Bob Montana did not have a great basketball playing career, but then he got into coaching. Things were a bit different.

He was a sometime player at Notre Dame High School, and then a member of Herkimer County Community College’s first team, and he played intramurals at Brockport State.

And then he became a coach, a very successful one, culminating in a long career at Union College, where he led the Garnet Chargers to 248 wins, the second most in team history, and numerous post-season appearances. He was inducted into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.

“You go about doing your job and enjoying your experience,” he told Will Springstead of the Schenectady Gazette after learning of being elected to the Greater Utica Sports Hall of Fame. “And this isn’t anything one person does. It’s because of getting great kids who are really good people who commit themselves to the concept of the team.”

After graduation from Brockport, Bob spent two seasons as the junior high coach at New York Mills, and another two as the junior varsity coach at Whitesboro. He then joined fellow Greater Utica Sports Hall of Famer Tom Murphy at Hamilton College, helping direct the Continentals to a 58-19 record and two ECAC championships over three seasons.

“He had a major impact on our basketball program,” said Murphy, who won more than 600 games at Hamilton and turned the Continentals into a perennial small college power. “Bob worked at his craft as hard as any coach I have ever seen. He had the ability to get the most out of every individual on our team.

“When the time came for him to become a head coach at Union College, he took the challenge and had great success. He built relationships among the players on the teams he coached that will last a lifetime.”

Montana assisted Bill Scanlon at Union for 13 seasons, having a hand in many of Scanlon’s school-record 315 wins, then took over as head coach for 17 seasons. From 1998 through 2006, his teams won 137 games and appeared in the postseason every year, the most successful run in school history.

In all, 14 of his 17 teams played in either the ECAC or NCAA tournaments. His teams own three of Union’s six 20-win seasons all time, dating back to 1898, and won two Liberty League and two Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association championships. Many of his players earned high honors, including John Cagianello and Aaron Galletta, Union’s top two all-time scorers.

Fellow Notre Dame High graduate Pete Durr spent three seasons as an assistant under Montana. 

“He demanded perfection not only on the basketball court, but also emphasized the importance of academics and community service," said Durr. "His ability to communicate effectively with his players created strong relationships built on trust and respect, and his meticulous attention to detail was evident in every practice plan and in-depth scouting preparation.” 

Among Montana’s many honors were two Coach and Coaching Staff of the Year awards from the UCAA, and another Coach of the Year Award from the Liberty League. He also coached two Josten National Trophy finalists.

Bob, who coached the Capital District Open Men’s basketball team in the Empire State Games for five years, sent 11 of his former players on to coaching careers. He also was instrumental in securing a $3.5-million donation to help build Union’s basketball arena.