Dr. Robert L. Metcalf

Friend of University High School Award

Dr. Robert Metcalf graduated with distinction as an honor student from Valparaiso University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education and triple majors in chemistry, history, and mathematics.  He was inducted into the Valparaiso University Athletic Hall of Fame and as a team member to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.  Valparaiso has been identified as “a college that encourages character development.”  At least in Metcalf’s case, that certainly seems to be true.

Metcalf is a high caliber individual who has given tremendously to University High School.  He first joined the school in 1961 as director of athletics and assistant professor of health and physical education.  He retired from the directorship a professor in 1982.  During his tenure, Metcalf’s coaching accomplishments include taking the boy’s basketball team to the Sweet 16 four times and under his leadership the 1971 team was inducted into the Illinois Coaches Association (ICA) Basketball Hall of Fame.  Metcalf himself is also a member of the ICA Basketball Hall of Fame and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association (NHSACA) Hall of Fame.  He ended 18 years of coaching the boy’s basketball team with a 254-168 record.  Eleven years after retirement, Metcalf came back to U-High and served as a consultant to the boy’s basketball team for 14 years.

While Metcalf was the boy’s head golf coach, the Pioneers took 26 championships, held second place in the State twice and won the State Championship once.  He was named ICA Golf Coach of the Year twice and named NHSACA District Golf Coach of the Year.  Metcalf also was inducted into the ICA Golf Hall of Fame, making him the first coach in the State to be in both basketball and golf ICA Hall of Fames.  In addition to his involvement with boy’s basketball and golf, Metcalf started the boy’s cross country and the girl’s golf programs at U-High.  He served as head coach for both programs two and three years, respectively.  He also served as the girl’s assistant basketball coach for eight years after he retired. 

Since his retirement, Metcalf has been very active teaching and coaching basketball around the world.  With over 11 trips to China, Metcalf has lived in the country the equivalent of more than three years.  He has taught over 1,000 Chinese coaches in both national and provincial workshops.  He has coached seven national-leveled Chinese – the first American coach in China to do so.  His high school team won the Chinese National Championship in 1987.  He trained two college teams to Chinese national championships in 1993 and 1994.  Metcalf has also coached national and professional teams in Mongolia, Indonesia, Sudan, and Hong Kong.  He has written extensively on basketball and shooting fundamentals.

In 1985, Metcalf co-founded the Drug Enforcement Agency/National High School Coaches Association Drug Prevention Seminar.  He revises the materials for the Association annually and is still their seminar director.  He is also founder, chairperson, and co-organizer of the ICA/Bloomington-Normal Shrine Club annual high school all-star football game, which in its first ten years raised over $200,000 for Shriner Hospitals.

In recognition of his local, national, and international impact on basketball, Metcalf has received the NHSACA’s National Distinguished Service Award, The NHSACA’s Dwight T. Keith Award, the NHSACA’s National Citation Award, and the Illinois Coaches Basketball Association’s Buzzy O’Connor Outstanding Service Award.

In acknowledgment of his selfless efforts, Dr. Robert Metcalf is truly a friend of University High School!