choice instructional DVDs.

Two of his titles include: