Bob Amerman

Coach: Baseball – Football – Basketball

For the past 44 years, one name has been synonymous with Linden High School baseball
and that name is Bob Amerman. His legacy will forever be present on the baseball
diamond at Linden High for not only what he and his player accomplished there during
those 44 years but the impact he has made on the lives of those players. Coupled with his
44 years as an assistant Varsity football coach, Coach Amerman has not only taught two
generations of young men how to play these sports but also taught them many life lessons
that have stayed and will stay with these players their whole lives.

Bob grew up in Isleton, California and attended Rio Vista High School. He lettered in
football, basketball, baseball and track while at Rio Vista High where he played on 11
championship teams during that time. After graduating from high school, Bob joined the
Navy and spent two years on active duty. Following his time in the Navy, Bob came
back to the area and attended Stockton College (now Delta College) where he earned his
Associate Degree. He then attended the College of the Pacific and earned his Bachelors
Degree in Education and his Master Degree in Special Education. While at Pacific, Bob
played for the Tigers baseball team and following his senior season was awarded the
Spirit of Galen Laack Award annually given to the most outstanding senior player.

Bob’s teaching and coaching career began at Linden High School in the fall of 1964. It
was then that he began his 44 years as an Assistant Varsity Football Coach and Varsity
Baseball Coach. Bob also spent 3 years as coach the Freshman basketball team. During
his time as an assistant football coach, Bob coached for seven different head coaches and
was part of eight championship teams with another three teams qualifying for the CIF
playoffs. He also was part of the coaching staff five different times that coached the
North team in the annual Central Lions All-Star game. During those five all-star games,
the North won all five and Bob had the pleasure of coaching future professional players
Jeff Simmons, Webster Slaughter and Linden’s own, Brian Peets.

As you might imagine, Bob’s accomplishments as the Lions baseball coach show success
early and often. During those 44 years, Bob led the Lions to 612 victories, 16 league
championships, 22 second place finishes, and 2 CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Championships.
He has been selected the league coach of the year numerous times, N.C.O.A. Coach of
the Year in 1990, Stockton Record All-Area Coach of the Year 3 times (1980, 1997 &
2005) and was selected California Small Schools Coach of the Year in 2005. Since the
introduction of the CIF playoff system, Bob never had a team that did not qualify for the
playoffs. Bob’s 2005 team will go down in history as not only his only undefeated team
but, coupled with Mark Miller’s undefeated Varsity softball team that same season, it
marks the only time in California high school sports history that a high school’s baseball
and softball teams played their respective seasons undefeated.

The success of his baseball players beyond Linden High School is something for which
Bob is most proud. 33 of his players have gone on to compete in 4-year college programs
along with many more who went on to compete at the Junior College level. 10 of his

players over the years have been drafted by Major League baseball teams with 6 of them
signing contracts and playing professionally. He will be the first to deflect the credit
away from himself and turn it to the players but it is pretty hard to argue that over the
past 44 years, these players were taught and led by one of the finest high school baseball
coaches of his time.

During his spare time in the 60’s and 70’s, Bob found time to take his love of baseball
and use it to became one the areas top Open Division softball players. He was a member
of the 1968 ASA National Championship Team and was a North Pacific Regional
Softball Tournament All-Star three years in a row from 1969 to 1971. Bob’s softball
career culminated with his induction in the Stockton Softball Hall of Fame. In 2008, Bob
was inducted into the Stockton Athletic Hall of Fame for his play in baseball and softball
and his coaching accomplishments.

This past August, Bob and his wife of Rosalyn celebrated their 50 th wedding anniversary.
Bob and Rosalyn live in Stockton and have four grown children, Michelle, Cynthia, Jill
and Jason and eight grandchildren. The Linden Athletic Hall of Fame is proud and
honored to induct Bob Amerman into its Athletic Hall of Fame for his outstanding
coaching career at Linden High School.