From the February 23, 2012 edition of The Wayne Herald:
Doane College honors Wakefield native
On Saturday, one of Doane's coaching icons posthumously received the ultimate honor: his name on his home court.
Legendary Doane Tigers basketball coach Bob Erickson's signature now adorns the college's new basketball court, a tribute to the legacy of a man who shaped thousands of Doane
athletes. With his family on hand, Doane College dedicated the court and displayed Erickson's signature at halftime of Saturday's men's basketball game against Dordt College.
Erickson's signature will be permanently added to the floor over the summer.
Erickson, a Wakefield native who passed away in 2009, was both a star athlete and coaching legend at Doane.
As head men's basketball coach from 1962-1998, he amassed a 589-483 record, 11th all-time for wins in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. His teams poasted 27
winning seasons. In his career, Erickson produced 10 NAIA All-Americans, was named State College Coach-of-the-Year by the Lincoln Journal-Star and Omaha World-Herald and was cited for the National Asociation of Basketball Coaches Honors Award and its Merit Award for Distinguished Coaching.
Many former players and coaching peers shared memories of Erickson after his death at age 79, remembering a coach who helped athletes develop as both players and people. They
respected his intensity, his presence and the way he inspired them. They also traded memories about his one-of-a-kind competitive drive and the way he would challenge a referee call.
Referees toasted Erickson in 1996 with a one-time Bent Chair Award. The following year, he was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame.
Erickson served as Doane's athletic director from 1972-98 in addition to his coaching duties. During his tenure, he added women's athletic programs, introduced soccer programs and hired three coaches - Gene Steinmeyer (women's basketball), Fran Schwenk (football), and Cindy Meyer (volleyball) - who became the winningest coaches in their sports at Doane.
