Bob "Coach" Thalman, of Atlanta, died on Jan. 31, 2012. He was 89 years old. He is survived by Mary Thalman, his wife of 62 years, his brother William Thalman, sister Mary Jane Schuetz, his four children, Linda Norwood, Robert Thalman, Carolyn Laraway and Tommy Thalman, and 10 grandchildren.
Thalman was born on Nov. 5, 1922 in Wheeling, W. Va. He attended Central Catholic High School in 1940. He studied at Belmont Abbey Junior College in 1942, but after the start of World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was a sergeant for the Fifth Division of the Marines and fought in Iwo Jima, one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific campaign.
In honor of his service, he received the Presidential Unit Citation. After the war, he continued his education at the University of Richmond where he earned a bachelor's degree in economics in 1948.
For 46 years he was involved with sports, as a player, coach and administrator on the high school, college, university and professional level. He coached college football for 38 years. His football coaching career began in Richmond, Va. at Benedictine High School, where he coached for three years, followed by two years at Norview High School in Norfolk, Va.
His college coaching career started at Hampden-Sydney College, and he served as head coach and Athletic Director for four years, winning two Mason Dixon conference titles. In 1960, he joined the football staff at the University of North Carolina where he coached defense for seven years. He joined the staff at Georgia Tech in 1968 where he coached defense for four years. He then served as an assistant coach at Virginia Military Academy (VMI) for three years before being named head coach in 1971.
Over his 14 years as head coach at VMI he rebuilt what had been a losing football program into a competitive one that won two Southern Conference titles. He was known as an eternal optimist and preached and coached positive thinking. He helped his players understand the importance of believing in themselves and never giving up.
Thalman has received numerous awards throughout his coaching career, including: Hall of Fame honors from the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, Hampden-Sydney College, University of Richmond and the Virginia Military Institute. He also received Coach of the Year honors from the American Football Coaches Association, the Southern Conference and the State of Virginia. He received numerous civic and sports club awards from organizations across Virginia.
Thalman impacted hundreds of people throughout his life and will be missed as a loving husband, father, grandfather, coach and friend. A funeral mass was held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Interment will follow at Arlington Memorial Park. The family requests, instead of flowers, donations be made to the Robert J. Thalman Scholarship, Hampden-Sydney College, PO Box 637, Hampden-Sydney, VA, 23943 or the Alzheimer's Society of Atlanta, PO Box 550831, Atlanta, GA 30355.
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