Bob Wade (basketball)
| Sport(s) | Basketball, football |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
December 9, 1944 Baltimore, Maryland |
| Alma mater | Morgan State University |
| Playing career | |
| 1968 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1969 | Washington Redskins |
| 1970 | Denver Broncos |
| Position(s) | Defensive back |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1975–1986 | Dunbar HS |
| 1986–1989 | Maryland |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 272-24 (High School) 36–50 (College) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| USA Today Coach of the Year - 1983 | |
Robert Pernell Wade (born December 9, 1944) is a former men's college basketball head coach for the University of Maryland (1986–1989), as well as an American football defensive back for the National Football League (NFL).
Wade played college football at Morgan State University. After his collegiate career, he played in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1968), the Washington Redskins (1969), and the Denver Broncos (1970).
Prior to his coaching stint at Maryland, Wade coached at Baltimore's Dunbar High School for ten years, where he compiled a 341-25 record and was often ranked in the nation's top 10. In his best two seasons at the inner-city high school, 1981–1983, Wade put together teams that produced a 60-0 record, the second of which was ranked first in the nation by USAToday. His 1981-82 team produced four future NBA players - three of them first-round draft picks - including Boston Celtics captain Reggie Lewis, who was the high school's team's sixth man, and 5'-3" Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues, who had a 14-year NBA career despite being the shortest player in league history.
Wade was originally hired to replace Lefty Driesell, Maryland's basketball coach of 17 years. Driesell resigned over concerns about the death of All-American forward Len Bias and subsequent revelations about his players' academic performances; the fact that Wade and Driesell didn't like each other, and Wade had consistently said he hadn't wanted Dunbar prospects to play for Driesell at Maryland, was not overlooked by commentators. In high school, Wade had been a strong disciplinarian, and he was appealing to University of Maryland administrators who were attempting to clean up the basketball program. He was also hired in order to increase diversity, as he became the first African American coach of a major sport in the Atlantic Coast Conference, despite the fact that he had no prior experience in coaching a team at the collegiate level.
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