Robert C. Flynn It isn’t often that one Hall of Famer succeeds another. But that’s the situation at Bates College where Bob Flynn takes over as head baseball coach for William J. “Chick” Leahey (Hall, 1982) who retired this year after 35 years as head coach of the Bobcats.
A Career .400 hitter, Flynn was a member of the 1951 state championship team at Lewiston High School. He played for the Auburn Asas in 1950-51, batting over .300.
Signed to a professional contract, he was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 1952 and in 1955-57 after his Career was interrupted by military service during the Korean War.
Flynn’s professional tenure included service in the Carolina league, Northwest League and Western Association. In his final season, Flynn batted .319.
Because of his professional experience, Flynn was not eligible for college competition when he enrolled at the University of Maine.
He was an undergraduate assistant to Jack Butterfield (Hall, 1980).
Flynn graduated from Maine in 1960.
He then began his coaching career. Flynn taught and coached at Thornton Academy 1961-62 and Lewiston High School 1962-65.
Each of his teams had winning records.
Flynn joined the staff at Bates College in 1965 as an assistant football coach. He was appointed assistant to Leahey in 1973. He is also assistant coach and offensive coordinator in football. Until 1990, Flynn was head coach of skiing.
Among Bates skiers under his direction was Nancy Ingersoll Fiddler, an All-American at Bates who competed in the 1988 Winter Olympics.
One of the twin cities’ most outstanding athletes, Flynn was named to the Auburn-Lewiston Sports Hall of Fame in 1988. During the summer Flynn serves as director of Camp Susan Curtis in East Stoneham, operated by the Susan L. Curtis Foundation to provide a Camping experience for underprivileged children from Maine.
Flynn is a former chairman and secretary-rules editor of the NCAA Ski Rules Committee and former vice president of the U.S.
Intercollegiate Ski Coaches Association.
From Bates Archives
"Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates, he played minor league baseball from 1952 to 1957, missing the 1953 and 1954 seasons to serve in the U.S. Army in Korea. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine in 1960 and taught public school in Lewiston and Auburn before joining the Bates coaching staff."
From Dignity Memorial
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/auburn-me/robert-bob-flynn-7032951
"Bob embodied the essence of Bates College Athletics and had a meaningful and profound influence on the people and student athletes that he worked with. In addition to his career at Bates College, Bob served as the director of Camp Susan Curtis for 17 years, where he positively impacted the lives of thousands of underprivileged Maine children. He also coached Auburn Suburban baseball and especially enjoyed working with the Little League All-Star teams.Bob received many accolades over the years. He was inducted into the Auburn Lewiston Sports Hall of Fame, Maine Baseball Hall of Fame, Maine Skiing Hall of Fame and Bates Scholar-Athlete Society. He was appointed Professor Emeritus of Physical Education at Bates College and Director Emeritus at Camp Susan Curtis. He received the Al Card Sportsmanship Award, Bates College Athletic Department Service Award, Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association Service Award, American Baseball Coaches Association Service Award and New England Intercollegiate Golf Association Award. "
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