Bob Marcum Obituary
The Massachusetts Athletics Department became deeply saddened to announce the passing of Bob Marcum. Moreover, who served as the Director of Athletics from 1993 to 2002. He passed away on Tuesday, July 23, at the age of 87.
Is UMass a good school?
Is UMass Still A Party School?
During his tenure at the University of Massachusetts, Marcum led the athletic department through an era of remarkable success. Under his leadership, the men’s basketball team secured four Atlantic 10 Championships between 1993 and 1996 and made six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1993 to 1998 under the guidance of head coach John Calipari.
The university’s athletic achievements during Marcum’s directorship extended beyond basketball. In 1998, UMass won the NCAA I-AA Football title. The women’s basketball team earned its first two NCAA Tournament appearances in 1996 and 1998, while the softball team made back-to-back trips to the College World Series in 1997 and 1998. Overall, UMass athletics claimed 65 Atlantic 10 titles and participated in 70 NCAA Tournament events during Marcum’s decade-long service.
UMass also excelled academically under Marcum’s leadership, winning the Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Cup six times in eight years. He was named the NACDA Northeast Region I-AA Athletic Director of the Year in 1999. The university produced more Atlantic 10 all-academic selections than any other school in the conference over Marcum’s last seven years, leading the league in academic all-league picks six times.
Beyond UMass, Marcum held athletic director positions at Marshall University (2002-09), the University of South Carolina (1982-88), and the University of Kansas (1978-82). He began his career at Iowa State University in 1971 as associate athletic director before moving to Kansas. Additionally, he served as vice president and general manager of the Charlotte Motor Speedway (1988-90) and the Atlanta Motor Speedway (1990-93).
A native of Huntington, West Virginia, Marcum was inducted into the UMass Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.
University of Massachusetts Amherst
