Eastern Washington University Athletics

A 1946 graduate of Eastern, Roffler was a point guard during three of the most successful basketball seasons in school history and later distinguished himself as a teacher and basketball official.  Eastern was 21-7 (1943-44), 27-5 (1944-45) and 31-4 (1945-46) in his three seasons, a collective record of 79-16 (.832 winning percentage). No NAIA Tournament was held in 1944 because of World War II, but Eastern appeared in the NAIA Tournament his final two seasons. Eastern lost in the first round in 1945, then in 1946 Eastern defeated Louisiana Tech (66-44) and Southeastern Oklahoma (45-37) to advance to the quarterfinals where the Savages were edged by Pepperdine (46-42). “Rabbit” earned All-Washington Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors as Eastern won the league title in 1946 with a 15-1 record. Eastern’s 1945-46 team was inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003, and “Rabbit” gave the acceptance speech. Roffler was also team captain in the 1945-46 season, and was a member of legendary head coach Red Reese's All-Time Team, representing the top 13 Eastern players he ever coached. Reported the Bellingham Herald: "Roffler is the swiftest thing we have seen on the court in years." The NAIA Tournament program called him a "dribbling and driving lay-in artist." Roffler went on to play professional basketball for the Springfield (Mo.) Squires and Tacoma Mountaineers before settling in Port Townsend, Wash., where he taught from 1948 until his retirement in 1979. He spent 25 years as a basketball official, working eight state tournaments and earning the Washington Officials Association Meritorious Service Award in 1975. He passed away on Aug. 14, 2014.