Bob Weinhauer

Robert Weinhauer
Born	(1939-05-23) May 23, 1939 South Farmingdale, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Basketball coach, sports executive
Years active	1973–1999
Known for	Head coach of Penn Quakers and Arizona State Sun Devils; General Manager of Houston Rockets and Milwaukee Bucks

Robert Weinhauer (born May 23, 1939) is a retired American basketball coach and sports executive.

Early life

Born in South Farmingdale, New York, Weinhauer excelled in baseball during his time at Massapequa High School. He continued his athletic career at the State University of New York at Cortland, where he played as a catcher for three seasons, achieving a batting average of .330. After earning a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1961, he was honored with induction into the C-Club Hall of Fame in 1995. Early on, Weinhauer coached multiple sports—including football, basketball, and baseball—at Massapequa High School.

Coaching career

Weinhauer began his collegiate coaching journey in 1973 at the University of Pennsylvania as an assistant under head coach Chuck Daly. He assumed the head coaching position four years later and led the team to secure five straight Ivy League championships. His squads compiled a remarkable 61–9 record within the conference and maintained an unblemished 35-0 record on their home court, the Palestra. The Penn Quakers advanced to the Final Four of the 1979 NCAA Division I basketball tournament, marking the most recent Ivy League team to achieve this feat. In recognition of his accomplishments, Weinhauer was inducted into the Penn Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.

Following the 1981–82 season, Weinhauer accepted the head coaching role at Arizona State University. In 1983, recruiting violations resulted in the loss of scholarships and a formal reprimand directed at him. During his tenure, the Sun Devils did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament, leading to his dismissal in 1985. His cumulative college coaching record stands at 143 wins and 90 losses.

From 1985 to 1986, he led the Detroit Spirits in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) before moving into roles within the National Basketball Association as an assistant coach, scout, and front-office executive.

On April 29, 1994, Weinhauer was appointed vice president of operations for the Houston Rockets, serving as general manager between 1994 and 1996. Under his management, the Rockets reached two NBA Finals appearances. A significant transaction occurred on February 14, 1995, when he facilitated a trade sending Otis Thorpe and others to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Clyde Drexler and Tracy Murray. Another deal involving Scott Brooks on February 23 led to adjustments in the NBA’s trade deadline policies in later seasons.

Weinhauer departed from Houston on August 30, 1996, to join the coaching staff of the Milwaukee Bucks under Chris Ford. He was promoted to general manager in June 1997 and oversaw a playoff berth during the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season with George Karl as head coach—marking Milwaukee’s first postseason appearance in eight years. Despite this success, dissatisfaction regarding limited free-agent signings contributed to his termination on August 11, 1999.

See also

• List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach