After 26 years, golf Coach Bob Freudenthal says farewell to the Cyclones

Since 1990 there has been one constant in the Cyclones Athletics Department—Bob Freudenthal was head coach of the men’s golf team. And he led his squads to several championships and trips to nationals over the years. Now, he’s ready to golf on his own terms in retirement.

Freudenthal has been employed at Moraine Valley in one way or another for roughly 40 years. In addition to coaching, he taught psychology at the college from 1975 to 2005 when he retired from the classroom. In golf, he coached nine Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference championship teams and three into the national tournament, including this past season. He also had several individual golfers compete at nationals. He was named Skyway Conference Coach of the Year in 2015 and eight additional times. After his squad competed in May, he officially stepped down as head coach.

“It’s time. You just know when you feel you’ve done all you can and you want a little more free time to relax and play golf yourself. I have no regrets from coaching to teaching. I enjoyed everything,” he said. “I’ll miss being with the guys (but not the rides to matches) and miss being on the course. It’s like a second home.”

On that second home Freudenthal has seen an endless stream of talented golfers swing through. On every team coached there were quality players, and “they kept me excited all these years,” he said.

Some standout moments include all conference championships and trips to compete in the national tournament, especially the first team that did so in the 2008-09 season. The best team he had was the second group that competed at nationals (2011-12) and finished 12th. That season he had an All-American in Ryan Frederick and other top golfers Jeremy Fraser and Ricky Palonis. Their finish at nationals was the best for the Moraine Valley golf program, and that was without their No. 1 player and only four golfers. “To do as well as we did was a highlight. It was a bizarre year and very rewarding at the end,” he added.

Among the many golfers who qualified to compete at nationals with their team or individually, only three did so both years at Moraine Valley—Matt Contey (2014, 15), Jeremy Fraser (2011, 12) and Matt Lovelace (2009, 10). Lovelace is taking over the program this fall as the new head coach. “I feel the program is in good hands because Matt is a good guy and a good coach,” Freudenthal said.

Outside of Moraine Valley, Freudenthal has seen several of his former Cyclones succeed. Bob Schulz is the PGA director of golf at The Sanctuary Golf Course in New Lenox and Kurt Uniek is PGA player development manager at George W. Dunne National Golf Course in Oak Forest.

For all the success he’s helped bring to the program, Freudenthal will be missed. But so will his laid-back attitude and good-natured sense of humor.

“There’s minimum direction he needed. He did his job and did it well. He was a top instructor here, too, when he taught with his wife. He was a great coach and detail oriented; he provided efficient information from matches. He did an amazing job,” said Athletics director Bill Finn. “He’s leaving the program in a great place. Kids want to come here, and they’re top kids. With a new coach there will be a learning curve.”

In complete retirement, Freudenthal will be able to relax all year long as well as visit with his children and seven grandkids, travel with his wife and of course play golf. But he won’t forget his time with the Cyclones.

“I just love being on the golf course and being in the company of good golf and coaching good golf. It was challenging, exciting, enjoyable, and rewarding. I enjoyed just being around golf and the quality of golfers,” he said. “It’s hard to believe it’s come to an end, but all good things must come to an end.”