Former Cajuns’ Basketball Coach Enters South Florida Hall of Fame
Former Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball coach Bobby Paschal, who led the Cajuns to five postseason tournaments, is being inducted tonight into the University of South Florida athletic Hall of Fame.
Paschal was the head man at then-USL from 1978-86 and won 153 games, while losing just 85. The Cajuns played in the NCAA tournament in 1982 and 1983. His 1982 team stunned college basketball by beating top-ranked Georgetown in the first round of the Great Alaskan Shootout en route to wins over Washington State and Marquette what clinched the tournament title. His 1983 team was selected as an at-large team after playing the season as an independent.
Paschal's 1979-80 team garnered the schools first NIT bid and made it to the quarterfinals.
Paschal was hired at South Florida beginning in the 1986-87 season and promptly left his mark on the Bulls' program. USF made four postseason appearances under Paschal, including their first two appearances in the NCAA tournament (1990. 1992). After retiring from coaching in 1996, he continued to serve USF in atlhetic administration and was instrumental in getting college football to Tampa.
He is the winningest basketball coach in USF history and is only the second coach to be named to the USF Hall of Fame.
(Information from the USF Sports Department and the UL Athletic Network contributed to this story.)