Schmidt may take a ride on the coaching carousel
Mark Schmidt may be in the running for bigger coaching jobs elsewhere this spring.
Mark Schmidt could be in the mix again when coaching posts become vacant this spring.
Last year, he interviewed with his alma mater, Boston College. Following the NCAA tournament appearance in 2012, he was rumored to have met with Virginia Tech about its opening.
It’s more likely that Schmidt would make a smaller jump up if he happens to move this offseason (think Jim Baron to Rhode Island).
Buffalo News columnist Bucky Gleason, after Friday’s loss to Dayton, wrote this about Schmidt:
He has been in Olean for eight seasons, long enough to forget about the dreary days under Anthony Solomon, long enough for many to take Schmidt for granted. He’s a fantastic coach with a knack for developing raw players with potential. It seems a matter of time before a better school comes along and snatches him.
Schmidt’s contract at St. Bonaventure runs through the 2018-19 season. It was extended after the 2011-12 season. Another extension is in order.
Schmidt has a good thing going at St. Bonaventure and a good team coming back next year. My guess is he would only be interested in moving only if its a big move (say to the ACC or Big Ten).
What do you think? Post comments below.
Categories: Editorial
Mark Schmidt is extremely OVERRATED. He’s 204-211 coaching the Bonnies in the A10. No way he could coach an ACC or Big Ten team.
Eric, that is not his record at SBU. Since his first year, when he had a depleted roster, he is 116-101 with the Bonnies. In the four years before he was hired, the program was 24-88.
In other words, Schmidt has built the SBU program from the ground up. Nobody wanted this job when Schmnidt was hired. One of the leading candidates said taking the position was “career suicide.”
Year after year Schmidt’s teams overachieve in a conference where every other member has a bigger budget, better facilities and geographical advantages. Year after year, Schmidt’s teams are picked to finish near the bottom of the conference. Year after year they exceed expectations.
This season they were picked 10th. They lost their starting senior guard to injury/graduation and were without their starting point guard for the last nine games. Still, they finished seventh, won 18 games and were on the doorstep of another semifinal appearance in the tournament.
If anything, Schmidt is UNDERRATED.
You may be right that he may not be able to hack it in the ACC or Big Ten. But this much is certain: he is one of the better coaches in the Atlantic 10, which is a pretty damn good conference.
Was it two years ago Forbes rated Schmidt #1 in the country for getting the most bang for the buck in results for dollars spent. With “only” 18 wins this year, he still must be in the top five for best bang for the buck.
Here’s the link from Forbes after the 2012 season: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/fiei45idl/no-1-mark-schmidt-st-bonaventure-3/