At Tufts University, we know Bob Sheldon as the men's basketball coach. From November through February we see him pacing the sidelines, barking orders, and molding a group of young men into a team.
But the basketball season is only four months long, and some wonder what becomes of the man when the season's final buzzer sounds.
According to Sheldon, there is no off-season. In fact, much of his work occurs off the court in high school gymnasiums, his office at Cousen's gym, and at tournaments throughout the Fall and Summer months.
"Fall is a big recruiting time," Sheldon said. "There are AAU tournaments, and every weekend we have to go to something. Fall is an important time for picking up names and following them. In the Spring we wrap up recruiting and we get the recruits up here and go to see them in all-star games and spend a lot of time talking to them on the phone."
In addition to recruiting and coaching basketball, Sheldon teaches two golf classes each semester and serves as the coach of the golf team.
While it is undeniably a hectic life, Sheldon says he knew what he was getting into. One might even say he was born to coach.
"My dad was a coach and athletic director at St. Lawrence University so as a kid I was around coaching," Sheldon said. "I was a little gym rat. I played in high school and at St. Lawrence. [Sports] were a way of life."
At St. Lawrence, Sheldon majored in physical education because of his passion for athletics. Despite this affinity for sports, he said he realized he'd make a better coach than player.
"My physical education major led into coaching," Sheldon said. "I couldn't really play that well so I became a coach."
After graduating, Sheldon began his career as high school coach in the late 1970's. After six years, he moved up to the college ranks and worked as an assistant at Tufts from 1983 to 1985. From 1985-1988 Sheldon served as an assistant basketball coach and the director of physical education at Clark.
But in1988, he returned to Tufts, this time as the head men's basketball coach. "I came back and the rest you know as Tufts legend," he said.
Coaching in the NESCAC is especially difficult, Sheldon says, because coaches must maintain their school's academic image, and NESCAC institutions are not allowed offer athletic scholarships. After scouting a prospective Jumbo at a high school game, NESCAC coaches are not even allowed to approach the promising athlete.
"NESCAC is the hardest league to recruit," he said. "We are not allowed to do home visits. There is no [recruiting] budget and there are certain restrictions. I'll be at a game with some guy from Bucknell and after the game he will go talk the kid and I will go home. We like to think these restrictions are challenges."
While Sheldon jokes about the difficulty of being a NESCAC coach, there is no denying that he is at a competitive disadvantage when compared to his peers at Division III programs outside the NESCAC.
"First we have to identify kids who have the grades to get into Tufts," Sheldon said. "Then we make sure they are ball players, then we have to sell the school, and then we have to get parents to mortgage their house and send their kids here."
In spite of the disadvantages of coaching at a NESCAC school, Sheldon and his staff have historically managed to bring strong players to Tufts.
"Our motto is RDOD - recruit daily or die," Sheldon said. "We do mailings every week [to prospective players], call them, and see them play. I saw [freshman guard] Phil Barlow about 12 times his senior year."
For the man bred to coach, Division III athletics might not be his final stop, but for now, while he raises his young family, Tufts will remain his home court.
"DI and DII is a lot more time consuming. Recruiting is nationwide, and there are scholarships," Sheldon said. "I have some young kids and hopefully sometime I will move up. It will be nice to offer a scholarship and get it done. In DI they sign a letter and boom they are here."
