2017 SAC Hall of Fame Class (left -right): Bob Dibble (Tusculum golf coach), Becca Pizzi (Mars Hill cross country), John Bowman (Wingate football), Aubrey Mosley (Newberry golf/volleyball), Leonard Weaver (Carson-Newman football)
Posted: Jun 02, 2017
GREENVILLE, S.C. --- Tusculum golf coach Bob Dibble was inducted to the South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame in ceremonies held Thursday night at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Greenville, South Carolina.
Dibble, who served as the golf coach at Tusculum for the last 28 years, retired earlier this week, ending one of the most decorated and successful coaching tenures at Tennessee's most historic college.
He becomes the sixth Tusculum representative to be selected for induction to the SAC Hall of Fame, joining fellow Pioneers: Ed Hoffmeyer (Inducted in 2008 – Athletic Director), Lesley Murray Hawk (Inducted 2009 – Tennis, Basketball), Ricardo Colclough (Inducted in 2010 – Football), Alan Dunn (Inducted 2014 – Football) and Amanda Musick-Hale (Inducted in 2015 – Cross Country).
"We are so very proud of Coach Dibble for earning this prestigious honor," said Tusculum athletic director Doug Jones. "Bob has been and will forever be associated with Tusculum College golf. For 28 years, he has been a coach, mentor, counselor, colleague and friend for so many since his arrival on our campus in 1989."
The Peoria, Illinois native completed his 28th year with the men's program and his 20th guiding the fortunes of the women's team. His teams captured a combined eight conference titles and two region championships during his tenure. He guided the TC men's squad to five consecutive national tournament appearances from 1993-1997. His 2012 women's team earned a berth to the NCAA Division II Tournament, while the men's squad won the 2015 SAC Championship to earn the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Since his arrival on the Greeneville, Tennessee campus in 1989, Dibble coached the men and women's teams to 65 tournament titles (44 men, 21 women). This past season, the Tusculum women captured three tournament trophies, while the men also accounted for three tournament titles.
He has been honored by his peers as conference coach of the year on nine occasions, including the 2011-12 campaign as he was named the South Atlantic Conference Women's Golf Coach of the Year for a second time. He earned the inaugural SAC Coach of the Year accolade during the 1999-2000 season.
During his career at Tusculum, he coached five All-Americans, nine conference players of the year, six All-Region standouts, 56 All-Conference performers, six Academic All-Americans®, nine SAC Scholar Athletes of the Year, 11 CoSIDA Academic All-District selections and 57 All-American Scholars.
In 1978, Dibble and his family made the move to Tennessee where he served as the head golf professional at Link Hills Country Club in Greeneville, a position he would serve with distinction until stepping down in 2000. He would move his full coaching operation to the Tusculum campus later that year.
In 2014, he was inducted to the Tusculum College Sports Hall of Fame. He was also named the 2015 recipient of the Tennessee PGA Distinguished Career Award. The Distinguished Career Award recognizes current or former Tennessee PGA Section members who have had outstanding careers as PGA Professionals based on service to his or her club, course or employer, service and leadership to the Association, community service, professional playing record and teaching ability. The Distinguished Career Award acknowledges these Tennessee PGA Professionals as vital and significant contributors to the game of golf.
In 2007, his SAC coaching peers established the "Bob Dibble Spirit of the Game" Award, which recognizes the SAC women's golf student-athlete that demonstrates a genuine love of the game, outstanding character, leadership and places team before self.
He coached eight players who qualified for NCAA Division II region play, including three-time All-Conference standout Rachel McFarland who advanced to the 2003 NCAA II National Championship where she finished 16th individually.
He turned pro in 1957 and became a Professional Golf Association member in 1964. Dibble also squeezed in a stint serving in the United States Marine Corps. He served as Midwest PGA President from 1971-73 while living in Missouri and was a club pro in Florida as well. A veteran of the PGA Winter Tour, Dibble qualified for the PGA National Club Pro Championship on three occasions.
Junior golf has been Dibble's passion during his career. He built one of the state's strongest youth programs at Link Hills. Dibble was honored on four occasions with the Tennessee PGA Junior Golf Leader of the Year Award. In 1982, he won the Tennessee PGA Horton Smith Award for his contributions to the game of golf.
In 1998, Dibble was elected to serve as President of the NAIA Golf Coaches Association by his peers. He has served as a rules official at the NCAA II Women's National Championship twice and also served on the NCAA II Women's South Region selection committee.
Dibble has been married to his wife Cindy for 58 years and the couple have three children: Sandy, Tim and Chris. His son, Chris, is the head golf professional at Holston Hills Country Club in Knoxville. The Dibbles are also the proud grandparents of nine grandchildren. Cindy was a fixture with the Tusculum golf programs as well, traveling on many trips with the team and served as an official scorer at TC's home tournaments.
