Hall of Fame
Robert “Bob” Pawlak, a three-time letter winner, was the point guard on outstanding teams from 1958-61 that were a combined 44-27. He averaged 9.8 points per contest, shooting 41 percent from the floor and 76 percent from the line in his career. He averaged 11.7 points as a sophomore, 7.9 points as a junior and 9.5 points as a senior, shooting an impressive 46 percent from the field as senior, mostly from long range. No assist statistics were kept in those days, but by all accounts he was one of the leaders in the MAC. Pawlak helped the Rockets finish in second place in the MAC in both his junior and senior seasons, and led UT to victories over some big names in college basketball at the time: Loyola of Chicago, Duquesne, Dayton, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Utah State, Detroit, Xavier and Villanova. A fine overall athlete, Pawlak also lettered in baseball in 1960. After graduation, he was drafted by the Cleveland Pipers of the ABA, and eventually ended up playing alongside the Harlem Globetrotters for two seasons with the opponent team, the Washington Generals. His love for sports spilled over into the running world as he competed in 13 marathons, including the Boston Marathon three times. He coached high school basketball for 25 years, served seven years as an athletic director at Start High School in Toledo and retired in 2006 after 38 years of teaching.
