Bob Nulf
Nulf pictured in The Boiling Pot 1947, Kalamazoo yearbook | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 14, 1906 |
| Died | June 30, 1985 (aged 79) Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1927 | Butler |
| Baseball | |
| 1928 | Butler |
| Positions | Halfback (football) Center fielder (baseball) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1929 | Norwich HS (NY) |
| 1930–1933 | Central HS (IN) (assistant) |
| 1934–1941 | North Side HS (IN) |
| 1942–1948 | Kalamazoo |
| 1949–1951 | North Side HS (IN) |
| Basketball | |
| 1929–1930 | Norwich HS (NY) |
| 1934–1942 | North Side HS (IN) |
| 1942–1943 | Kalamazoo |
| Baseball | |
| 1930 | Norwich HS (NY) |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1929–1940 | Norwich HS (NY) |
| 1942–1949 | Kalamazoo |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 18–10–4 (college football) 13–20 (college basketball) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Football 2 MIAA (1946–1947) | |
Robert W. Nulf (May 14, 1906 – June 30, 1985) was an American football, basketball, baseball, and track and field coach, athletics administrator, and educator. He served as the head football coach at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan for four seasons, from 1942 to 1948, compiling a record of 18–10–4. Kalamazoo did not field a football team from 1943 to 1945.
Nulf attended Central High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where lettered in football, basketball, and baseball, and track.[1] He played college football at Butler University as a halfback in 1927. The following year, he transferred to the University of Illinois.[2]
After graduating from Illinois, Nulf began his coaching career, in 1929, when he was hired as director of physical education and coach of football, basketball, and baseball at Norwich High School in Norwich, New York.[3] He resigned his post at Norwich after a year to return to Fort Wayne as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Central High School.[4] After four years at Central, Nulf was appointed head coach of football and basketball at Fort Wayne's North Side High School.[5] He remained at North Side for eight years, leading his football teams to a record of 54–9–6 and four city championships. His basketball teams tallied a mark of 119–47, won one city title outright, and shared two others. In 1942, Nulf was hired as the athletic director and head coach of football, basketball, and track at Kalamazoo College.[6] He led the Kalamazoo Hornets football program to consecutive shared Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) titles, in 1946 and 1947. Nulf resigned from Kalamazoo College in 1949 to return to North Side High School at football coach.[7]
Nulf retired from coach in 1952, when he went into sales with the Shakespeare Bait & Tackle Co. of Kalamazoo, for which he was a sale representative for 15 years in northern Ohio.[8] He died on June 30, 1985, at his home in Fort Wayne.[9]
Head coaching record
College football
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo Hornets (Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1942–1948) | |||||||||
| 1942 | Kalamazoo | 4–3 | 2–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1943 | No team—World War II | ||||||||
| 1944 | No team—World War II | ||||||||
| 1945 | No team—World War II | ||||||||
| 1946 | Kalamazoo | 6–2 | 4–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 1947 | Kalamazoo | 4–1–3 | 3–0–2 | T–1st | |||||
| 1948 | Kalamazoo | 4–4–1 | 3–1–1 | 2nd | |||||
| Kalamazoo: | 18–10–4 | 12–4–3 | |||||||
| Total: | 18–10–4 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
References
- ^ "Nulf, U. of Illinois Man, Will Succeed Anderson as Norwich High School Football Coach Next Fall". Binghamton Press. Binghamton, New York. April 10, 1929. p. 27. Retrieved December 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Bulldogs Hopes Receive Setback". The Indianapolis Star. Indianapolis, Indiana. September 9, 1928. p. 36. Retrieved December 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Robert Nulf to Coach at Norwich (N.Y.) High School". Indianapolis News. Indianapolis, Indiana. April 5, 1929. p. 8, part 3. Retrieved December 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Nulf Resigns as Director a Norwich". Binghamton Press. Binghamton, New York. April 2, 1930. p. 23. Retrieved December 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Bob Nulf Chosen To Coach At Ft. Wayne". Indianapolis Times. Indianapolis, Indiana. United Press. August 20, 1934. p. 11. Retrieved December 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Bob Nulf Gets College Post at Kalamazoo". Indianapolis News. Indianapolis, Indiana. Associated Press. May 6, 1942. p. 6, part 2. Retrieved December 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Kalamazoo Grid Mentor Resigns". The Ann Arbor News. Ann Arbor, Michigan. Associated Press. June 1, 1949. p. 17. Retrieved December 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Bob Nulf, Wayne North Side, Gives Up Coaching". The Terre Haute Tribune. Terre Haute, Indiana. Associated Press. April 12, 1952. p. 5. Retrieved December 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Service set for ex-athletic director". Kalamazoo Gazette. Kalamazoo, Michigan. July 3, 1985. p. B2. Retrieved December 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "NCAA Statistics; Coach; Bob Nulf". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ "Kalamazoo College Football Year-by-Year". Kalamazoo College. Retrieved December 22, 2025.