A 1967 NAIA second-team All-America second baseman for the Bison baseball team, Bob Banfield played four years, compiling a career batting average of .379 which is tied for 15th all time.

His 1967 batting average of .428, which led his team, ranks 13th in season records. He also led the Bison in hitting in 1967 and in 1969 (.363).  His 102 career bases on balls ranks fifth in the record book.

He was a leader on the 1966 Bison team which won the Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference title and advanced to NAIA regional play.

A Tulsa Central High School graduate, Banfield also played two years on the Bison basketball team, seeing significant action on the 1967 national runner-up team.

After his graduation, Banfield earned a master's degree at Creighton University where he was a graduate assistant basketball coach. He served as head baseball coach and assistant basketball coach at Idaho Southern College from 1971-74 and as head basketball coach at Arizona Western College from 1974-78.

Banfield returned to OBU as head men's basketball coach in 1978 and over the next seven seasons compiled a record of 124-102. His teams were 76-34 at home. He was 1984 Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year as his Bison won the SAC championship. His 1982 team was NAIA District 9 runner-up.

After OBU Banfield coached at Shawnee, Stroud and Sand Springs High Schools.