Bobbi Brown-VandenbergA girls’ coach for 38 years in Colorado and Wisconsin, Bobbi was the architect of one of the strongest girls’ basketball programs in Colorado.
Her BHS teams were 183-27, winning the 1984, 1986, 1989, 1990 and 1991 state titles. Her 1989 team went unbeaten and her 1992 team finished second. In 1985 The Panthers were a semifinalist.
She also took a leave of absence in the middle of her Boulder tenue to finish her graduate studies.
The Panthers also won seven Centennial League crowns and finished second once.
A former CU basketball player, Bobbi was also an assistant varsity football coach in 1990, coaching wide receivers and defensive backs. She coached at Fairview and Boulder from 1981 until 1992.
She had a double major in biology and biochemistry from the University of Colorado. She taught chemistry and biology at BHS.
During her time at Boulder, she coached with inductee Kent Smith, he the boys’ side, she the girls’ side. They became fast friends and rivals, each saying they learned from the other.
Her honors in Colorado girls’ basketball are numerous. Bobbi was coach of the year by The Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News and Boulder Daily Camera on five occasions.
She moved on to Wisconsin where she coached at Logan High School before taking over the NIIA Viterbo women’s team.
She has guided the V-Hawks to over 300 wins, and her teams have posted 20 wins on four occasions. She is also one of only four coaches in the NAIA with a least 300 career victories.
Bobbi’s 2000-01 team won 30 games, went unbeaten in conference and was ranked fourth in the nation entering the NAIA Division II National Tournament. Her 2004-05 team also made it to nationals.
