Robert E. Stewart (2015) - Hall of Fame - Troy University Athletics

Robert E. Stewart

Induction:
2015

Efficient, captivating, and encouraging are all words that students and faculty alike have used to describe Robert Earl Stewart. During his 17-year stint as Troy’s director of athletics, he used those qualities, among others, to create a dynamic athletic department, which superseded all expectations.

“Two things that really stood out about Robert Earl Stewart were his work ethic and discipline,” said Troy Hall of Fame basketball coach Don Maestri. “Back when I came here and he hired me there was no director of facilities, or academics, or any of the sort; he did the work of at least five people in one. After the football game, he’d be the last one there to lock up at night, then he would do all the financial and compliance work. When we started to hire different people, all I could think to myself was, ‘One guy used to do all of this, and that was Robert Earl Stewart.’”

The road to becoming Troy’s athletics director for Stewart was a different road than most athletics directors have taken. He came to Troy in 1974 from Ole Miss to teach and head the new finance major in Troy’s school of business. However, after discussing the need for an athletics director that was not the head football coach, then-chancellor, and fellow Troy University Sports Hall of Fame member, Dr. Ralph Adams offered Stewart the opportunity to be the interim athletics director, for a year.

Stewart turned him down, because he was still attempting to finish up his doctorate. After turning Dr. Adams down two more times, Stewart finally gave way after many discussions, and accepted the one-year position, which he stayed with for an additional 16 years.

Despite the multitude of challenges that lay ahead, Stewart took the job and embraced them all.

From 1974 to 1991, Stewart spearheaded the Troy athletics program, which won 10 Division II national championship titles. Under the leadership of Stewart, the football team won two national titles, the baseball team tallied two national championships, the men’s golf and women’s golf teams each won three national titles, and the men’s basketball squad made an appearance in the final four.

The Trojans also accumulated 66 conference championships and eight All-Sports trophies during Stewart’s tenure.

Much of this success can be attributed to the people Stewart associated himself with. Stewart was responsible for the hiring of Troy Hall of Fame coaches Larry Blakeney, Don Maestri, Chase Riddle, Chan Gailey and Rick Rhoades.

“He was always fair and he never played favorites,” said Maestri. “If I messed up on an expense report, I got called in or got a memo. He was a memo man. An Ole Miss graduate of business, he made sure all his T’s were crossed and all of his I’s were dotted. You didn’t want to be off 10 miles on your expense report, because you would get a phone call.

“One day, you’d be called in for being 10 miles over, and the next day after a big loss, he would be in there making sure you were feeling better,” Maestri said. “He is a great business teacher, and he was an outstanding athletics director.”

Nowadays, you can find the ever-efficient and supportive Stewart on campus, where he has taken his talents back to teaching finance. If you’re up for the challenge, he currently has a perfect 5.0 rating on RateMyProfessor.com, with a perfect rating in both helpfulness and clarity.