CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M Athletics has announced that former West Texas State Head Baseball Coach Bob Sloan will be honored at Wilder Park with the "Coach Bob Sloan Alumni Pavilion", a project spearheaded by the program's alumni.
 
"This project is a culmination of years of dedication and determination from a group of WT alumni to honor Coach Sloan" said Associate Athletic Director for Development Casey Lish "What started as a vision by a select group of former players has become a reality, we are excited to honor Coach Sloan and add to an already incredible facility at Wilder Park."
 
Earlier this month, the Texas A&M University Board of Regents approved the naming rights to the pavilion. Construction is scheduled to begin following the completion of the 2020 Buffalo Baseball campaign, more information and a formal dedication date will be announced at a later date.
 
Sloan coached the Buffs from 1968-1972 while they were a member of the Division I Missouri Valley Conference. He compiled a 93-51 record and team finished third in the MVC tournament in 1972. Sloan played centerfield for Oklahoma State in the late 1950's, and then played three years in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization from 1960-62. Sloan was inducted into the WTAMU Hall of Champions back in 2007.
 
He coached at Guthrie (Oklahoma) High School from 1963-65, winning a State Championship in 1964. During his next two years at Goddard High in Roswell, New Mexico, Sloan's 1967 team reached the Class AA finals. After WT dropped the baseball program in 1972, Sloan scouted part-time for the Dodgers, Chicago White Sox and California Angels and he was a full-time scout with the Milwaukee Brewers from 1992-99.
 
Among his former WT players who signed professional baseball contracts were Lanny Phillips, who played in the Boston Red Sox organization for nine years and Kim Henderson, who was a part of the San Francisco Giants organization for three years. Sloan also served as Athletic Coordinator for the Canyon Independent School District and was also a teacher and principal at Canyon High School and the Ascension Academy. Sloan passed away at age 81 back in February of 2019.
 
Any former players of Coach Sloan that are interested in honoring his legacy please contact Casey Lish (clish@wtamu.edu / (806) 651-1401.)