Photo: @BonniesMBB / X
BY: SEAN WALLACE; SPORTS ASSIGNMENT EDITOR
The St. Bonaventure University men’s basketball team fell 68-63 to the University of Dayton in the A-10 tournament quarterfinals, marking the final game of head coach Mark Schmidt’s career.
A-10 commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade praised Schmidt for his efforts on and off the court.
“Coach Schmidt has been phenomenal. He has not only been phenomenal for the basketball program at St. Bonaventure, but for the community in Olean and all of western New York.” said McGlade. “In addition to all his great successes as a coach, Mark Schmidt does a tremendous amount of fundraising for Coaches vs. Cancer. As far as the A-10, Bonaventure is a fabulous member, and Mark has done everything anyone could have ever asked. He is committed to his student athletes, and his retirement will certainly reverberate.”
Brian Conaghan, class of 1999, said Schmidt cemented his place among the program’s best by rebuilding the Bonnies and leaving the program stronger than he found it.
“If there’s a Mount Rushmore of Bonaventure basketball, coach Schmidt’s face is on it,” said Conaghan. “It wasn’t about wins and losses. It’s about the belief he gave us as alums in our school when a lot of us didn’t have it. We felt we had lost our way a little bit. The overwhelming emotion is gratitude for everything he means to Bonas. He has always represented us with the utmost respect. He understands the place, and he’s leaving us in a much better position than when he inherited it. I think that’s the best mark of a professional.”
Schmidt’s impact reached alumni across all years. Mike Hogan, class of 2021 and Hellinger Award winner, spoke fondly about his presence on the court.
“It will definitely feel odd to not see Mark Schmidt pacing up and down the sideline intensely coaching this program next season,” said Hogan. “As goofy as it sounds, I always wondered how many steps he averaged per game.”
Hogan also served as the Bonaventure men’s basketball beat writer for TAPinto Greater Olean and appreciated Schmidt’s interactions with student media and community.
“I find myself feeling grateful for all coach Schmidt has done for the university and the community,” said Hogan. “So many of my favorite memories as a student at St. Bonaventure came from covering coach Schmidt’s program as a student reporter and, in rare cases, as a fan in the student section. He brought a program that was adrift in the college basketball wasteland back to prominence both regionally and nationally.”
Following Friday’s game, Dayton head coach Anthony Grant said Schmidt’s success and longevity at Bonaventure stand out in today’s college basketball landscape.
Coach Schmidt, in my opinion, is one of the best coaches in the country,” said Grant. “It’s been an honor to compete against his teams for the last nine years. Obviously his career and what he’s been able to do at St. Bonaventure speaks for itself. I think it’s rarer in today’s age to see guys at one place for as long as they are. His mind for the game, the things he does from an offensive standpoint, they challenge you defensively and he’s always finding a way no matter what teams he has. If you were around him, he’s just a good dude to be around. Always has a smile on his face, always happy and he lightens the mood. We’re going to miss him.”
Bonaventure continues to look for a new head coach for the first time in 19 years after Schmidt’s retirement.
