WVU Legend Schaus Dies
February 11, 2010 02:04 PM | General
February 11, 2010
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The man who guided West Virginia University to a Golden Era in basketball in the 1950s and later returned to lead the WVU athletic department as its athletic director in the 1980s has died. Fred Schaus, 84, passed away Wednesday night in Morgantown.
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| Fred Schaus, pictured in 1988 as the school's athletic director.
WVU Sports Communications photo |
“Our deepest sympathy goes out to Barbara, a wonderful lady who over the years has been a major part of WVU’s athletic family,” said Ed Pastilong, West Virginia University’s director of athletics. “We lost one of our finest student-athletes, coaches and administrators in Fred.”
Schaus was an all-state center at Newark (Ohio) High in 1943 before enlisting in the Navy during World War II. While in the Navy, Schaus struck up a friendship with West Virginia’s first basketball All-American Scotty Hamilton and that helped steer Schaus to WVU in 1946.
Schaus soon became a star player for the Mountaineers, helping West Virginia earn an NIT bid in 1947 where the Mountaineers lost to Utah, 64-62, in the semifinals.
"Fred and I played ball together during one of the great eras of WVU basketball," recalled Dr. Leland Byrd. "He was a 6-foot, 5-inch forward who could do it all. Eddie Beech was a great rebounder, Clyde Green the best defender, Bob Carroll a tremendous shooter, but Fred was our best all-around player."
As a junior, Fred scored 442 points in 1949, at the time a school record. His 18.4 points-per-game average ranked 10th nationally that season, and he earned third team All-America honors by the Helms Foundation. Schaus was also elected class president by the WVU student body that year.
In 61 career games, he scored 1,009 career points for an average of 16.5 points per game.
"As a kid, I idolized Fred and remember listening to Jack Fleming broadcast his games while he was playing for WVU," recalled All-American guard Hot Rod Hundley. "Fred was one of the best players, and I looked up to him."
Schaus graduated a year early and signed a professional basketball contract with the National Basketball Association’s Fort Wayne Pistons, playing four seasons with them from 1949-53. In 1951, Schaus averaged 15.1 points per game and was named to the West team in the first-ever NBA All-Star game played in Boston on March 2, 1951. Fred was the first player in Fort Wayne history to score 1,000 points in a season, and he played an additional year with the New York Knicks in 1954.
Schaus was hired as West Virginia’s basketball coach in the spring of 1954 when Athletic Director Roy “Legs” Hawley died of a heart attack and basketball coach Red Brown was elevated to the post.
In six seasons at West Virginia, Schaus led the Mountaineers to unprecedented success. West Virginia won the Southern Conference all six years he coached at WVU, claiming a then-NCAA record 44 consecutive regular season games (56 overall) from 1956-59.
In 1997, college basketball historian Mike Douchant listed West Virginia’s Southern Conference winning streak as the 16th greatest achievement in major college basketball history.
Schaus’ teams also won 42 consecutive games in the Field House from 1956-60, collected a 63-5 record against Southern Conference competition, and reached No. 1 in the polls in 1958. Schaus led West Virginia to the NCAA finals in 1959, losing to Cal, 71-70, at Freedom Hall on March 21, 1959.
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| Schaus led West Virginia to NCAA tournament appearances all six years he coached the Mountaineers from 1955-60.
WVU Sports Communications photo |
Fred coached one more season at West Virginia in 1960, leading the Mountaineers to their sixth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance and a 26-5 record. His last three seasons at WVU were spent in the Top 10 with the Mountaineers accumulating an 81-12 record. Overall, his record at WVU was 146-37.
“I think when Fred coached here they were in the polls for 40-some consecutive weeks and they were one of the premier teams in college basketball,” said West Virginia coach Bob Huggins. “I don’t know that there are a lot of people that can do the things Fred was able to do in his career.”
More than 50 years later, Schaus’ teams and players stake claim to more than 40 school records, including highest season scoring average (89.5 ppg.), most victories in a season (29 in 1959) and highest winning percentage in a season (.929 in 1958).
“Everybody always mentions that I had Jerry West and Hot Rod Hundley, but they never mention my other players,” Schaus once said. “There was no question how great West and Hundley were, but we had a lot of fine players to compliment them.”
“Fred was a humble, spirited competitor and his passion for winning and excellence were qualities about him that I admired,” said West.
Schaus became the head coach of the Lakers when the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1960, and coached LA for seven seasons before moving into the front office as vice president and general manager for flamboyant Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke. Schaus was responsible for four Western Conference titles as head coach, and helped construct one of the best teams in NBA history in 1972 with Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Gail Goodrich, Jim McMillian, Pat Riley and Happy Hairston that won an NBA record 33 straight games and captured the first NBA title in franchise history.
“We shared many incredible experiences, both joyous and painful, during our years together at WVU and then as my coach with the Los Angeles Lakers,” said West.
Schaus returned to the bench in 1973 to coach at Purdue, leading the Boilermakers for six seasons and compiling a 104-60 record. In 1979, Fred became assistant athletic director at Purdue and two years later, returned to West Virginia as the school’s ninth athletic director in 1981.
“I was there one year and Fred became our AD,” said former football coach Don Nehlen. “The thing Fred did, I thought, was give our athletic program instant credibility. He was such a nationally known figure and he was just an outstanding guy to work for and be around.”
The West Virginia athletic department was in the midst of a severe financial crisis when Schaus took over, and in short time he was able to straighten out the department’s books.
“He was a great decision maker,” Nehlen said. “When you went to Fred with a question, when you left his office you got a yes or a no. Very seldom did you ever get, ‘Well, I don’t know’ or “I’ll think about it.’ He made a decision and sometimes you liked it and sometimes you didn’t.”
By the time Schaus retired in 1989, West Virginia had made six NCAA tournament appearances in basketball under Coach Gale Catlett, and five bowl appearances in football under Coach Don Nehlen, including a trip to the Fiesta Bowl to face Notre Dame for the 1989 national championship.
“It’s a shame we didn’t win that game for him,” Nehlen said.
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| Schaus earned third team All-America honors by the Helms Foundation and also served as WVU student body president in 1949.
Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame photo |
Schaus served a stint on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament selection committee and also played a role in the reorganization of college football’s television arrangement that has since generated millions in revenue for participating members. Schaus was among the athletic directors in 1984 that stuck together when other institutions were attempting to negotiate their own TV deals.
“The sentiment of almost all of the schools was that we’ve got to hang together and remain unified and not for schools or conferences to go out on their own and sign their own contracts,” Schaus once recalled. “That would cause chaos, dilute the product and reduce television fees for all.”
“When I went to national meetings when I was president of the American Football Coaches Association, everywhere I went it was, ‘Where is Fred? How is Fred doing?’ That was with everybody,” said Nehlen.
Schaus, recipient of the Order of Vandalia in 1992, was inducted into the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame that year. He is also a member of the Ohio Basketball and West Virginia Sports halls of fame.
“He was an outstanding player as evidenced by his induction into our athletic department hall of fame. He coached in one of our finest eras in basketball, and then returned to do an outstanding job of directing our athletic department,” said Pastilong. “We are deeply indebted to his allegiance and service to WVU and our athletic department.”
“Coach Schaus was a great man, a great coach and a great athletic director,” said Catlett. “He touched and influenced many lives. He exemplified class, dignity and integrity, and he loved West Virginia University. He changed my life entirely when he recruited me out of Hedgesville High School in 1958. We will never forget him.”
"Today is a sad day," said Hundley. "I want to extend my sympathy to a wonderful lady in Barbara Schaus and the rest of the family."
“During his period of illness, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Fred and found that he still had that smile and his personality never seemed to change,” West added. “He will be missed by all that know and love him, especially Barbara and his children. We have lost a great man and for me personally, someone that was so instrumental in my life.”
Schaus is survived by his wife, Barbara, sons John and Jim (athletic director at Ohio University), and six grandchildren.
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Statements regarding the passing Wednesday evening of former WVU director of athletics, basketball coach and player Fred Schaus. Ed Pastilong: “Our deepest sympathy goes out to Barbara, a wonderful lady who over the years has been a major part of WVU’s athletic family.” “We lost one of our finest student-athletes, coaches and administrators in Fred. He was an outstanding player, as evidenced by his induction into our athletic department hall of fame. He coached in one of our finest eras in basketball, and then returned to do an outstanding job of directing our athletic department.” “We are deeply indebted to his allegiance and service to WVU and our athletic department.” Jerry West: “Fred’s passing brings finality to a relationship that began in 1955, when he first came to our house to introduce himself as the coach of West Virginia University. He explained to me that he thought that WVU would be the place for me to attend school and have an opportunity to play basketball. At that point in my life, he was the first coach to show interest in me. I was thrilled beyond words and to this day, I remember much about our meeting. Little did I know what a long-lasting relationship we would have.” “We shared many incredible experiences, both joyous and painful, during our years together at WVU and then as my coach with the Los Angeles Lakers. As a young man with little experience with the outside world, he became my mentor and sounding board as I progressed as an athlete and as a person.” “Fred was a humble, spirited competitor and his passion for winning and excellence were qualities about him that I admired. He led a full life. His family and friends were his most important focus during the times that I was closest to him. Fred’s legacy was one of bringing great prominence to West Virginia basketball and in Los Angeles to bringing the Lakers to the attention of all basketball fans.” “During his period of illness, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Fred and found that he still had that smile and his personality never seemed to change. He will be missed by all who know and love him, especially Barbara and his children. We have lost a great man and for me personally, someone who was so instrumental in my life. I will be forever grateful that he showed a special interest during my formidable years at the university and also his during my very difficult transition to professional basketball. For all of us fortunate enough to have been associated with Fred, he made our lives fuller and had great influence on our successes regardless of where they led us.” Bob Huggins: “Fred was everything. I think when Fred coached here they were in the polls for 40-some consecutive weeks, and they were one of the premier teams in college basketball. I don’t know that there are a lot of people that can do the things Fred did in his career.” “From a great college coach to a great pro coach to a great pro front office guy, then coming back to college and winning at Purdue and then coming back to be a great athletic director here at WVU, he excelled in every area of athletics” Don Nehlen: “I was there one year and Fred became our Athletic Director. The thing Fred did, I thought was give our athletic program instant credibility. He was such a nationally known figure, and he was just an outstanding guy to work for and be around.” “I respected Fred so much. I was a little bit in awe of Fred Schaus, because I had heard so much about him when he came here. Fred was there when we expanded the facilities building and when we expanded the stadium. He did a lot of great things for the university.” “He was a great decision maker. When you went to Fred with a question, you got a yes or a no before you left his office. Very seldom did you ever get, ‘Well, I don’t know” or ‘I'll think about it.’ He made a decision. Sometimes you liked it and sometimes you didn’t.” Gale Catlett: “Coach Schaus was a great man, a great coach and a great athletic director. He touched and influenced many lives. He exemplified class, dignity and integrity, and he loved West Virginia University. He changed my life entirely when he recruited me out of Hedgesville High School in 1958. We will never forget him.” “Hot Rod” Hundley: “Today is a sad day. I am saddened to hear of the death of Coach Schaus. I want to extend my sympathy to a wonderful lady, in Barbara Schaus, and the rest of the family. As a kid, I idolized Fred and remember listening to Jack Fleming broadcast his games while he was playing for WVU. Fred was one of the best players, and I looked up to him.” “I felt fortunate to play for Fred at both WVU and in the pros with the Lakers. I always respected Fred as a coach because he had played the game at the highest level. He was a good coach, a great coach and he knew the game forward and backward.” “He was a no nonsense coach, but I learned years later that he secretly enjoyed all the things I did as a player at WVU. He always told me, ‘I don't care if you drop kick the ball out of the building, but we better be up by 20 when you do.’ Fred taught me that the game was the most important thing. He never did anything to jeopardize the game.” Dr. Leland Byrd: "Fred and I played ball together during one of the great eras of WVU basketball. He was a 6-foot, 5-inch forward who could do it all. Eddie Beech was a great rebounder, Clyde Green the best defender, Bob Carroll a tremendous shooter, but Fred was our best all-around player." "Later, after a stellar career in coaching, when he returned to his alma mater as athletic director, he did a great job organizing the department and bringing it into financial stability. He really started the department on the path it's enjoying today." "I will miss Fred as a friend and a colleague. He was a great person - an asset to his family and to WVU." "My heartfelt condolences to his wife Barbara, his sons and extended family." |
