Remembering Former AD, Basketball Coach Bob 'Doc' Bonn

Dr. Bob “Doc” Bonn, former men’s basketball coach and athletic director at Pacific University, died June 26, 2020, at the age of 68.

Bonn has most recently served as athletic director for Carthage College, where he retired in 2018 after an illustrious career. Before moving to Carthage, Bonn served as head men’s basketball coach and athletic director at Pacific from 1984 to 1992.

When Bonn joined Pacific’s athletics staff in 1984, he took on a men’s basketball program that had gone 0-26 the previous season. Over the next eight years, the team won two Northwest Conference Championships. He was named Northwest Conference Coach of the Year in 1991 and ranks third in all-time wins in the history of men’s basketball at Pacific. He also advocated for increased athletics recruiting efforts to help grow the College of Arts & Sciences at Pacific and to increase the competitiveness of Pacific’s sports programs.

Bonn later served as the National Association of Athletic Development Directors president in 2001-2002. Last year, he was honored with the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award as well as induction into the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Hall of Fame.

“Bob was a beloved coach to many players he mentored during his time at Pacific. He was known for his competitiveness and as a tough but fair coach who cared about his players both on and off the court,” said retiring Pacific University Athletics Director Ken Schumann. “On a personal note, Bob Bonn was a great coach and an even better person. He took a chance on hiring me as his assistant coach when he arrived at Pacific, and the eight years we spent together were some of the best of my professional career.”