Charlie Schmaus

Last updated

Charlie Schmaus
Biographical details
Born (1944-04-29) April 29, 1944 (age 80)
Ford City, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Playing career
1963–1966 VMI
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1972–1976 VMI (asst.)
1976–1982VMI
Head coaching record
Overall75–90
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
SoCon regular season championship (1977)
SoCon tournament championship (1977)
NCAA Sweet Sixteen (1977)

Charles F. Schmaus (born April 29, 1944) is an American retired college basketball coach and player. After a three-sport career at the Virginia Military Institute, Schmaus was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) in the fourth round of the 1966 NBA draft. Following a brief stint in the Air Force, Schmaus returned to VMI for six years as head basketball coach in which he most famously led the 1976–77 team to a 26–4 season which included a Southern Conference regular season and tournament championship as well as a trip to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. [1]

Contents

Early life

Schmaus was born on April 29, 1944, in Ford City, Pennsylvania, to his parents Charles and Hedwig. Schmaus picked up basketball at an early age, and first played for his middle school in the sixth grade. [2] By his junior year in high school he was playing on the school's varsity team, and in his senior year, Schmaus led the team to a WPIAL finals appearance and was named the MVP of the section. [2]

Coming out of high school, Schmaus was recruited by many colleges, including Maryland, William & Mary, Florida State, and most Pennsylvania schools. Ultimately, Schmaus chose VMI, and in his sophomore season he was part of the 1963–64 team that won the Southern Conference tournament, captained by former VMI head coach Bill Blair. He led the team in scoring in 1965 and 1966 and is currently in the top twenty on the school's all-time scoring list. [1] Schmaus graduated in 1966 with a degree in biology after returning for a fifth year to complete two courses, at which time he earned a football scholarship as a wide receiver. [2] He also played on the school's baseball team.

After graduation, Schmaus joined the Air Force in hopes of becoming a pilot. [3] His plans did not work out, though he did stay to play basketball for the Air Force and traveled around the world.

Schmaus was drafted as the 36th pick in the fourth round in the 1966 NBA draft by the Cincinnati Royals, but he never played in an NBA game. [4]

Coaching career

Schmaus' first and only coaching job came with his alma mater at VMI. He was originally hired as an assistant coach to Bill Blair in 1972. The team had two losing seasons in 1973 and 1974 but showed significant progress with a 13–13 record the following year. In 1976, Blair led the Keydets to their second NCAA tournament appearance in school history which culminated in an Elite Eight berth. [1] VMI slipped through the Southern Conference tournament and went on to defeat Tennessee and DePaul in the NCAA's before falling to Rutgers.

Blair left following the season and went on to coach the NBA's New Jersey Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves. Schmaus then took over the head coaching reins, and continued VMI's success with a 26–4 campaign and another SoCon regular-season and tournament title. At the core of the team were forwards Ron Carter and Will Bynum, who led the team in scoring, with Carter averaging over 20 points per game. [5] Dave Montgomery, the starting center, was among the top players in the nation in field goal percentage, having shot 65% the year before. VMI earned its first AP Poll ranking, finishing the year at number 20. [6] The team's 26 wins are still the most in school history.

The next season, VMI went 21–7, and 7–3 in the SoCon, but lost some of the firepower they had from the past two years. They were eliminated in the tournament semifinals. The program then took a downhill turn, as Schmaus failed to have a winning season the final four years of his tenure as coach, culminating in a 1–25 campaign in 1981–82, after which he was dismissed by the school. [7] Schmaus' career record at VMI is 75–90, which at the time was a program record for most wins by any Keydet head coach.

He never coached again and became a realtor. [8]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
VMI Keydets (Southern Conference)(1976–1982)
1976–77VMI 26–48–2T–1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1977–78VMI 21–77–32nd
1978–79VMI 12–152–88th
1979–80VMI 11–166–10T–6th
1980–81VMI 4–233–138th
1981–82VMI 1–251–159th
VMI:75–9027–51
Total:75–90

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

[1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameron Hall (arena)</span> Arena in Lexington, Virginia, US

Cameron Hall is a 5,029–seat multi-purpose arena in Lexington, Virginia. It was built in 1981 and is home to the Virginia Military Institute Keydets basketball team. Although mainly used for basketball, the arena also holds VMI's commencement every May, as well as other large-scale events. It was named after brothers Bruce and Daniel Cameron, VMI Class of 1938 and 1942, respectively.

William Henry Blair Jr. is an American retired basketball coach and player. Blair attended the Virginia Military Institute for college basketball. As team captain of the Keydets, he helped lead the team to their first Southern Conference championship in 1964, which saw them attend their first ever NCAA Tournament. He was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in 1964 but did not play. He became a coach in 1967 and was hired by VMI to serve on their staff in 1970 and became their head coach in 1972. After three middling seasons, he led them to a conference championship in 1976 that saw then go to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. He left for the University of Colorado after the season ended. He coached five seasons before he was fired.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duggar Baucom</span> American basketball player-coach

Robert Franklin "Duggar" Baucom is an American college basketball coach, most recently the head men's basketball coach at The Citadel. Baucom was hired as the Citadel's head coach following the 2014–15 season. He was previously the head coach at Virginia Military Institute. He's also served a coach at Tusculum, Davidson, Western Carolina and Northwestern State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Washington Revolutionaries men's basketball</span> George Washington Universitys NCAA mens basketball team

The George Washington Revolutionaries men's basketball team represents George Washington University in Washington, D.C. It plays its home games in the Charles E. Smith Center, an indoor arena that is also shared with other George Washington Revolutionaries athletic programs. The school's team currently competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The former name of the team, the George Washington Colonials, was changed in May 2023 to the current name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VMI Keydets football</span> Football program representing the Virginia Military Institute

The VMI Keydets football team represents the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia. The Keydets compete in the Southern Conference of the NCAA Division I FCS, and are coached by Danny Rocco, named head coach on December 3, 2022. VMI plays their home contests at 10,000-seat Alumni Memorial Field, as they have since 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reggie Williams (basketball, born 1986)</span> American basketball player

Reginald Leon Williams II is an American former professional basketball player who played seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for five teams. He played college basketball for the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) where he is the school's all-time leading scorer and led the country in scoring twice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VMI Keydets basketball</span> Mens basketball team representing Virginia Military Institute

The VMI Keydets basketball team represents the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, in the sport of men's college basketball. They compete in the Southern Conference of the NCAA Division I. They have played their home games in Cameron Hall since 1981. VMI has played basketball since 1908, and had played in the Southern Conference (SoCon) until 2003, when they moved to the Big South. VMI rejoined the SoCon on July 1, 2014. They are coached by Andrew Wilson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VMI Keydets</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Virginia Military Institute

The VMI Keydets are the athletic teams that represent the Virginia Military Institute. All sports participate in the NCAA Division I, and all but three compete in the Southern Conference (the exceptions being men's and women's swimming and diving in the America East Conference, and women's water polo in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. VMI fields teams in sixteen different sports, ten for men and six for women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Finwood</span> American baseball coach

Chris Finwood is an American baseball coach and former shortstop, who is the current head baseball coach of the Old Dominion Monarchs. He played college baseball at the Virginia Military Institute for coaches Donny White and Paul Maini from 1985 to 1988. He then served as the head coach of the VMI Keydets (1992–1994) and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (2006–2011). Finwood has coached 61 players who were selected in the MLB Players Draft including 3 major leaguers.

Wesley "Bart" Bellairs is an American former college basketball coach and college athletics administrator. He worked at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) for fourteen years, including 11 season head coach of VMI Keydets basketball team, from 1994 to 2005. After three years of serving as the school's senior associate athletic director, Bellairs was the athletic director at Savannah State University from 2008 to 2009 and Southeastern Louisiana University from 2009 to 2013. He also coached baseball and cross country.

Martin P. "Marty" Fletcher is an American retired college basketball coach. Coaching for over twenty seasons from the early 1980s to 2004, Fletcher led three different Division I schools while winning two conference regular season and tournament championships while collecting over 250 total wins. During the 2003–04 season, Fletcher was the only coach in Division I or Division II to be the head coach for a school's men's and women's teams. That year, he took over the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) men's team for one season while also spending his third year in charge of the women's team.

Louis F. "Weenie" Miller was an American college basketball coach, athletic director, and sportcaster. Born in Richmond, Virginia, Miller endured a nine-year head coaching career with Hampden–Sydney College, Washington & Lee University, and, most notably, the Virginia Military Institute, where he led the Keydets to the school's first NCAA tournament appearance in 1964.

Joseph Cantafio is an American retired college basketball coach. Cantafio spent a total of eleven seasons as a head coach, with the Virginia Military Institute (1986–1994) and Furman University (1994–1997). A graduate of the University of Scranton, Cantafio is vice president of The Blewitt Foundation, an organization that supports military families, as well as an assistant director at the Center for Sports Leadershipfor for Virginia Commonwealth University. He is also a member of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.

The 1977 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament took place from February 26–March 2, 1977. The quarterfinal round was hosted at campus sites, while the semifinals and finals were hosted at the Roanoke Civic Center in Roanoke, Virginia. The VMI Keydets, led by head coach Charlie Schmaus, won their third Southern Conference title and received the automatic berth to the 1977 NCAA tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015–16 VMI Keydets basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2015–16 VMI Keydets basketball team represented Virginia Military Institute in the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Keydets were led by first-year head coach Dan Earl and played their home games out of Cameron Hall, their home since 1981. Earl replaced Duggar Baucom, who departed for military rival The Citadel in March 2015. The Keydets played as a member of the Southern Conference for the second consecutive year, having been in the Big South Conference from 2003 to 2014. Prior to that, VMI was a member of the SoCon for nearly eighty years. They finished the season 9–21, 4–14 in SoCon play to finish in a tie for eighth place. They lost in the first round of the SoCon tournament to Samford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 VMI Keydets basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2017–18 VMI Keydets basketball team represented the Virginia Military Institute in the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Keydets were led by third-year head coach Dan Earl and played their home games out of Cameron Hall in Lexington, Virginia, their home since 1981, as members of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 9–21, 4–14 in SoCon play to finish in ninth place. They lost in the first round of the SoCon tournament to The Citadel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 VMI Keydets basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2018–19 VMI Keydets basketball team represented the Virginia Military Institute in the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Keydets were led by fourth-year head coach Dan Earl and played their home games out of Cameron Hall in Lexington, Virginia, their home since 1981, as members of the Southern Conference. The Keydets finished the season 11–21, 4–14 in SoCon play to finish in a three-way tie for eighth place. As the No. 8 seed in the SoCon tournament, they defeated Western Carolina in the first round before losing to top-seeded Wofford in the quarterfinals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 VMI Keydets basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2021–22 VMI Keydets basketball team represented the Virginia Military Institute in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Keydets, led by seventh-year head coach Dan Earl, played their home games in Cameron Hall in Lexington, Virginia as members of the Southern Conference. They finished the regular season 16–15, 9–9 in SoCon play to finish in a tie for fifth place. As the No. 5 seed in the SoCon tournament, they lost to Wofford in the quarterfinals. They accepted an invitation to play in the College Basketball Invitational tournament marking their first postseason tournament appearance since 2014. As a No. 8 seed, they lost to No. 9-seeded UNC Wilmington in the first round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022–23 VMI Keydets basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2022–23 VMI Keydets basketball team represented the Virginia Military Institute in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Keydets, led by first-year head coach Andrew Wilson, played their home games in Cameron Hall in Lexington, Virginia, as members of the Southern Conference.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "2013–14 VMI Basketball Fact Book" (PDF). VMIKeydets.com. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Dailey, Steve (February 25, 1977). "Charles Schmaus: A Star is Reborn" (PDF). The Cadet . Lexington, Virginia: Virginia Military Institute. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  3. ↑ Stoda, Greg (May 27, 1976). "Charles Schmaus: Making Bricks out of Straw". Wilmington Morning Star . Wilmington, North Carolina. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  4. ↑ "1966 NBA Draft - Basketball-Reference.com". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  5. ↑ Hannon, Kent (February 14, 1977). "Winning is the order of the day". Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Charlie Schmaus Coaching Record - College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Sports People; Florida State Inquiry". New York Times. February 4, 1982.
  8. ↑ "Charlie Schmaus, CENTURY 21 Real Estate Agent in North Myrtle Beach, SC".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.