NEW CASTLE, Ind. - Former IUPUI head basketball coach and athletics director Bob Lovell was named to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame on Tuesday (Nov. 28) as the 57th men's induction class was announced. The group will be officially inducted on Mar. 21, 2018.
Lovell was honored with the Indiana Pacers Silver Medal Award, which includes Hall of Fame induction. He served as IUPUI's head coach from 1982-94, while also leading the department as athletics director. While on the IUPUI sidelines, he amassed 195 wins and trips to the NAIA National Tournament in 1985 and 1990. He had seven winning seasons and four seasons of 20 wins or more. His 1987-88 squad finished with a then program record 24 wins against just 12 losses.
As an administrator, he was instrumental in the program's growth to the current NCAA Division I status, while also helping create the IUPUI Hall of Fame and various outreach and philanthropic opportunities for student-athletes.
He was inducted into the IUPUI Hall of Fame in 1996 and later held post as senior associate commissioner in the Horizon League. He's the unmistakable voice of Network Indiana's Indiana Sports Talk, championing high school sports on the statewide show for more than 20 years.
"Your first reaction is No. 1, you're stunned. You don't believe it," Lovell said of learning of his induction. "The big emotion for me is just gratitude for being selected. I think everyone wants to be liked and everyone wants to be acknowledged for the things they do and I'm like that.
"It was great to be able to share (it) with my wife and daughter."
Lovell has been honored as The Broadcaster of the Year by the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters (1999), the IBCA Media Service Award (2001), the IFCA News Media Award (2002), the IHSAA Distinguished Media Award (2003) and in 2011 was inducted into the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame.
He is a part-time instructor at IUPUI in the School of Physical Education & Tourism Management and continues to serve as analyst on Jaguars' basketball broadcasts.
The full group of inductees is listed below:
Name, High School (Graduation)
Steve Brett, Loogootee (1967)
Harold Cox, Kokomo (1954)
Marty Echelbarger, Muncie Central (1963)
Rod Freeman, Anderson (1969)
Bill Greve, Waveland (1955)
John Heaton, Bloomfield (1958)
Jimmie Howell, Lapel (1972)
Larry Parks*, Arlington (1958)
Carl Short, Indianapolis Manual (1956)
Earl Smith, Jr., Gary Roosevelt (1952)
John Wellemeyer, Huntingburg (1967)
David "Poncho" Wright, Indianapolis John Marshall (1978)
Silver Medal
Bob Lovell, Plainfield (1969)
Centennial Award
Gene Thomas*, Fortville (1918)
* indicates deceased
