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St. Olaf honors Gelle with court dedication

By Mike Ludwig '03
January 16, 2007

Longtime St. Olaf men's basketball coach and hall of famer Bob Gelle was honored on Jan. 13 when the basketball floor at Skoglund Center was dedicated and named "Bob Gelle Court" prior to the Oles' men's and women's doubleheader against Carleton College. More than 50 St. Olaf men's basketball alums attended the ceremony prior to the men's game.

Bob Gelle Court dedication
Bob Gelle, the winningest men's basketball coach in St. Olaf's history, is greeting by applause during the dedication ceremony of "Bob Gelle Court."


Following the dedication, the Ole men, capitalizing on a 15-3 run to end the first half, handed Carleton a 16-point loss, the largest winning margin for St. Olaf against their rivals across the river since March 2, 1982.

Gelle is the winningest men's basketball coach in school history. He compiled a 275-237 record in his 22-year tenure from 1957 through 1979 and 1980-81. His teams captured four Midwest Conference championships: 1964-65, 1968-69, 1970-71 and 1971-72. Gelle also served as assistant coach for the college's football and track and field teams until 1973.

In 1972 Gelle was named athletic director and remained in that capacity until 1989. Under his direction, the department added 15 programs, including 12 women's sports. In 1989 and 1990 he served as the lead fundraiser in the $3.5 million Athletes for Vision campaign that funded the construction of Tom Porter Hall and the Manitou Track and Field facility.

Gelle, a University of Minnesota basketball standout, was the first non-St. Olaf graduate inducted to the St. Olaf Athletic Hall of Fame.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.