The 2006-07 season will be the 21st season for Bob Battisti as Northwestern Oklahoma State University's head coach. During his 20 years as the head mentor, the Rangers have compiled a 352-253 record for a .582 winning percentage.

Since Battisti's first season in 1986, Northwestern has picked up six conference titles in two leagues and has been ranked in the NAIA's top 25 eight times. During his tenure, the Rangers have been to the NAIA Division I National Tournament four times. Battisti's finest season was that of 1993-94, when Northwestern posted a 29-2 overall record and finished ranked No. 2 in the final national poll.

His coaching efforts have been recognized on a national platform. In 1994, Battisti was selected as the NAIA Coach of the Year by Basketball Times. In addition, he has been named the conference coach of the year five times and District IX coach of the year twice. In 1997, Battisti was also selected as a court coach for the USA National Team Trials in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Last year, Battisti guided the Rangers to a 17-14 record that included a line up that started two freshman and a sophomore. As usual, the Rangers featured a stifling defense, allowing 60.9 points per game which ranked second in NAIA Division I. Northwestern was also ranked No. 7 in defensive field goal percentage (40.9). The Rangers allowed only two teams to score as many as 70 points against them last season while 13 were held to less than 60 points including a 52-35 victory against national tournament qualifier Oklahoma Christian University.

Before coming to Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Battisti served as an assistant at Bethany (Minn.) Lutheran College for three season, where he helped lead them to two conference titles. He earned his first head coaching position at Lakewood (Minn.) Community College where he left after three seasons to join the coaching staff at the University of Minnesota. Battisti spent two years in the Big Ten Conference on a staff that included current Detroit Piston head coach Flip Saunders.

Battisti, born in Warren, Mich., received his B.S. degree in 1981 from Minnesota State University-Mankato. He furthered his education with a M.Ed. in 1985 from the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis.

He and his wife Shelly have one son, Cooper, age 10.