Rockford University

Bob Amsberry - Women's Basketball Coach (1997-2006)
Bob Amsberry was inducted into the Charles M. De Wild Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2025. Amsberry reinvigorated the women's basketball program over his nine years (1997-2006) as the head coach. He took over a program that had gone winless the year prior, and within three years, had the Regents vying for a conference championship. Coach Amsberry remains the all-time winningest coach in program history (131) and led the Regents to a program and school record four NCAA Tournament appearances (2001, 03, 05 and 06), including back-to-back trips for the first and only time in school history. Amsberry ended his time at Rockford with a .550 overall winning percentage and a .598 conference winning percentage. Rockford's seven straight winning seasons to close out Amsberry's tenure are by far the most in program history.

Coach Amsberry started his Hall of Fame coaching career in 1997 when he was hired as the Rockford University women's basketball coach. Amsberry began the daunting task of revitalizing a women's basketball program that had not won more than three games in a season since 1990-91. However, in just his third season (1999-00), the Regents went 18-8, including an 8-2 mark in the Northern Illinois Iowa Conference (NIIC). Rockford finished second in the NIIC that year, and Amsberry was awarded with his first of four NIIC Coach of the Year honors. The very next year, Amsberry led Rockford to a 17-9 overall record, another second-place finish in the NIIC and the Regents' first NCAA Tournament berth since 1987. Rockford again went on to qualify for the NCAA Division III Tournament in 2003 and posted a 17-12 overall record. Coach Amsberry was named the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year, his first of two such awards. Rockford then proceeded to win three straight NIIC Championships over Amsberry's final three years at the helm of the program. Amsberry was also voted the NIIC Coach of the Year in all three of those seasons. Rockford would go on to qualify for the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament in both 2005 and 2006, with the Regents winning at least 20 games in each year. Those are only the second and third times in program history that Rockford has won at least 20 games in a season.

Amsberry both recruited and coached some of the best players in the history of the Rockford University women's basketball program. During his RU coaching career, Amsberry coached three current Rockford University Hall of Famers [Heidi (Burkhart) Harris, Kristi (Strunz) Elgersma and Paula (Jones) Zigler]. He also developed numerous all-conference performers and multiple NIIC Players of the Year, All-Region honorees and All-America selections.