Bob Amsberry (basketball)

Robert "Bob" Amsberry is an American college basketball coach. He is the current head women's basketball coach at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.

Bob Amsberry
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamWartburg
ConferenceAmerican Rivers
Record365–132 (.734)
Biographical details
Alma materBuena Vista University
Western Illinois University
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1992-1997MacMurray College (assistant)
1997-2006Rockford
2006-PresentWartburg
Head coaching record
Overall496–239 (.675)
Tournaments
  • NCAA 18-12
  • IIAC/A-R-C 18-12
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
3x NCAA Regional - Final Four (2016, 2018, 2024)
3x NIIC Regular Season (2004, 2005, 2006)
4x NIIC Tournament (2001, 2003, 2005, 2006)
6x IIAC/A-R-C Regular Season (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024)
5x IIAC/A-R-C Tournament (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2024)
Awards
2018 DIII National Coach of the Year
2x Regional Coach of the Year (2016, 2024)
4x Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference Coach of the Year (2000, 2004, 2005, 2006)
5x IIAC/A-R-C Coach of Year (2017, 2018, 2020, 2023, 2024)

Coaching career

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Rockford College

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Amsberry became the head coach of Rockford College in 1997 and inherited a losing streak that reached 70 games.[1] In just three seasons he went from 0–25 to 18–8, orchestrating one of the best turnarounds in NCAA history. They would go on to win three consecutive conference titles from 2004 to 2006.[2] Amsberry left Rockford as the winningest coach in the colleges history with 131 wins, a record he still holds today.

Wartburg College

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Amsberry has led the Knights eight consecutive NCAA tournaments, including three final four appearances in 2016, 2018, and 2024. His 2017–18 season was the first undefeated regular season in program history. The Knights reached their highest ranking in school history when they reached No. 2 in both the WBCA and D3hoops.com polls.[1] The Knights started the season with a school-record 31 consecutive victories before eventually falling in the Final Four to Bowdoin College and finishing the season 31–1. Amsberry received the 2018 DIII WBCA National Coach of the Year Award[3] for their school record performance in 2017–2018. He was also a finalist for the award in both 2016 and 2019. In addition, he has been awarded the Iowa Basketball Coaches’ Association Paul Maske Memorial Coach of the Year award four times. On November 11th 2023, following a 71-57 win against Luther, Amsberry surpassed Monica Severson as the winningest coach in Wartburg history with 336 wins.[4] The 2023-24 season Amsberry brought his team to their third NCAA DIII Final Four appearance after defeating Washington and lee in the Elite Eight.[5] Amsberry was also named the 2024 Region 9 Coach of the Year.[6]

Head coaching record

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Rockford Regents (Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference) (1997–2006)
1997–98 Rockford 0–25 0-10 6th
1998–99 Rockford 6–19 2-8 5th
1999–00 Rockford 18–8 8-2 2nd


2000–01 Rockford 17-9 8-4 2nd NCAA First Round
2001–02 Rockford 14-11 6-6 4th
2002-03 Rockford 17-12 8-4 2nd NCAA First Round
2003–04 Rockford 16-10 10-2 1st
2004-05 Rockford 22-6 10-2 1st NCAA First Round
2005-06 Rockford 21-7 9-3 1st NCAA First Round
Rockford: 131–107 (.550) 61-41 (.598)
Wartburg Knights (Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (2006–2018)
2006–07 Wartburg 13-13 8-8 6th
2007–08 Wartburg 13-11 6-10 7th
2008–09 Wartburg 16-11 10-6 2nd
2009–10 Wartburg 18-8 12-4 3rd
2010–11 Wartburg 21-5 12-4 3rd
2011–12 Wartburg 18-9 10-6 T-3rd
2012–13 Wartburg 16-10 9-5 2nd
2013–14 Wartburg 12-15 5-9 T–5th
2014–15 Wartburg 17-11 6-8 T-5th
2015–16 Wartburg 23-8 9-5 3rd NCAA Final Four
2016–17 Wartburg 25-3 15-1 1st NCAA First Round
2017–18 Wartburg 31-1 16-0 1st NCAA Final Four
Wartburg Knights (American Rivers Conference) (2018–Present)
2018-19 Wartburg 27-4 15-1 1st NCAA Elite Eight
2019-20 Wartburg 25-4 14-2 1st NCAA Second Round
2020-21 Wartburg 13-3 6-2 T-2nd No postseason; COVID-19
2021-22 Wartburg 21-6 13-3 2nd NCAA First Round
2022-23 Wartburg 23-7 15-1 1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2023-24 Wartburg 29-3 16-0 1st NCAA Final Four
2024–25 Wartburg 4–0
Wartburg: 365–132 (.734) 186–75 (.713)
Total: 496–239 (.675)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

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  1. ^ a b "Bob Amsberry - Head Women's Basketball Coach - Staff Directory". Wartburg College Athletics. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  2. ^ "Women's Basketball Head Coaching Records (Year-by-Year)". Rockford University. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Wartburg's Bob Amsberry NAMED 2018 UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS/WBCA NCAA DIVISION III NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR". Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  4. ^ Woods, Ben. "No. 8/14 Women's Basketball Win 71-59 Over Luther; Bob Amsberry Becomes Program Leader in Wins". Wartburg Athletics. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  5. ^ Nelson, Jim (March 9, 2024). "College Women's Basketball: Wartburg College advances to Division III Final Four". Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  6. ^ "D3hoops.com 2024 women's All-Region 9 team". D3hoops. D3hoops.com. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
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