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Mark Schmidt
With his blue collar work ethic now installed in the program,
third-year head coach Mark Schmidt will continue his revival of St.
Bonaventure basketball in 2009-10.
Schmidt took over the tradition-rich program on April 10, 2007,
becoming the 19th head coach in school history.
In just two short years, Schmidt and the Bonnies have re-energized
the Bona faithful and basketball-passionate Western New York
community.
In 2008-09, St. Bonaventure finished with a 15-15 overall record
– the program’s best mark in the last six years.
Included in that season was a program record seven consecutive road
wins to start the season and the program’s first trip back to
the Atlantic 10 Tournament since 2005. Team team’s seven true
road wins also tied the record set by the 2001-02 club.
Key to the quick turnaround in 2008-09 was the team’s
ability to buy into Schmidt’s emphasis on playing hard for 40
minutes. That philosophy paid big dividends, as the Bonnies
out-rebounded 22 of their 30 opponents en route to ranking in the
top five in the conference in all three major rebounding
statistics. Also a direct result of Schmidt’s style of play
was the team’s 70.8 points per game – the most by a
Bonaventure team since 2002-03.
During the 2008-09 season, freshman Andrew Nicholson was named the
A-10 Rookie of the Year and a Freshman All-American by
CollegeHoopsNet.com. Nicholson is the third player in
Schmidt’s eight-year head coaching career to win a conference
Rookie of the Year accolade. Junior Jonathan Hall also flourished
under Schmidt’s run-and-gun style, becoming the second player
in program history to lead the team in points, rebounds and assists
in the same season.
Additionally, Schmidt achieved a personal milestone of his own
midway through the season, as he earned his 100th career win in the
team’s 78-65 win at Fordham in the A-10 opener.
Schmidt’s intense personality rubbed off on everyone
involved with the program in his first season, as St. Bonaventure
was much more competitive in the ultra-talented A-10 Conference.
Disguised in the team’s 8-22 record were 10 losses by 10
points or less, including four by five points or less.
St. Bonaventure’s senior class of Zarryon Fereti, Michael
Lee and Tyler Relph flourished under just one season of
Schmidt’s guidance. All three posted career years on the
court and experienced success of the court by graduating in May.
Both Fereti and Lee worked their way into the professional ranks
overseas, while Relph finished as the NCAA leader in free throw
percentage.
Schmidt served as the head coach at Robert Morris for six seasons
prior to coming to St. Bonaventure. There, he inherited a program
that had managed just a 7-22 record in the season before his
arrival. Schmidt quickly turned things around, leading the
Colonials to the Northeast Conference Tournament semifinals in 2004
and 2006. During his six seasons at RMU, he had an overall record
of 82-90, including a 15-14 mark in 2005-06, the program's first
winning season since 2000. Schmidt turned the Colonials into a
year-in and year-out contender in the conference, posting a 58-52
mark in league play highlighted by four seasons of 10 or more
league wins.
Schmidt coached six NEC All-Conference players at RMU, along with
three All-Rookie team selections and one Conference Rookie of the
Year in Jeremy Chappell in 2006. Over the last two seasons, Schmidt
has seen his former recruits Tony Lee and Chappell garner
back-to-back NEC Player of the Year accolades.
Prior to Robert Morris, Schmidt spent seven seasons as an
assistant coach at Xavier University under head coach Skip Prosser.
Schmidt served as the program's top recruiter, landing future NBA
players Torraye Braggs (Houston Rockets), Lionel Chalmers
(Minnesota Timberwolves), James Posey (Miami Heat), Romain Sato
(San Antonio Spurs) and David West (New Orleans/Oklahoma City
Hornets). With most of his coaching responsibilities centered
around the post players, Schmidt helped develop West into a
three-time Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and the National Player
of the Year in 2003.
During his stay in Cincinnati, Ohio, Schmidt helped lead the
Musketeers to four NCAA Tournament appearances and the National
Invitational Tournament (NIT) twice. Xavier claimed its first-ever
Atlantic 10 West Division title in 1996-97 and both the West
Division and tournament championships in 1997-98. In 1997, Xavier
defeated Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and
finished the season with the school's highest Associated Press
ranking at No. 13. The Musketeers made it to the NIT Final Four at
Madison Square Garden in 1999, finishing third, the school's best
finish since 1958.
Schmidt served as an assistant under Prosser at Loyola College
during the 1993-94 season. He helped guide the Greyhounds to the
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament title and the
school's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
From 1991-93, Schmidt was an assistant at Penn State University
under Bruce Parkhill. The Nittany Lions went 21-8 in 1992 and
appeared in the NIT. Schmidt's coaching career began with a
two-year stint as an assistant at St. Michael's College in
Vermont.
Schmidt played four seasons at Boston College, where he received
his bachelor's degree in business administration and management
with a concentration in marketing. In his freshman season under
head coach Tom Davis, the Eagles went 22-10 and made the NCAA Elite
Eight. Schmidt played his final three years under the guidance of
head coach Gary Williams. Boston College advanced to the NIT in
1984 and the NCAA Sweet Sixteen the other two years.
A native of North Attleboro, Mass., Schmidt and his wife Anita
have three sons, Nicholas (14), Derek (12) and Michael (9).
PLAYING CAREER
1977-81 Bishop Feehan
• Second all-time leading scorer (1,450 points)
• Member of Bishop Feehan Hall of Fame
1981-85 Boston College
• NCAA Tournament (1982, 1983, 1985)
• National Invitation Tournament (1984)
• Elite Eight (1982)
• Sweet Sixteen (1983, 1985)
• Played for Gary Williams (1983-85)
COACHING CAREER
1989-91 Assistant Coach, St. Michael’s College
1991-93 Assistant Coach, Penn State
• National Invitational Tournament (1992)
1993-94 Assistant Coach, Loyola (Md.) College
• NCAA Tournament (1994)
1994-01 Assistant Coach, Xavier University
• NCAA Tournament (1995, 1997, 1998, 2000)
• National Invitational Tournament (1999, 2000)
• Atlantic 10 West Championship (1997, 1998)
• Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship (1998)
• Midwestern Collegiate Conference Championship (1995)
2001-07 Head Coach, Robert Morris University
2007- Head Coach, St. Bonaventure University
