Today we’d like to introduce you to Bob Cantu.
Hi Bob, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My family moved to Paso Robles in 1980 from LA. I went to st rose school, and Paso HS before Cuesta college, cal poly and Chapman University.
Played 3 years of varsity basketball at Paso High then began coaching in 1993. Coached from junior hs to USC head coach in 2013.
Google Bob Cantu basketball for details.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The struggles in the beginning was a try to break into college coaching, and when I finally did trying to earn an income I took about seven years of making minimal money until I first got my full-time coaching paid position at Sacramento State in the year 2000
From there, I was a sex state a little under two years before my huge break in which I was now a full-time paid coach/operations coordinator at Usc in 2002. For the next 12 years, I worked up myself from being bottom of the barrel to learning all different types of positions on the coaching staff to recruiting coordinator, assistant coach associate Head Coach and then Head Coach in 2013 for the Usc men’s basketball program. After proving myself as a Head Coach, I had opportunities to try to become a Head Coach other locations as well as Usc and unfortunately was runner-up total for six jobs over the next 3 to 4 years span. During that time, I then went from Usc to the university of Texas El Paso otherwise known as UTEP and Coach there for three years then after there I left and went to the University of Portland in Oregon and Coach for another three seasons before stopping coaching right around Covid. During my time at Usc, I was able to coach or recruit 14 NBA players along with working for four former NBA head coaches in Henry Bibby, Tim Floyd, Kevin O’neill, and Terry Porter. What an amazing experience it was to hear about different ways of doing things and what the NBA was like and stories of colleges and their backgrounds, and how these coaches all got their starts the bottom line was everybody started somewhere and had to find their way to get to where they were today.
We’ve been impressed with Marv’s pizza and sports bar, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I purchased Marvs Pizza in downtown Paso Robles where I grew up and had been in existence since 1991. I chose to go into the restaurant industry with zero experience but utilize my local knowledge of the area in my contacts through basketball to open up Marvs pizza in downtown Paso Robles after 18 months of success I open Bob Cantu Pizza And Sports Bar in San Luis Obispo, which then continue to have success for a little over two years unfortunately at the end of June June 30, 2026 I felt in my heart that it was time for me to no longer be in the restaurant business and try to return back to basketball
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can work with me by working at my 30th annual basketball cans for boys and girls which I started in 1997. I’ve had many many successful coaches who started at my camp. They’re now coaching at the highest levels whether it be NBA college high school and anything below.
I have a book that’s gonna be released in the next six months that will tell my entire life story and how my family came here from Mexico legally, and became American citizens and took advantage of the American dream and how that foundation showed me what it was all about in regards to creating a work ethic and a belief system of organization and detail like no other
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Cantucamps.com
- Instagram: Bobcantu22
- Facebook: Bob Cantu
- LinkedIn: Bob cantu
- Twitter: Coachbobcantu
- Youtube: Bob Cantu basketball
- Yelp: Marv’s pizza and sports bar
- Other: Google Bob Cantu basketball
