Convocation Speaker Bob Vigars Honorary Degree Recipient Friday, June 14, 2024, 3:00 p.m.
further championed inclusivity by coaching both men’s and women’s teams together, a pioneering move in Western’s sports history. Vigars was a vocal advocate for cross country, track and field, and women’s sports. His efforts led to the formation of Western’s women’s cross-country team and the official recognition of women’s cross country by Canadian Interuniversity Sport in 1980. In addition to his coaching duties, Vigars excelled as an educator, teaching kinesiology, and chairing the undergraduate program. He balanced his academic responsibilities with coaching, consistently earning accolades for his teaching prowess. Beyond academia, Vigars contributed significantly to community service, directing coaching clinics across North America, and founding several prominent athletic associations. His achievements include establishing the Canadian University Track and Field Championships in 1981. With 28 publications to his name, including textbooks and sports journal articles, Vigars has also made a significant impact in scholarship and research. In the community, he played a pivotal role in fundraising efforts, chairing the Labatt 24-Hour Relay for 12 years and helping raise $5.8 million for London hospitals. His outstanding contributions have been recognized through inductions into various halls of fame, including the Western Men’s Athletics Hall of Fame, Western’s Women’s Athletic Alumnae Hall of Fame, the London Sports Hall of Fame, and Athletics Ontario Hall of Fame. In 2019, he received Western’s Lifetime Achievement Award, cementing his legacy as a true icon of Canadian athletics.
Bob Vigars, a Western legend, has left an indelible mark on Canadian athletics. Over his remarkable 46- year tenure at Western University, Vigars garnered more Canadian championships for the Mustangs than any coach in any sport in Western’s history. His dedication to enhancing athletes’ skills, promoting Mustangs teams, and fostering sports at Western has earned him widespread respect. Throughout his illustrious career, Vigars led teams to an impressive total of 14 national championships and 28 Ontario Universities Conference Championships. Originally from St. Thomas, Ontario, Vigars earned his Bachelor of Science from Southern Illinois University in 1967 and his Master of Arts from California State University, Los Angeles in 1968. He began his career at Western in 1968 as head coach of the men’s cross-country team and men’s track and field team, roles he fulfilled for 46 years and 31 years, respectively. Innovative and forward-thinking, Vigars established Western’s first intercollegiate gymnastics teams for both women and men during his early years. He
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