Hawthorn Retires After 54 Years at Fordham

"Heroes come and go, but legends never die."  This quote from the classic film, The Sandlot, rings true to the recent retirement of Fordham staple Robert Hawthorn.  Hawthorn, who has been working at Fordham University and Fordham Prep since the 1950s, announced this past summer that he would no longer be the men's tennis and squash coach.  Hawthorn, who had encountered a few minor health troubles this past spring has decided to close the door on a career that includes numerous accolades including having the Fordham tennis courts named in his honor, and an induction into the National Squash Hall of Fame.  Hawthorn certainly has achieved the status of "legend."

 Hawthorn began his career as Fordham's squash coach in 1956 after graduating from Fordham and starring on its tennis and squash teams.  His performance was so good, in fact, that in his time as a player Hawthorn earned Eastern Ranking prominence, and in 1977 he was inducted into the University's athletic Hall of Fame.

After taking over the squash reigns and then becoming the men's tennis coach two years later in 1958, Hawthorn showed just how successful he could be as he brought both teams out of the dust and into the spotlight in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).  In fact, Hawthorn led his tennis team to three straight conference titles from 1983-1985, making it a perennial conference powerhouse.  During these years, Hawthorn also won Fordham's "Iron Major" award twice, adding to one he had already earned in 1977.  The award is given to the University's top athletic coach each year, and in Hawthorn's 54 years of service, he was always a top candidate for the award.

In squash, Hawthorn consistently brought teams deep into the Collegiate Squash Association (CSA) playoffs.  Hawthorn's success did not go unnoticed, as there is now a division of the CSA playoffs called the Hawthorn Division.  You cannot have a discussion about collegiate squash pioneers without mentioning Hawthorn.

Despite being successful on the courts, Hawthorn did not always believe that success as a coach should be measured in wins and losses.  He knew that sometimes in order to be successful, his players had to forget about statistics, and just play ball.

"We may not have the prettiest record this season," Hawthorn said of his 2009 tennis squad.  "But that is not what matters to me.  What matters is that I show these boys how to improve their tennis, and to respect the game."

Hawthorn has always been a stickler for sportsmanship and gentlemanly order on the tennis and squash courts.  When asked last season about what they would remember the most about him, many of his players said sportsmanship.

"Coach Hawthorn always tells us that the most important thing is how you carry yourself on the court," senior Rob Evans said.  "That is something that I have learned from him, anyone can be a good player, but being a good person on the court is what really matters."

 Hawthorn has been coaching tennis and squash for over 50 years.  This means that if he coaches 10 men on each team then he coaches about 20 men per year.  This means that in his career he has coached over 750 different players, and you can bet that each one of them has learned a life lesson from the man they simply refer to as "Bob."

I can remember talking with Hawthorn last year as a freshman about the tennis matches.  Not only did he answer my questions, but he asked about me and my family, and invited me to take part in the tennis team's breakfast.  That's just the kind of guy Hawthorn is, and in his 50-plus years of service to Fordham he was able to help turn many boys into men.

Now that Hawthorn is gone, the tennis and squash teams are in for some changes.  The squash team, which in recent years has struggled to field a full team and find experienced players, now has brand-new courts on campus, which will be a major attraction for coaching candidates and incoming players.

The tennis team, which only graduated two seniors, is a young team made up mostly of sophomores.  This gives the incoming coaching staff (which has yet to be announced to the public) a team that will be around for a few years, and thus could go through some changes and rebuilding seasons.

Executive Athletic Director Frank McLaughlin may have said it best when he called Hawthorn a "Fordham treasure."  His players cherished him, and he is certainly someone that has touched many lives.  

With Hawthorn gone, things will be different for the squash and tennis teams and the entire University in general, but one thing is for sure, Hawthorn will always be a part of Fordham, because legends never die.