Coaching Football Successfully
Bob Reade was the head football coach at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL, from 1979 to 1995, where he won an incredible 87% of his games—the highest winning percentage of any college football coach at the time he retired, and second only to Knute Rockne on the all-time list.Reade's Augustana teams put together impressive strings of victories and championships, including 4 straight NCAA Division III national championships (1983-86), 10 straight NCAA Division III play-off appearances (1981-90), 8 straight conference titles (1981-1988), and a record-breaking 60 games in a row without a defeat (1983-1987). Reade's success on the field helped him earn distinction as National Coach of the Year four times and College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Coach of the Year seven times.Before coming to Augustana, Reade was head coach at J.D. Darnall High School in Geneseo, IL, where he built a similar football dynasty. In 17 years, he compiled a 146-21-4 record, which included a 52-game unbeaten streak and three straight Class 3A state championships. He was also named Illinois High School Coach of the Year four times.Reade retired from coaching in 1995. He lives in Geneseo, IL, where he enjoys spending time with his family and boating.