Jim Schaus

Last updated
Jim Schaus
Current position
Title Commissioner
Conference Southern Conference
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1999–2008 Wichita State
2008–2019 Ohio
2019–2023 Southern Conference (Commissioner)

James Schaus is a retired sports administrator who most recently served as commissioner of the Southern Conference (SoCon). Before taking the SoCon position, he served as athletic director at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio and Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. [1]

Contents

Early years

Jim Schaus is originally from Morgantown, West Virginia. [2] In his later youth, after sixth grade, he grew up in West Lafayette, Indiana where he received his Bachelor's degree from Purdue University in 1983. [3] He earned a Master's degree in athletics administration from West Virginia University where he was named a distinguished alumnus. [4] [5]

Career

Prior to his long career in administrating college athletics Schaus worked in the NFL where he was first an intern with the New England Patriots and later as the director of marketing for the Washington Redskins. He also worked for the LPGA Tour as publicity assistant. [1] Before receiving an athletic director position he worked in the athletic departments at the University of Oregon, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Texas at El Paso and Northern Illinois University. [6] [7]

Wichita State

Schaus was athletic director for Wichita State from 1999 to 2008 during which he hired Gregg Marshall as the men's basketball coach. [8] Marshall would later lead the Shockers to the 2013 NCAA Final Four and a #1 seed in the 2014 NCAA tournament. [9] He was awarded the Division I Central Region AstroTurf AD of the Year in 2007. [10] During the 2007 season the Shockers won Missouri Valley Conference titles in women's cross country, and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, women's tennis and baseball. [4]

His coaching hires included Chris Lamb as volleyball coach, Tom McCurdy as women's golf coach, Steve Rainbolt as track and field coach, Mark Turgeon and Gregg Marshall for men's basketball, Jody Adams for women's basketball, and Tim Walton for softball. All of these hires guided Wichita State to NCAA tournaments. [11]

Ohio

From 2008 to 2019 he was the athletic director at Ohio. Under the leadership of Schaus and Head coach Frank Solich the Ohio football program was bowl eligible every season during his tenure. [12] Ohio played in 10 bowl games [13] and won the 2011 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, the 2012 Independence Bowl, the 2017 Bahamas Bowl, and the 2018 Frisco Bowl. [14] [15] [16] [17] Ohio won the MAC East division title in 2009, 2011, and 2016 but failed to win the MAC Championship Game each time. [18] [19] [20]

Ohio's 2010 men's basketball team defeated 12th ranked Georgetown in the first round of 2010 NCAA tournament. [21] In 2012 they won the MAC tournament and made the sweet sixteen in the NCAA tournament while defeating Big Ten regular season co-champion Michigan in the first round and South Florida in the second round. [22] [23] [24] Ohio finished 2012 ranked #25 in the Coaches Poll. [25]

Schaus hired Bob Boldon as the head coach of the women's basketball team in 2013. Under Boldon Ohio had one of the best stretches of success in program history. Ohio had winning seasons each of the final six years of Schaus' tenure at Ohio. They won the MAC East in 2015, 2016, and 2019. Ohio won the 2015 MAC tournament and qualified for the NCAA tournament. [26] [27] In 2019 Ohio won a school record 30 games. [28]

Ohio's volleyball team won seven MAC Championships while Schaus was AD and appeared in five NCAA Regionals. [29] The baseball and softball teams each won two MAC Championships. [30] Ohio's graduation rate for athletes during his tenure was 88%. [31] Schaus inherited a $2.3 million budget deficit upon arriving at Ohio but balanced the budget during every year of his tenure. [32]

In 2015 he began a term as one of the 10 members on the selection committee for the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. [33] In January 2017 the NCAA began looking to replace the Rating percentage index as the rating system used as the primary team sorting tool by the selection committee. [34] Schaus and Dan Gavitt, the NCAA's senior vice president of basketball, met with Jeff Sagarin, Kevin Pauga (KPI), Ken Pomeroy, and Ben Alamar (ESPN BPI) to begin the process of considering a new alternative. [35] The eventual result was the NET Rankings. [36]

Southern Conference

On July 1, 2019, Schaus was hired as Commissioner of the Southern Conference. [37] Southern Conference Basketball has performed at its highest level in decades both in terms of the quality of top teams and conference depth. [38] Schaus implemented a new scheduling model to enhance the chances of success for Southern Conference programs. [1] In 2019 the Southern Conference finished 10th in the NET rankings. [1] Wofford finished the season ranked #19 and defeated Seton Hall in the first round of the NCAA tournament. [39] UNC Greensboro and Furman both qualified for the NIT [40]

During the COVID-19 pandemic he announced that 2020 Spring Conference sports were cancelled [41] and before the 2020-21 FCS Football Season, like most FCS conferences, the Southern Conference would play in the spring. [42] The Southern Conference was the only FCS conference to have all teams compete during that season. [43]

In February 2023, Schaus announced his retirement effective June 30. Michael Cross, a veteran college sports administrator who had most recently served with the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, was named as his successor. [44]

Personal life

He is the son of former Los Angeles Lakers, Purdue and West Virginia head coach Fred Schaus. [45] He and his wife Priscilla have three adult children. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-American Conference</span> U.S. college sports conference

The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I collegiate athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members located in Illinois, Indiana, and New York. For football, the MAC participates in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Schaus</span> American basketball player and coach, college athletics administrator (1925–2010)

Frederick Appleton Schaus was an American basketball player, head coach and athletic director for the West Virginia University Mountaineers, player for the National Basketball Association's Fort Wayne Pistons and New York Knicks, general manager and head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, head coach of Purdue University basketball, and a member of the NCAA Basketball Committee. He was born in Newark, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio Bobcats</span> College sport team in Ohio

The Ohio Bobcats are the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio University, located in Athens, Ohio, United States. Ohio University is a charter member (1946) of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), is currently in the East Division of that conference, and sponsors teams in six men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports. The football team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest level for college football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kent State Golden Flashes</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Kent State University

The Kent State Golden Flashes are the athletic teams that represent Kent State University. The university fields 19 varsity athletic teams in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level with football competing in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Kent State is a full member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and has been part of the MAC East division since it was created in 1998. Official school colors are Kent State Blue and Kent State Gold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akron Zips</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Akron (Ohio)

The Akron Zips are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, United States. The Zips compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level as a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East division. Akron sponsors 17 varsity teams across six men's, 10 women's, and one coed NCAA sanctioned sports. The football team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest level of competition for college football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio Bobcats men's basketball</span> Basketball team of Ohio University

The Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team is an intercollegiate varsity sports program of Ohio University. The team is a member of the Mid-American Conference competing in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Bobcats have played their home games in the Convocation Center since 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wofford Terriers</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Wofford College

The Wofford Terriers are the athletic teams that represent the Wofford College, located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in intercollegiate sports at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Southern Conference since the 1997–98 academic year. Wofford and the other SoCon members play football in the Football Championship Subdivision. Prior to the 1995–96 year, the Terriers played in Division II in all sports, and until the 1988–89 period, Wofford's athletic teams were members of the NAIA. The football team plays in Gibbs Stadium. The basketball teams moved to the new Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium for the 2017–18 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Young (basketball)</span> American basketball coach (born 1963)

Michael Kent Young is an American college basketball coach and currently the head men's basketball coach at Virginia Tech. He was hired on April 7, 2019, after a 17-year stint where he went 299–244 (.545) as the head coach at Wofford College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appalachian State Mountaineers</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Appalachian State University

The Appalachian State Mountaineers are the athletic teams that represent Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, United States. The Mountaineers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and were a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) between 1972 and 2014. On July 1, 2014, Appalachian State moved to the Sun Belt Conference. Appalachian State fields varsity teams in 17 sports, 7 for men and 10 for women. The football team competes in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly I-A, as a result of the transition to the Sun Belt. The wrestling team remains in the Southern Conference because the Sun Belt does not sponsor the sport. In field hockey, another sport not sponsored by the Sun Belt, Appalachian State joined the Mid-American Conference for the 2017 season after playing two seasons as an independent following the demise of its former league, the Northern Pacific Field Hockey Conference (NorPac). While rivalries exist with Sun Belt west division schools such as Troy and Louisiana, Appalachian State's main Sun Belt rivals are east division members Coastal Carolina and Georgia Southern, as well as rekindled rivalries from the days in FCS with recent Sun Belt additions Marshall and James Madison. Historically prior to joining the Sun Belt, Western Carolina and Furman were prominent rivalries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wichita State Shockers</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Wichita State University

The Wichita State Shockers are the athletic teams that represent Wichita State University, located in Wichita, Kansas, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, primarily competing in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) since the 2017–18 academic year. The Shockers previously competed in the D-I Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) from 1945–46 to 2016–17; as an Independent from 1940–41 to 1944–45; in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIC) from 1923–24 to 1939–40; and in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1902–03 to 1922–23. As of the 2023 conference realignment, they are one of two schools in the American to have never been a member of Conference USA.

The Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team is the NCAA Division I college basketball program representing Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wichita State Shockers baseball</span> Wichita State University baseball team

The Wichita State Shockers baseball team represents Wichita State University in the sport of baseball. The Wichita State Shockers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and in the American Athletic Conference after 72 seasons in the Missouri Valley Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Tennessee State Buccaneers men's basketball</span> Mens college basketball team

The East Tennessee State Buccaneers men's basketball team represents East Tennessee State University (ETSU), located in Johnson City, Tennessee, in men's college basketball. East Tennessee State is coached by Brooks Savage and currently competes in the Southern Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2017. In March 2020 the Buccaneers won the SoCon championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chattanooga Mocs women's basketball</span>

The Chattanooga Mocs women's basketball team, formerly known as the Lady Mocs, represents the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in NCAA women's basketball competition. The team is currently led by head coach Shawn Poppie, and play their home games at McKenzie Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Athletic Conference</span> US college sports conference

The American Athletic Conference (AAC), also known as the American, is an American collegiate athletic conference, featuring 14 member universities and five affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I, with its football teams competing in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Member universities represent a range of private and public universities of various enrollment sizes located primarily in urban metropolitan areas in the Northeastern, Midwestern, and Southern regions of the United States.

The Wichita State Shockers women's basketball team is the NCAA Division I college basketball program representing Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. The team is a member of the American Athletic Conference, after 43 seasons in the Missouri Valley Conference.

The 2017–18 Wichita State Shockers women's basketball team will represent Wichita State University in the 2017–18 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. They play their home games at Charles Koch Arena, which has a capacity of 10,506. The Shockers, led by first year head coach Keitha Adams were first year members of the American Athletic Conference. They finished the season 14–17, 9–7 in AAC play to finish in a tie for fifth place. They lost in the first round of the AAC women's tournament to Temple.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season</span> 81st season of NCAA Division I Mens Basketball

The 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 6, 2018. The first tournament was the 2K Sports Classic and the season concluded with the Final Four in Minneapolis on April 8, 2019. Practices officially began on September 28, 2018. The season saw Zion Williamson dominate Player of the Year honors and media attention, while Virginia won its first NCAA Championship. The NCAA Championship Game between Virginia and Texas Tech would mark the final NCAA game with a 20-foot 9 inch three-point shot line, as it moved out to the FIBA standard of 22 feet and 2 inches the following year.

Jacinta Renee Hoyt is the head women's college basketball coach for the Oklahoma State Cowgirls.

Julie Cromer is the athletic director at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio and is currently serving as a co-chair of the NCAA Division I Transformation Committee. She is the first female athletic director at Ohio.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "JIM SCHAUS". Southern Conference.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. 1 2 "Jim Schaus following in father's footsteps". Times West Virginian. 23 April 2008.
  3. ↑ "Purdue, West Lafayette remain special to Jim Schaus". Journal & Courier.
  4. 1 2 "Jim Schaus". Lead 1 Association.
  5. ↑ "Schaus, White named to DI men's basketball committee". NCAA.
  6. ↑ "JIM SCHAUS". UNC Greensboro. 7 June 2019.
  7. ↑ "Athletic staff filled with hire of Schaus". NIU Northern Star. 23 September 1992.
  8. ↑ "Who Is New Southern Conference Commissioner Jim Schaus and What Does He Need To Do?". 5 June 2019.
  9. ↑ "Florida, Arizona, Wichita State, Virginia earn top NCAA seeds". USAToday.
  10. ↑ "Search Firms Partner to Find New Commissioner for Southern Conference". Hunt Scanlon Media. 14 June 2019.
  11. ↑ "Schaus Hires Set Up Shockers for Success". Wichita State Athletics. 8 September 2023.
  12. ↑ "Ohio AD to become commissioner of SoCon". Footballscoop. 4 June 2019.
  13. ↑ "Southern Conference Names Jim Schaus As Its Ninth Commissioner". The Chattanoogan. 4 June 2019.
  14. ↑ "Ohio scores in waning seconds to upend Utah State, earn 1st bowl victory". ESPN.
  15. ↑ "Tyler Tettleton, Beau Blankenship spark Ohio in Independence Bowl". ESPN.
  16. ↑ "Ohio beats UAB 41-6 in Bahamas Bowl". ESPN.
  17. ↑ "Ohio rolls to 27-0 win over San Diego State in Frisco Bowl". ESPN.
  18. ↑ "LeFevour leads Central Michigan past Ohio, to MAC crown". ESPN.
  19. ↑ "Northern Illinois erases 20-point halftime deficit to win MAC title". ESPN.
  20. ↑ "MAC Championship 2016: Western Michigan vs. Ohio Live Score and Highlights". Bleacher Report.
  21. ↑ "NCAA BASKETBALL: No. 14 Ohio upsets Georgetown". Daily Breeze. 19 March 2010.
  22. ↑ "Akron Vs. Ohio Final: Bobcats Tip Zips, Win MAC Championship". SBNation. 10 March 2012.
  23. ↑ "Ohio holds on to shock fourth-seeded Michigan". ESPN.
  24. ↑ "2012 NCAA Bracket, South Florida Vs. Ohio Final Score: Bobcats Prevail 62-56, Head To Sweet 16". SBNation. 18 March 2012.
  25. ↑ "Men's College Basketball Rankings". ESPN.
  26. ↑ "Ohio Women's Basketball Picked To Win MAC East". WOUB. 27 October 2015.
  27. ↑ "Ohio Bobcats are No. 1 seed for MAC Women's Tournament". Cleveland. 5 March 2016.
  28. ↑ "Southern Conference Names Jim Schaus New Commissioner". The Citadel Athletics. 5 June 2019.
  29. ↑ "Former Ohio University director of athletics will assume role July 1". Wise Sports Radio. Archived from the original on 2022-02-01. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  30. ↑ "Southern Conference names Jim Schaus new commissioner" (PDF). Charleston Visitor Bureau.
  31. ↑ "Jim Schaus, Commissioner, Southern Conference". Rotary Club of Greensboro.
  32. ↑ "Southern Conference hires Ohio AD Jim Schaus as commissioner". Seattle Times. 4 June 2019.
  33. ↑ "NCAA picks Schaus, White for next year's selection committee". Yahoo Sports. Archived from the original on 2022-02-01. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  34. ↑ "NCAA officials to consider new metric in tourney selection process". ESPN. 13 January 2017.
  35. ↑ "NCAA officials to consider new metric in tourney selection process". ABC News.
  36. ↑ "New ranking system developed for NCAA tournament, replacing RPI". ABC News.
  37. ↑ "New SoCon Commissioner Jim Schaus Introduced". WSPA Spartanburg. 5 June 2019.
  38. ↑ "2020 NCAA Tournament: Two Bids for the Southern Conference is a Campaign Worth Endorsing". Athlonsports.com | Expert Predictions, Picks, and Previews. 2 March 2020.
  39. ↑ "Magee sets record, Wofford tops Seton Hall for 1st NCAA win". CBS Sports. 22 March 2019.
  40. ↑ "Furman, UNCG earn at-large NIT bids". Southern Conference. 17 March 2019.
  41. ↑ "Commissioner Jim Schaus delivers State of the Conference Address". ETSU Athletics.
  42. ↑ "Spring Football, But For Real This Time". The Old Gold and Black Wofford College.
  43. ↑ "After a COVID-troubled spring season, SoCon tries to get back to normal". The Post and Courier. 26 July 2021.
  44. ↑ "Michael Cross Named Southern Conference Commissioner" (Press release). Southern Conference. May 30, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  45. ↑ "Staying on the right track". GoUpstate.
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.