Bob Shoup

Robert F. Shoup (born February 24, 1932) is a retired American football coach and former player. He was the head coach at California Lutheran University from 1962 to 1989, compiling a career coaching record of 185–87–6. Shoup led Cal Lutheran to the NAIA Division II Football Championship in 1971. 186 of his players would later become coaches. He also helped to bring the Dallas Cowboys NFL team to the university. He was able to spend time around the team's players and coaches, including Tom Landry, and was able to pick up techniques for his team. Landry and Shoup also put together two major events each summer: a coaching clinic that drew as many as 500 people and a charity function known as the Christian Businessmen's Club Day. He was also the head coach for the college's golf program for ten years, 1976-1986.

Shoup coached the California Lutheran College football team from 1962-1989 where he achieved 184 wins and a .662 winning percentage. Out of his 28 seasons at CLC, Shoup had only seven losing seasons overall. In those 28 seasons, the team made the playoffs in 1971, 1975, 1977, 1979, and 1982. In 1971 he led the football team to the NAIA Division II National Championship defeating Westminster College 30-14. That year he was named NAIA Coach of the Year. During his time at the college, Shoup collected fourteen NAIA District III titles and his team was listed in the top ten as having the most wins over the last fifty years. He has been named the founding father of the football program at California Lutheran. When he retired from Cal Lutheran in 1989, Shoup had 186 wins, the most among California college football coaches.

Early life Shoup was a part of the football team at Marshall Fundamental Junior High School in Pasadena. He later attended John Muir High School in Pasadena, California, where he won fourteen athletic letters in sports such as baseball, tennis, football, and basketball. He received an Associate Arts degree from John Muir College, Pasadena, where he was elected student body president in 1952. He earned a bachelor's degree in physical education at UC Santa Barbara, where he also played football and led the team in total offense and to the 1955 CCAA Championship. He also played for the college's baseball team. He received a master's degree in physical education from University of Southern California in 1960. The football team at Torrance had been described as a “local laughing stock” before Shoup's arrival, and it had gone two years since they last won a game. Two years later, the team won the league title. Having built a winning team, Shoup set about the task of building a stadium for the high school. Shoup later explained: “The administration gave me the carte blanche to put together whatever I wanted,” and continued “that stadium had everything imaginable: nice locker rooms, training rooms, coaches’ offices, lights, press box, concession stands, you name it. And we sold it out every game.” The high school team only lost four games during the next three seasons. Shoup was also a coach of Torrance’s newly established tennis team. In 1957, Shoup was asked by the high school to move up to varsity. He accepted and soon won the first varsity game in the school’s history, against Redondo High School. Within a few years, Shoup had built a championship team at North High. When Shoup was hired at California Lutheran College in 1962, he brought many former high school players with him.

Cal Lutheran

Shoup was instrumental in helping to bring the Dallas Cowboys to CLC. In 1962, Shoup was informed by James Kallas, a former NFL player for the Chicago Bears, that the Regents at California Lutheran College had just approved a college football program. Kallas played a key role in helping to recruit Shoup as the college’s first football coach. Dr. Luther Schwich made the plans to form California Lutheran College's first football team in 1962 and selected Bob Shoup to begin the team. Shoup’s first assignment at CLC was to recruit and build a football team, develop a schedule, and secure new facilities. During the “Year of the Champions” in 1965, the team brought into fulfillment with an 8-1 record. The winning streak continued into 1966, nicknamed the “Year of the Victors”, with an 8-2 record. In 1967, the “Year of the Conquerors,” a 7-2 season, Gary Loyd emerged as the best punter in collegiate football and was named an NAIA All-American in 1968. That same year CLC also appeared for the first time in the national rankings, coming in ninth. The following year, 1969, nicknamed “Year of the Warriors,” Robbie Robison set an NAIA record with seventeen field goals, which moved the team up to seventh place in the national ratings. From an 8-1-1 record in 1970, the team moved into their greatest season the following year, when the team captured the national championship beating both Westminster College and Montana Tech in the playoffs. A celebration was held at the Hollywood Palladium in conjunction with the Dallas Cowboys, an NFL team that trained at CLC, who won the Super Bowl in January 1972. After winning the championship, coach Shoup was named NAIA Coach of the Year and Lutheran Coach of the Year. From the championship team, numerous players were drafted for professional football careers, including Brian Kelley who was drafted by the New York Giants and Sam Cvijanovich who played in the Canadian Football League. Another key player, Mike Sheppard, later became the head coach at California State University Long Beach. As of 1984, the CLU team was among the top small college teams in America, which makes Coach Robert Shoup one of the winningest coaches in the country. His son Rick Shoup helped his father coach the football team for six years as a volunteer and one year as a paid assistant. The 1982-83 season was one of the best seasons for Cal Lutheran's golf team. The college finished 17th in the national competition in Texas. During the next season, Shoup was able to send Greg Osbourne to compete in the national competition in Michigan, where he ultimately finished fourth. In 1984, Osbourne captured the NAIA District III individual championship, picked up All-America honors, and raised the bar for the program.

After winning the 1971 national title, Shoup considered changing jobs and interviewed for jobs at Idaho State, Cal State Fullerton, Pacific Lutheran University, and Montana, but ultimately decided to remain at Cal Lutheran.

Community work Shoup was also instrumental in the construction of the Ascension Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks, California and the Conejo Valley Recreation Department. He also helped purchase the Los Robles Golf Course in Thousand Oaks. He formed a committee to organize the Conejo Recreation and Park District. He also organized a Community Leaders Club. He has worked as a consultant for a group constructing a resort in Hawai'i. He has also chaired the Ascension Lutheran Church evangelism committee and its building committee. His wife, Helen, has worked for the financial aid office at California Lutheran University. Rick Shoup coached 15 years at Carlsbad High School. He was an assistant football coach at Rancho Buena Vista High School.

Head coaching record College football