Nothing but fond memories and great thoughts about Builder Bob. The same way Rich Brooks gets credit for turning the Ducks around, Bob gets credit for the Beavers.
I have known Bob, personally and professionally, ever since he and Mitch Barnhart came to Corvallis in 1998. He was a quality, visionary administrator, who always looked out for the student/athletes (especially the smaller-sport ones) and an even better person.
He helped me pick out my football seat on the new East side, telling me where he thought the best value was (it's the lower, orange portion of the upper deck). He even lived in my neighborhood and our kids attended the same local public schools, just not at the same time.
And he told me that "If the only reason you're in athletics is winning, you're in it for the wrong reasons. There has to be more to it than just winning, because if it's just about winning, you're going to be unhappy a lot of time."
Words of wisdom that I've always remembered. Godspeed, Bobby D.
PS: Congrats on his selection to the OSU Athletic HOF. An honor well-deserved.
I miss Bob!! He is one man who I would like to shake his hand and say "thank you" for all he did for OSU. Next time you see him, please express our gratitude on his many successes, and for his courage in sharing his condition!
Bravo John!!! Humanity and its importance strikes again. The things we own will fade with time, new stadiums will be built, new trophies awarded, the human legacy will live through generations.
How the AD world has changed the past 50 years!! back then, in the 1970s, The Great Pumpkin was OSU's AD. Sure he glad-handed a few boosters, but nothing worthy was done on his watch. In fact, the football program imploded. Today, the AD role is not so much to manage the coaching staffs as it is to fund-raise to build programs run on hard cash. I don't know DeCarolis, but he has obviously done a great job as a visionary and fund raiser. Kudos to Bob!
Bob was such an interesting blend of the two. A former coach, but also a great fundraiser. People liked him. He erased $12.5M in debt in five years. Very creative.
I found that Dee Andros was not AD until 1975 (my memory was wrong). Jim Barratt was AD after Slats Gill, who died of a stroke in April 1966. On the topic of Slats Gill, he is worthy of a story by you. He is who put OSU Basketball on the map. We had a family friend, Tom Holman, who played for him on the 1948-49 NCAA Final Four team and who revered him. Mr Holman (also my school Principal in JHS) was in WW2 right out of high school and so was recruited by Gill and enrolled at OSU after the war (all those all-state HS players who went to war; a lot of talent coming home). Tom had a famous game in 1948 when he scored 5 points in the last 7 seconds of a game against the Ducks at MacArthur that got OSU into the NCAA finals. https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/2091805/Thomas-Carter-Holman. The Greatest Generation, indeed!
And didn't AD Jim Barrett's wife own/operate a travel agency, that booked OSU athletics and booster activities? I could be wrong, but Hmmmmm........doesn't quite past the .....test. Ahhh,the old days.....
I was a cross country and track man (not good enough for Bernie Wagner's teams, though). I loved the OSU track team and was friends with some of the runners. I would like to see men's track back again
I have never heard that one before, but could be. It seems though, if his wife was packaging Oregon State to fans that she could have demanded her husband put a better product on the field. I was at OSU in the mid-70s and it was painful to watch their football games. Who would ever want to travel to see their road games?!! Now, with a winning team, the Beavers are traveling very well. I went to the Vegas Bowl in December and it was packed with Beavers fans!
It’s great to see and hear from Bob through your story! I remember meeting him briefly at the outdoor track facility, and thanking him for bringing the sport forward at OSU. He was friendly and very approachable. So glad to see him recognized for all his good work. Thanks John!
Appreciate you giving Bob the spotlight John. My mother and my eldest sister fought Parkinson's in the final years of their lives, it's no picnic, that I know from having a front row seat. One thing I learned is that an acceptance of the limitations the disease puts on you and the attitude to forge ahead despite those challenges is what makes you get up the next day and try again. This man is winning the battle as he did so many others throughout a successful life. So great he is getting that acknowledgement from his peers. Go have coffee with him soon John. You will both be better or it.
John... OSU -- and all of us, really -- are grateful for Bob De Carolis raising the profile of sports in Oregon. His work enhanced the stature of the entire conference.
Nothing but fond memories and great thoughts about Builder Bob. The same way Rich Brooks gets credit for turning the Ducks around, Bob gets credit for the Beavers.
Go Beavs!
He got stuff done.
My thoughts exactly . Canzano good job .
I have known Bob, personally and professionally, ever since he and Mitch Barnhart came to Corvallis in 1998. He was a quality, visionary administrator, who always looked out for the student/athletes (especially the smaller-sport ones) and an even better person.
He helped me pick out my football seat on the new East side, telling me where he thought the best value was (it's the lower, orange portion of the upper deck). He even lived in my neighborhood and our kids attended the same local public schools, just not at the same time.
And he told me that "If the only reason you're in athletics is winning, you're in it for the wrong reasons. There has to be more to it than just winning, because if it's just about winning, you're going to be unhappy a lot of time."
Words of wisdom that I've always remembered. Godspeed, Bobby D.
PS: Congrats on his selection to the OSU Athletic HOF. An honor well-deserved.
Thanks for sharing the examples about Bob! Kudos to him for expressing the right reasons to be in athletics--IT IS more than just winning!
I miss Bob!! He is one man who I would like to shake his hand and say "thank you" for all he did for OSU. Next time you see him, please express our gratitude on his many successes, and for his courage in sharing his condition!
The honor bestowed on him is well deserved!!
Bravo John!!! Humanity and its importance strikes again. The things we own will fade with time, new stadiums will be built, new trophies awarded, the human legacy will live through generations.
Hope he is able to attend a few football games in person
OSU should honor him at one of the games
How the AD world has changed the past 50 years!! back then, in the 1970s, The Great Pumpkin was OSU's AD. Sure he glad-handed a few boosters, but nothing worthy was done on his watch. In fact, the football program imploded. Today, the AD role is not so much to manage the coaching staffs as it is to fund-raise to build programs run on hard cash. I don't know DeCarolis, but he has obviously done a great job as a visionary and fund raiser. Kudos to Bob!
Bob was such an interesting blend of the two. A former coach, but also a great fundraiser. People liked him. He erased $12.5M in debt in five years. Very creative.
I found that Dee Andros was not AD until 1975 (my memory was wrong). Jim Barratt was AD after Slats Gill, who died of a stroke in April 1966. On the topic of Slats Gill, he is worthy of a story by you. He is who put OSU Basketball on the map. We had a family friend, Tom Holman, who played for him on the 1948-49 NCAA Final Four team and who revered him. Mr Holman (also my school Principal in JHS) was in WW2 right out of high school and so was recruited by Gill and enrolled at OSU after the war (all those all-state HS players who went to war; a lot of talent coming home). Tom had a famous game in 1948 when he scored 5 points in the last 7 seconds of a game against the Ducks at MacArthur that got OSU into the NCAA finals. https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/2091805/Thomas-Carter-Holman. The Greatest Generation, indeed!
And didn't AD Jim Barrett's wife own/operate a travel agency, that booked OSU athletics and booster activities? I could be wrong, but Hmmmmm........doesn't quite past the .....test. Ahhh,the old days.....
Last add: Hopefully Scott B. can bring back men's track and field.
I was a cross country and track man (not good enough for Bernie Wagner's teams, though). I loved the OSU track team and was friends with some of the runners. I would like to see men's track back again
Absolutely….
I have never heard that one before, but could be. It seems though, if his wife was packaging Oregon State to fans that she could have demanded her husband put a better product on the field. I was at OSU in the mid-70s and it was painful to watch their football games. Who would ever want to travel to see their road games?!! Now, with a winning team, the Beavers are traveling very well. I went to the Vegas Bowl in December and it was packed with Beavers fans!
“It’s always the simple stuff, isn’t it?”
Amen
GO DAWGS
So true.
It’s great to see and hear from Bob through your story! I remember meeting him briefly at the outdoor track facility, and thanking him for bringing the sport forward at OSU. He was friendly and very approachable. So glad to see him recognized for all his good work. Thanks John!
Appreciate you giving Bob the spotlight John. My mother and my eldest sister fought Parkinson's in the final years of their lives, it's no picnic, that I know from having a front row seat. One thing I learned is that an acceptance of the limitations the disease puts on you and the attitude to forge ahead despite those challenges is what makes you get up the next day and try again. This man is winning the battle as he did so many others throughout a successful life. So great he is getting that acknowledgement from his peers. Go have coffee with him soon John. You will both be better or it.
Well said!!!!!
Good story about a good man. Oregon State was very fortunate to have his vision and high energy at the right time.
Absolutely love the advice he gave you, JC..."Your job is to make sure she wants to come back tomorrow!"
Wish him all the best.
Great st
and was good for OSU!
Thanks
Another great guy!
John... OSU -- and all of us, really -- are grateful for Bob De Carolis raising the profile of sports in Oregon. His work enhanced the stature of the entire conference.
Builder Bob did so much good at OSU. It’s great to see he’ll be getting more recognition for it!
Great article, thanks for the update on Bob. Being 69 myself, it hit home. He did do a great job.