SMU Legend Bob Prewitt Passed Away Thursday At The Age Of 93

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

SMU Legend Bob Prewitt Passed Away Thursday At The Age Of 93

DALLAS (SMU) – SMU basketball legend Bob Prewitt passed away on Thursday. He was part of the Mustangs' program for more than three decades, serving as a student-athlete, assistant coach and head coach from 1946 to 1975. His career included nine Southwest Conference Championships and a trip to the NCAA Final Four.

After serving in the Army Air Corps, the Columbus, Indiana, native arrived on the Hilltop as a student-athlete in 1946. He earned three varsity letters, and was selected team captain for the 1948-49 season. Following his senior season, he was named All-Southwest Conference first team.

After graduation, Head Coach Doc Hayes added Prewitt as his assistant coach which included serving as the head coach of the freshman team. During his 18 seasons as an assistant coach, the Mustangs won eight Southwest Conference Championships, made six NCAA Tournaments and reached the 1956 Final Four.

In 1967, Prewitt began an eight-year run as head coach. He led the Mustangs to the Southwest Conference title in 1972, adding a ninth championship during his tenure. In those eight seasons, nine Mustangs earned 15 all-league honors with Gene Phillips earning three Southwest Conference Player of the Year honors.

In total, Prewitt coached players that earned five All-American selections, five Southwest Conference Player of the Year awards and 43 All-SWC honors. He coached five SMU Hall of Famers: Rick Herrscher, Denny Holman, Jim Krebs, Gene Phillips and Ira Terrell.

The family has requested that gifts made in Bob Prewitt's honor be directed to the SMU Men's Basketball Excellence Fund.

SWC Champs
1954-55
1955-56
1956-57
1957-58
1961-62
1964-65
1965-66
1966-67
1971-72

NCAA Tournament
1955 – Regional Semifinal
1956 – Final Four
1957 – Regional Semifinal
1965 – Regional Semifinal
1966 – Regional Semifinal
1967 – Regional Final

All-American
1955-56 Jim Krebs
1956-57 Jim Krebs
1959-60 Max Williams
1969-70 Gene Phillips
1970-71 Gene Phillips

SWC Player of the Year
1957-58 Rick Herrscher
1966-67 Denny Holman
1968-69 Gene Phillips
1969-70 Gene Phillips
1970-71 Gene Phillips

All-SWC 1st-Team
1949-50 Jack Brown, Paul Mitchell
1950-51 Jack Brown
1953-54 Derrell Murphy
1954-55 Jim Krebs, Art Barnes
1955-56 Jim Krebs, Bobby Mills, Larry Showalter
1956-57 Jim Krebs, Bobby Mills, Rick Herrscher, Larry Showalter
1957-58 Rick Herrscher
1958-59 Bobby James, Max Williams
1959-60 Max Williams, Steve Strange
1960-61 Jan Loudermilk
1961-62 Jan Loudermilk
1963-64 Gene Elmore
1964-65 Carroll Hooser
1965-66 Charles Beasley, Carroll Hooser
1966-67 Charles Beasley, Denny Holman
1966-67 Charles Beasley, Denny Holman
1968-69 Gene Phillips, Bill Voight
1969-70 Gene Phillips, Bill Voight
1970-71 Gene Phillips
1971-72 Ruben Triplett
1972-73 Sammy Hervey, Ira Terrell
1973-74 Ira Terrell

All-SWC 2nd-Team
1960-61 Steve Strange
1965-66 Bob Begert
1967-68 Lynn Phillips
1968-69 Lynn Phillips
1972-73 Zachary Thiel
1973-74 Zachary Thiel

[No Quarter]

Only knew him from a gym class and his involvement with intramurals but a great guy.

My sympathies to survivors and those who knew him better.

[SoCal_Pony]

I had Coach Prewitt as a racquetball teacher in the early '80's. He was a nice guy.

First class he gives a very brief description of the rules and then asks if there are any questions.

I doubt any of the other students knew who he was, so I asked him, "Who was the last BB coach to win a SWC title at SMU?"

His answer...."That would be me"

[max the wonder dog]

I had Coach Prewitt as a racquetball teacher in the early '80's. He was a nice guy.

First class he gives a very brief description of the rules and then asks if there are any questions.

I doubt any of the other students knew who he was, so I asked him, "Who was the last BB coach to win a SWC title at SMU?"

His answer...."That would be me"

Nicely done, So Cal.

[BUS]

Super nice and gentle man. Had a lot of classes in Dedman. He loved SMU.

Where are our SMU employees now? Who on staff is an SMU alumnus?

[No Quarter]

My memory is that back in the day the BB program consisted of Hayes and Prewitt, HC and Assistant, and that was it. Prewitt also had gym classes and intramurals as I've mentioned. Very different from the staff todaywhich numbers (according to SMU Mustamgs) at least eight and nine if you count Coach Maxey who is still on the list. And SMU, in its wisdom, would not turn loose of Hayes immediately when he wanted to retire. They made Prewitt HC and Hayes the assistant. I don't now how long that lasted but a sports writer for one of the newspapers commented that no other two men in the state of Texas could have made it work.

[No Quarter]

Super nice and gentle man. Had a lot of classes in Dedman. He loved SMU.

Where are our SMU employees now? Who on staff is an SMU alumnus?

Well sir, there is Flanagan on the football staff as you know. But I'm too far away to be able to name others who are active in the athletic department or on the teaching faculty.