Schmitz Selected Ohio College Coach of the Year

The College of Wooster’s Mike Schmitz will be the recipient of the Lee Tressel Ohio College Coach-of-the-Year Award at the National Football Foundation’s (northeastern Ohio chapter) annual Scholar-Athlete Awards Banquet on Monday, May 9 at the Executive Caterers at Landerhaven in Mayfield Hts., Ohio, announced Tim Gleason, president of the NFF’s local chapter, on Wednesday.

Schmitz will join the likes of former Ohio State University coach John Cooper, current Buckeye boss Jim Tressel, Mt. Union College’s Larry Kehres, current Indiana University coach Terry Hoeppner, formerly with Miami (Ohio) University, and the University of Toledo’s Tom Amstutz as winners of the prestigious award, which has existed since 1990.

Schmitz is being honored for his work during the 2004 season, as he guided Wooster to a perfect regular season (10-0) for the first time in 81 years (1923), which included a 7-0 record in the North Coast Athletic Conference, marking the school’s first outright conference championship since 1934. The Fighting Scots also earned the right to play in the postseason, another first for the program, where they defeated Aurora (Ill.) University 41-34 in the opening round of the NCAA Div. III Football Championship and then lost to Carthage (Wis.) College 14-7 in the Round of 16.

"On behalf of myself and the entire staff of The College of Wooster's Department of Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation, we extend our congratulations to Mike on the receipt of this prestigious award," commented Wooster athletic director Keith Beckett. "Mike's committment and dedication to his team, our department, and the College are exceptional."

Success is nothing new at Wooster since Schmitz was hired as offensive coordinator in 1995. The Fighting Scots have gone 73-29 (.716) over the past 10 seasons, the last five of which he has been head coach. Schmitz, who is 36-16 (.692) as the sideline boss, had Wooster playing for a potential spot in the playoffs in 2002, but lost a close game in the season-finale 14-9 to finish 8-2. He was the offensive coordinator of the Scots’ 1997 NCAC tri-champion team (9-1), as well as the 1999 squad, which played for a share of another conference title in the season-finale but was beaten 28-14 to close at 8-2.

Beckett added, "Without question, he has raised the bar of excellence. I am proud and honored that he is a member of our team."

Prior to arriving on Wooster’s campus, Schmitz was the head football coach at four area high schools, compiling an overall record of 93-57-1 (.619). He experienced significant success at Rittman, going 43-27-1 from 1981-87, highlighted by the school’s first undefeated regular season and trip to the state playoffs (1986), and later at Archbishop Hoban, where his teams went 33-7.

A native of Delta, Ohio, Schmitz holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Bowling Green State University. He and his wife, Peggy, reside in Wooster and they have two grown children – Joie and Steve.

Also at the NFF Scholar-Athlete Awards Banquet, Wooster senior offensive lineman Justin Sloan (Dayton, Ohio / Centerville) will be one of about a dozen local college players presented with a $2,000 postgraduate scholarship. Sloan, a biology major who earned all-conference honors twice in his career, started 31 consecutive games for the Scots at right guard, including all 12 in 2004, despite a nagging shoulder injury. He has five years to use the award towards grad school.

Several notables in the football world will be at the banquet. The featured speaker will be Charlie Weis, head coach at the University of Notre Dame and former offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl-champion New England Patriots, while also expected to attend are new Cleveland Browns’ coach Romeo Crenel, Bernie Kosar, the Browns’ legendary quarterback, and John York, owner of the San Francisco 49ers.

The public can attend the banquet. Individual tickets cost $59.50 for non-members of the National Football Foundation. For more information, call (330) 963-0444.