Bob Mizerek started his wrestling career under the legendary Mike Schibanoff at Bound Brook High School. With characteristic drive, energy, and enthusiasm he posted an unbeaten dual meet record. He was a runner-up in the 115-pound weight class at the State Tournament in 1956. After graduation, he attended Montclair State College, which had abandoned wrestling, and led the charge to resurrect the wrestling program. Initially, he started a wrestling club and then urged the administration to reinstate wrestling. With his boundless energy and positive attitude, he recruited student athletes to join him in wrestling at Montclair. At college he continued his mat successes remaining undefeated in club and varsity competition winning the Metropolitan Collegiate Championship three years.

His success as a college coach is even more dramatic. After graduating from Montclair State, he became the head wrestling coach at Rutgers-Newark, a position he held for twenty-one years. In his first year he lead a team that had not won a dual meet the previous year to a 3-4-1 season, ending a four year losing streak instilling in his wrestlers the will to win. In only his second year of coaching, the team recorded a 10-2 mark and won the Metropolitan Championship.

Mizerek coached for twenty-one years with only one losing season. His overall career record was 189-69 including four team championships and the accomplishment of coaching eight All Americans; this at a school that provides no wrestling scholarships. In recognition of his coaching excellence his peers twice selected him as Coach of the Year in the Metropolitan Conference. Mizerek also served as a wrestling official for 23 years working many of the most competitive high school matches as well as working all state tournament levels including the State finals.

In addition to his successes as a wrestling coach, Mizerek served as the Rutgers-Newark men’s tennis coach from 1962 through1999 and the women’s coach from1982 through 1999. His successes here are also indicative of the skills of an exceptional coach. The men had five undefeated seasons from 1984-88, the longest winning streak at Rutgers University for all sports (2005). They won three Central Atlantic Conference titles, four New Jersey Athletic Conference titles, and two National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Championships. The women were undefeated in 1982 and won two New Jersey State Championships competing against all Divisions. In total, Bob Mizerek holds the Rutgers University record for most wins in all sports.

His honors are many and include induction into the Montclair University Hall of Fame and the Rutgers-Newark Hall of Fame.