Bob Lochmueller
Robert Lee Lochmueller | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date |
| Died | October 27, 2020 (aged 93) |
| Occupation(s) | Professional basketball player, basketball coach |
| Known for | NBA player for Syracuse Nationals; Indiana high school basketball coach |
Robert Lee Lochmueller (June 5, 1927 – October 27, 2020) was an American professional basketball player who entered the National Basketball Association (NBA) as the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 1952 NBA draft by the Syracuse Nationals.
Before his NBA career, Lochmueller competed with the Oakland City Mighty Oaks during the 1948–49 season. He then became a three-year starter for the Louisville Cardinals, guiding them to their inaugural NCAA Tournament appearance in 1951 and their first NIT berth in 1952. Over his collegiate tenure, he tallied 1,218 points, averaging 15 points per contest, and received an Associated Press All-American Honorable Mention in 1952.
In his sole NBA season, Lochmueller posted averages of 3.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game. His professional playing days were cut short due to a knee injury, which prompted a transition into coaching high school basketball across Southern Indiana for eight years. During this period, he amassed seven postseason championships with teams such as the Fort Branch Twigs, Princeton Tigers, Seymour Owls, and Richmond Red Devils. Following this success, he advanced to collegiate coaching as an assistant with the West Virginia Mountaineers, before returning to Indiana to assume head coaching duties at Tell City High School.
Lochmueller’s fifteen-year tenure at Tell City was marked by a 257-96 (.728) win-loss record that included nine straight sectional titles and two regional championships. Across a 23-year Indiana high school coaching career, he compiled an overall record of 399-150 (.727), capturing thirteen sectionals and two regional crowns.
Among the distinguished players he mentored are:
- Dave Clark (Tell City High), who started for three years at Georgia Tech
- Steve Lochmueller (Tell City High), Bob’s son; played basketball and football at the University of Kentucky
- Bryan Taylor (Tell City High), who competed for both the University of Louisville and University of Evansville basketball programs; tragically lost in the 1977 Evansville team plane crash; Tell City’s gymnasium bears his name
- Dave Alvey (Tell City High), celebrated Northwest Missouri basketball Hall of Famer and leading scorer/rebounder
- John Judd (Seymour High), notable athlete at the United States Air Force Academy
In recognition of his contributions to basketball, Lochmueller was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990.
He died on October 27, 2020, aged 93.
NBA
Source
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Nbay | Syracuse | 62 | 12.9 | .322 | .607 | 2.6 | .8 | 3.7 |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Syracuse | 2 | 10.5 | .200 | .250 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 2.5 |