LOUIS “BO” MALLARD

Coach Louis “Bo” Mallard is perhaps most widely acknowledged for his success in basketball, but he also steered winning programs in football, cross-country, and track and field during his 38 years as head coach of Gary Roosevelt ‘Panthers’ teams. Mallard was the first coach in Gary’s history to win a state high school basketball championship, and he is the only Indiana coach to win state championships in 3 different sports: track in 1951, 1952, and 1954; cross-country in 1962; and basketball in 1968.

As a high school student at Gary Froebel, Mallard was a 3-sport standout earning 9 letters in football, track, and basketball. He was All-City in basketball, and a member of the track team that secured two state championships and one national title.

Western Michigan University recruited Mallard where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree and played football and co-captained the ‘Broncos’ track team for one year. In track and field, he won the state collegiate high jump title and established varsity and stadium records in both the shot put and high jump.

As a coach, Mallard was committed to the optimum development of his students, and he set a standard of excellence for all of his teams. For his legendary contributions, Mallard was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1977; and Western Michigan University’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 1979. Louis “Bo” Mallard embodied the spirit of Gary, his hometown; he embraced his community; and he proudly shared the ‘Panthers’ spirit with all.