After his St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team lost a heartbreaker to Dayton, 68-63, in Friday’s Atlantic 10 quarterfinals at Pittsburgh’s PPG Arena, coach Mark Schmidt was left to ponder five missed free throws in the final minute.
A column by CHUCK POLLOCK, Wellsville Sun Senior Sports Columnist
But in his last game as Bona coach, Schmidt’s team accounted itself well, a reality not lost on Dayton coach Anthony Grant, who expressed it after sharing a long embrace following the game.
Grant, who has squared off against Schmidt in the conference for the past 10 years, said he relished those battles.
“In my opinion, he’s one of the best coaches in all of college basketball,” Grant said. “It’s been an honor to coach against him. The talent he finds and develops, it’s incredible.”
That’s high praise coming from one of the Atlantic 10’s top coaches.
AND IN his post-game press conference Schmidt took a thinly-veiled shot at St. Bonaventure’s athletic administration.
“Retirement can’t come soon enough,” he said, “to be able to spend more time with the people who really care about me.”
But here’s what’s galling.
Schmidt got the word he was “retiring” shortly before the home finale against Davidson.
And when the game ended, he strode off the court. No announcement, no pomp, no circumstance.
Who’s in charge?
Does a man who put Bona basketball in the national spotlight for 19 years not deserve to be feted?
The five players who were honored on Senior Day played only one season but still were cited.
There’s a love-hate relation with hoops on the Bona campus.
There are staffers who disparagingly call it “St. Basketball.” I remind them that the reason people in Vallejo, Cali., have heard of St. Bonaventure is not because of its Accounting Department.
THE IDEA that University President Jeff Gingrich, Athletic Director Bob Beretta and Men’s basketball General Manager Adrian (“Woj”) Wojnarowski couldn’t cojure a way to honor one of the highest profile people ever to leave campus is an absolute disgrace.
Is it a surprise that student fans, season ticket holders and corporate sponsors are skipping games?
Over the years, I’ve been critical of the fact that a school with a renowned journalism department persistently commits public-relations gaffes.
But this is a new low … worse than turning down that NIT bid.
Was it personal?
Had Beretta and “\Woj” decided it was time for Schmidt to go but tried to save him the embarrassment of firing him?
Were they hiding?
But, you know what? He still deserved the courtesy of a “Thank-you and Good-Luck.”
Apparently not.
(Chuck Pollock, a Wellsville Sun senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@wnynet.net.)
