Former Putnam City North boys basketball coach Bill Robertson has died.

Robertson died Friday (Jan. 30) at the age of 78 and his passing was announced Sunday (Feb. 1) by the Putnam City Athletics Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021.

Robertson led the Panthers for 23 years, compiling a 392-201 record at North. His teams qualified for the state tournament 14 times. The Panthers were also the state runner-up in 1987 and 2008 under Robertson.

“It’s a big loss for Putnam City schools and the entire basketball community,” Putnam City district athletic director Dick Balenseifen said via text. “Bill was an outstanding gentleman and a great basketball coach. He will be missed, but his memory will be in our minds forever.”

Balenseifen was at the helm at sister school Putnam City West from 1988-1996 and was on the other bench for many games versus the Panthers.

Robertson coached McDonald’s All-American Mike Maddox (who went on to play at Kansas), Sam Bradford (a Heisman Trophy winner at Oklahoma), NFL player Deji Karim and Mid-America Christian head basketball coach Josh Gamblin, who won an NAIA national title with the Evangels.

Putnam City North Athletic Director Ryan Wagner, who coached the Panthers from 2014-2023 said Robertson’s tenure at North laid the groundwork for later success as Wagner led the Panthers to the 6A state title in 2018.

“Bill established a strong foundation and championship culture coaching at North he was very supportive in my coaching career,” Wagner said via text. “I used that momentum he created to win our championships. Go Panthers!”

Before becoming a coach, the 6-foot-8 Robertson was a star at Northeast High School, earning All-Capital Conference honors as a senior. Later, he played for NAIA school Pasadena College (now Point Loma Nazarene), a school which also produced Jim Poteet, who later built the basketball program at then-Bethany Nazarene College (now Southern Nazarene).

Robertson made the regional all-star team in his senior season at Pasadena.

In 1971, Robertson was named the head basketball coach at Bethany. His Broncho teams went 23-40 over three seasons. He also coached baseball at Bethany.

Robertson moved to the Putnam City district for 11 years as an athletic director and vice principal at the junior high level. He was an assistant at North for four years before succeeding Kent Shellenberger for the Panthers’ top job in 1985.

After his retirement from North, Robertson and his wife Linda Tuma Robertson traveled to art show where her artwork was displayed.

“She’s been painting all her life and had a lot of success, but we hadn’t been able to travel to near as many of the shows as we would’ve liked while I was coaching,” Robertson told The Oklahoman’s Ryan Aber in 2010.

Robertson said the couple usually drove to these shows, rather than flying.

“”I don’t fit into planes very well,” Robertson said.

Robertson told Aber that he did miss aspects of coaching.

“I miss the practice and being around the kids and coaches. I don’t miss the stress I put on myself coaching for that long, though.”

Robertson was inducted into the Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2010.