Bobby Paschal (2023) - Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame

Bobby Paschal

Induction:
2023

Second winningest coach in UL men’s basketball history percentage-wise, with a 153-85 record and a .643 winning percentage behind only Hall of Famer Beryl Shipley (.699) … Ranks fourth in total victories with those 153 wins … Led the Cajuns to five postseason appearances during an eight-year career as head coach, which followed four years as an assistant to Jim Hatfield when the two were the main cogs in the rebuilding of a program shut down for two years by NCAA sanctions … Led then-USL to the NIT Final Four in New York in the 1883-84 season before losing to Notre Dame in the NIT semifinals … Cajuns made two other NIT appearances during his career and won a first-round game in all three seasons, reaching the NIT quarterfinals in 1980 and the second round in 1985 … Led the Cajuns to two NCAA Tournament appearances, winning the Southland Conference title in 1982 in USL’s last year in that league to earn an NCAA berth before losing to Tennessee in Indianapolis, Ind., in the first round, and earning an NCAA berth as an independent one year later, falling to Rutgers in Hartford, Conn., in the first round … Was ranked in the top 30 nationally in career winning percentage when he left USL after the 1985-86 season to take the head job at South Florida … Won more than 20 games four times in his eight years including three straight seasons – 21-9 in 1979-80, 24-8 in 1981-82, 22-7 in 1982-83 and 23-10 in 1983-84 … Never had a losing season with the Cajuns … Made a splash nationally to start the 1982-83 season when a sophomore-laden team beat No. 1 ranked Georgetown (and Patrick Ewing), Washington State and Marquette in winning the Great Alaska Shootout … Also won the Sugar Bowl title in 1984 with wins over Florida and Kansas in New Orleans … After UL career, led South Florida to two NCAA and two NIT appearances along with a Sun Belt Conference title … Named to USF’s Hall of Fame in 2013 … Native of Enterprise, Ala.