Bob Amsberry enters his 20th year as head women’s basketball coach at Wartburg College in 2025-26 and has established one of the strongest programs in the country.
The Knights have advanced to the NCAA tournament for nine consecutive years, including the only three trips to the NCAA Final 4 in program history in 2016, 2018 and 2024. As well as an Elite 8 appearance in 2019 and a Sweet 16 appearance in 2023.
The 2017-18 team recorded the first undefeated regular season in program history. The Knights were ranked as high as No. 2 in both the WBCA and D3hoops.com polls, which is the highest ranking in program history. The team posted a school-record 31 consecutive victories to start the year before falling in the Final Four and finishing the season 31-1. Amsberry was awarded the prestigious Pat Summit Trophy that year, as he was named the 2017-18 US Marine Corps/WBCA Division III National Coach of the Year. He was also a finalist for the award in 2016, 2019 and 2024. In addition, he has been awarded the Iowa Basketball Coaches’ Association Paul Maske Memorial Coach of the Year four times.
Prior to Wartburg, Amsberry resurrected the Rockford College women’s basketball program. In the midst of a national record 70-game losing streak when he was named head coach in 1997, the Regents posted one of the best turnarounds in NCAA history and an NCAA tournament bid in just his fourth season. Over the course of his nine-year tenure as head coach, the Regents won the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference regular season and tournament titles three times and were awarded four bids to the Division III NCAA tournament. He earned four NIIC Coach of the Year honors and was also named Illinois Basketball Coaches’ Association Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2006.
Amsberry started his coaching career as an assistant at NCAA Division III MacMurray College in Illinois, where he spent five seasons and helped lead the team to two conference titles and its first ever NCAA tournament appearance.
A native of Dunlap, Iowa, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1990 from Buena Vista University and his Master of Science degree in Physical Education from Western Illinois University in 1996.
Amsberry and his wife, Erin, are the parents of two children, Joseph and Paige and have three grandchildren, William, Sophia and Violet.
Under Amsberry
Conference MVPs: 7
All-Conference: 52
All-Region: 17
All-Americans: WBCA (2); D3hoops.com (3)
Coaching Awards/Honors
- United States Marine Corps/WBCA National Coach of the Year – 2018
- Finalist United States Marine Corps/WBCA National Coach of the Year – 2016, 2019, 2020, 2024
- Iowa Conference/American Rivers Conference Coach of the Year – 2017, 2018, 2020, 2023, 2024, 2025
- Iowa Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year – 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
- Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference Coach of the Year – 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006
- Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year – 2003, 2006
- All-time leader in wins at Rockford College
- All-time leader in wins at Wartburg College
- Head Coach for USA Sports Tours Division III Select Team (Brazil) – 2017
- Reached 500 career wins in Division III on Dec. 7, 2024 vs Central College
- 518 career wins ranks tied for 21st among active Division III head coaches (following the 2024-25 season)
Amsberry Year-By-Year
| Year |
Institution |
Overall Record |
Conference Record/Finish |
Post-Season |
| 1997-98 |
Rockford College |
0-25 [.000] |
0-10 [.000] 6th [NIIC] |
|
| 1998-99 |
Rockford College |
6-19 [.240] |
2-8 [.250] T-5th [NIIC] |
|
| 1999-00 |
Rockford College |
18-8 [.692] |
8-2 [.800] 2nd [NIIC] |
|
| 2000-01 |
Rockford College |
17-9 [.653] |
8-4 [.667] 2nd [NIIC] |
NCAA First Round |
| 2001-02 |
Rockford College |
14-11 [.560] |
6-6 [.500] 4th [NIIC] |
|
| 2002-03 |
Rockford College |
17-12 [.586] |
8-4 [.667] 2nd [NIIC] |
NCAA First Round |
| 2003-04 |
Rockford College |
16-10 [.615] |
10-2 [.833] 1st [NIIC] |
|
| 2004-05 |
Rockford College |
22-6 [.786] |
10-2 [.833] 1st [NIIC] |
NCAA First Round |
| 2005-06 |
Rockford College |
21-7 [.750] |
9-3 [.750] 1st [NIIC] |
NCAA First Round |
| Totals at Rockford |
9 Seasons |
131-107 [.550] |
61-41 [.598] |
3 conference titles / 4 NCAAs |
| 2006-07 |
Wartburg College |
13-13 [.500] |
8-8 [.500] 5th [IIAC] |
|
| 2007-08 |
Wartburg College |
13-11 [.542] |
6-10 [.375] 7th [IIAC] |
|
| 2008-09 |
Wartburg College |
16-11 [.593] |
10-6 [.625] T-2nd [IIAC] |
|
| 2009-10 |
Wartburg College |
18-8 [.692] |
12-4 [.750] 3rd [IIAC] |
|
| 2010-11 |
Wartburg College |
21-5 [.808] |
12-4 [.750] 3rd [IIAC] |
|
| 2011-12 |
Wartburg College |
18-9 [.667] |
10-6 [.635] T-3rd [IIAC] |
|
| 2012-13 |
Wartburg College |
16-10 [.615] |
9-5 [.643] 2nd [IIAC] |
|
| 2013-14 |
Wartburg College |
12-15 [.444] |
5-9 [.357] T-5th [IIAC] |
|
| 2014-15 |
Wartburg College |
17-11 [.607] |
6-8 [.429] T-5th [IIAC] |
|
| 2015-16 |
Wartburg College |
23-8 [.742] |
9-5 [.643] 3rd [IIAC] |
NCAA Final 4 |
| 2016-17 |
Wartburg College |
25-3 [.893] |
15-1 [.938] 1st [IIAC] |
NCAA First Round |
| 2017-18 |
Wartburg College |
31-1 [.969] |
16-0 [1.000] 1st [IIAC] |
NCAA Final 4 |
| 2018-19 |
Wartburg College |
27-4 [.871] |
15-1 [.938] 1st [A-R-C] |
NCAA Elite 8 |
| 2019-20 |
Wartburg College |
25-4 [.862] |
14-2 [.875] 1st [A-R-C] |
NCAA Second Round |
| 2020-21 |
Wartburg College |
13-3 [.813] |
6-2 [.750] 2nd [A-R-C] |
(COVID - no post-season tournament) |
| 2021-22 |
Wartburg College |
21-6 [.778] |
13-3 [.813] 2nd [A-R-C] |
NCAA First Round |
| 2022-23 |
Wartburg College |
23-7 [.767] |
15-1 [.938] 1st [A-R-C] |
NCAA Sweet 16 |
| 2023-24 |
Wartburg College |
29-3 [.906] |
16-0 [1.000] 1st [A-R-C] |
NCAA Final 4 |
| 2024-25 |
Wartburg College |
26-3 [.897] |
16-0 [1.000] 1st [A-R-C] |
NCAA Second Round |
| Totals at Wartburg |
19 seasons |
387-135 [.741] |
202-75 [.729] |
7 conference titles, 9 NCAAs, 3 Final Fours |
| Career Totals |
28 seasons |
518-242 [.673] |
263-116 [.694] |
10 conference titles, 13 NCAAs, 3 Final Fours |
