Bobby Lutz

College coach infobox


Name = Bobby Lutz
Sport = Basketball
| ImageWidth =
Caption = Lutz in Kuwait, 2006
DateOfBirth = birth date and age|1958|4|4
Birthplace = flagicon|United States Hickory, North Carolina
DateOfDeath =
Deathplace =
College = Charlotte
Title = Head coach
Awards =
Championships =
CurrentRecord =
OverallRecord =
Position =
Coach = *
CoachYears = 1984-1986
1986-1995
1995
1995-1998
1998-present
CoachTeams = Clemson (asst.)
Pfeiffer
Gardner-Webb
Charlotte (asst.)
Charlotte
CollegeHOFID =
BBallHOF =

Bobby Lutz (born April 4, 1958 near Hickory, North Carolina) is an American college basketball coach. Since 1998 he has been the head men's coach at Charlotte. Lutz, his wife, and his two daughters reside in Harrisburg, North Carolina.

Early career

Lutz graduated from Bandys High School in 1976 and from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1980 with a B.A. in Psychology and Economics. He taught social studies and coached basketball at several high schools in North Carolina. In 1984 he received a job as a graduate assistant coach for the men's basketball team at Clemson University. Prior to the 1986-1987 season he was named head coach at Pfeiffer College in Misenheimer, North Carolina. He led the Falcons to a 181-91 record in his nine years as their coach, including one berth in the NAIA championship game.

Charlotte

In 1995 Lutz was named the head coach at Gardner-Webb University, but resigned two weeks after accepting the job in order to become an assistant coach at his alma mater under head coach Jeff Mullins. He served as an assistant under Mullins (1995-96) and his successor, Melvin Watkins (1996-98). When Watkins accepted the head coaching job at Texas A&M University, Lutz was promoted and became the eighth head coach of the Charlotte 49ers on April 9, 1998.

The 49ers have enjoyed consistent success during Lutz's tenure, reaching the NCAA Tournament five times (1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005), plus three appearances in the NIT (2000, 2006, and 2008). In 2005 Lutz was a finalist for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award.

On February 23, 2008, Charlotte won at home over Saint Louis 81-64, giving Lutz 183 wins at Charlotte and the all-time mark for wins by a 49ers coach, passing Mullins' 182 wins accumulated between 1985 and 1996.

peculation About Other Positions

The team's level of success has caused Lutz to be a candidate to fill coaching vacancies at other schools. In the spring of 2005 Lutz was on the short list to replace Buzz Peterson as head coach at the University of Tennessee, but the job eventually went to Milwaukee's Bruce Pearl.

In April of 2007 Lutz's name surfaced in connection with the search to succeed John Pelphrey as the head coach at the University of South Alabama. Lutz was offered the job but opted to stay at Charlotte, stating in an open letter to the team's fan base that he is dedicated to the city and program.

Coaching Tree

*Benny Moss, head coach at UNC Wilmington, 2006-present
**assistant coach under Lutz at Pfeiffer (1993-1995) and Charlotte (2001-2006)
*Kevin Nickelberry, head coach at Hampton University
**assistant coach under Lutz at Charlotte (1999-2002)
*Orlando Early, head coach at University of Louisiana at Monroe, 2005-present
**assistant coach under Lutz at Charlotte (1998-2001)

Results at Charlotte

CBB Yearly Record Start
type=coach
conference=
postseason=
poll=noCBB Yearly Record Subhead
name=Charlotte
startyear=1998
conference=Conference USA
endyear=2005|CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference tournament
season = 1998–1999
name = Charlotte
overall = 23-11
conference = 10-6
confstanding = T-3rd American
postseason = NCAA 2nd RoundCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 1999-2000
name = Charlotte
overall = 17-16
conference = 7-9
confstanding = T-5th American
postseason = NITCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference tournament
season = 2000-2001
name = Charlotte
overall = 22-11
conference = 10-6
confstanding = 2nd American
postseason = NCAA 2nd RoundCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 2001-2002
name = Charlotte
overall = 18-12
conference = 11-5
confstanding = 3rd American
postseason = NCAA 1st RoundCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 2002-2003
name = Charlotte
overall = 13-16
conference = 8-8
confstanding = T-5th American
postseason = CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
season = 2003-2004
name = Charlotte
overall = 21-9
conference = 12-4
confstanding = T-1st
postseason = NCAA 1st RoundCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 2004-2005
name = Charlotte
overall = 21-8
conference = 12-4
confstanding = T-2nd
postseason = NCAA 1st RoundCBB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Charlotte (Conference USA)
overall = 135-83
confrecord = 70-42CBB Yearly Record Subhead
name=Charlotte
startyear=2005
conference=Atlantic 10 Conference
endyear=present|CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 2005-2006
name = Charlotte
overall = 19-13
conference = 11-5
confstanding = 2nd
postseason = NITCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 2006–2007
name = Charlotte
overall = 14-16
conference = 7-9
confstanding = 9th
postseason = CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 2007–2008
name = Charlotte
overall = 20-14
conference = 9-7
confstanding = T-4th
postseason = NITCBB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Charlotte (Atlantic 10)
overall = 53-43
confrecord = 27-21CBB Yearly Record End
overall=188-126

External links

* [http://charlotte49ers.collegesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/lutz_bobby00.html Bobby Lutz bio from Charlotte49ers.com ]

References