Bob Bottger Position: Manager of Physical Education and Athletics Institution: St. Louis Community College-Meramec

Bob Bottger enters his 19th year as Meramec's manager of physical education and athletics. He holds a bachelor's degree in physical education as well as master's degree in teaching and administration of health and physical education from Springfield College in Massachusetts. Bottger has coached swimming and taught at St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley and at Iowa State University. In 1977 while at Florissant Valley, he was named the National Junior College Athletic Association Men's Swimming Coach of the Year.

Before joining the Meramec staff, Bottger served as the athletic director at Indian River Community College in Fort Pierce, Fla. Bottger has served on the Executive Committee of National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). He is past president of National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) and a member of the Indian River Community College Hall of Fame.

Bottger was inducted into the NJCAA Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame in 1993 and the St. Lucie County (Fla.) Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. Bottger also was selected for inclusion in the fifth edition of Who's Who Among America's Teachers, 1998. Bottger was named the 1999 and 2005 NACDA Regional Athletic Director of the Year. He also has received NATYCAA's highest award, the L. William Miller Award, for athletic administration excellence. In 2007, he was honored at the NATYCAA 20th Anniversary Convention as one of the 10 Founding Fathers of the organization. In 2008, he was inducted into the NATYCAA Hall of Fame. At Meramec, Bottger received the 2008 Professional of the Year Award.

Bottger presently serves as the NJCAA Region XVI Men's Director.