Winningest coach in program history to see tenure come to an end after 19 years
By ERIC FIRKEL
Owner, Olean Star
OLEAN – St. Bonaventure men’s basketball head coach Mark Schmidt is preparing for what will be his final regular season game in the Reilly Center today against Davidson, as confirmed by a source close to Schmidt.
Schmidt, who has one-year left on his contract was informed this week by St. Bonaventure men’s basketball General Manager Adrian ‘Woj’ Wojnarowski and Athletic Director Robert Beretta that he will be relieved of his duties at the end of this season.
SCHMIDT TOOK OVER A PROGRAM IN SHAMBLES
Former St. Bonaventure Athletic Director Steve Watson hired Mark Schmidt as head coach in 2007. Mark took over for Anthony Solomon, who went 22-88 as head coach of the Bonnies from 2003-2007. Solomon struggled in the aftermath of the 2003 scandal after then SBU President Robert Wickenheiser illegally approved a transfer of a player with a welding certificate from Georgia Costal Community College, over the objection of then Athletic Director Gothard Lane. The scandal devastated the basketball program, led Wickenheiser’s forced resignation. In the aftermath, the Bonnies forfeited six wins, lost scholarships and were barred from playing in the Atlantic 10 Championship.
Schmidt took the helm at St. Bonaventure after going 82-90 in six seasons at Robert Morris in the Northeast Conference. After going 8-22 in the 2007-2008 season, Mark Schmidt coached the Bonnies to the NCAA tournament in 2012, marking the team’s first trip since Jim Barron’s 2000 season.
Schmidt returned to the NCAA tournament in 2018 and 2021 and coached the Bonnies to three NIT appearances, two Atlantic 10 Tournament Championships and two Regular Season Championships. Schmidt won Atlantic 10 Coach of the year in 2016 and 2021.
In 19 seasons at St. Bonaventure, Schmidt coached the Bonnies to 13 winning seasons and seven 20-win seasons.
In 2019, Mark Schmidt surpassed Larry Weise as the all-time winningest coach in St. Bonaventure history. He enters today’s game with 339 wins at St. Bonaventure, making him the fourth-winningest coach in Atlantic 10 history.
SCHMIDT AND WOJ
Multiple St. Bonaventure sources, on background, reported that the relationship between Schmidt and Wojnarowski deteriorated considerably over the past year. According to sources, Woj did not recruit certain players that Schmidt wanted to target and he brought in players that did not fit Schmidt’s system. Then as the season wore on, Woj took issue with Schmidt not giving players that he had a big hand in recruiting enough minutes.
Schmidt and St. Bonaventure will play its final game of the regular season against Davidson at 12 p.m. in the Reilly Center.
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All Rights Reserved. Star News LLC. Eric M. Firkel.
