Western Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame
Bob Waters - Football Coach and Athletic Director - (1969-88)
He served WCU for 20 years as its head coach and athletic director and led the athletic department through its greatest period of growth and success. His football teams from 1969 thru 1988 won 116 games and were top 20 ranked on 3 levels - NAIA, NCAA II, and NCAA I-AA - and his 1974 and 1983 teams advanced to the NCAA championship playoffs. As director of athletics from 1971-86, he led the program from NAIA to the NCAA and into the Southern Conference. During his tenure, E.J. Whitmire Stadium, Ronnie Childress Field and the Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center were planned and constructed. His athletic success, as well as his courageous fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease), were recognized throughout the nation as his story was told on miles of newsprint film and tape. In 1988, the playing surface at E.J. Whitmire Stadium was dedicated in his honor and memory.
