Post by rainman on Apr 24, 2008 5:06:41 GMT -5
Jim Schaus following in father’s footsteps
By Mickey Furfari
For the Times West Virginian
MORGANTOWN— You might say that Jim Schaus has been following in the administrative footsteps of his famous father, Fred Schaus.
He’s taking over as director of athletics at Ohio University on Thursday after serving nine years in the same position at Wichita State University.
The Morgantown native admittedly couldn’t be happier.
“It’s my passion,” Schaus said the other day while heading to Athens, Ohio. “It certainly has been in my blood from the beginning, and it’s something I’ve loved and enjoyed.”
He cited several reasons for jumping at the opportunity to head the sports program at OU, but high on the list was to get closer to his parents, who still reside in Morgantown.
His father, 83, has been battling health problems in the past few years.
“My dad always has been a mentor for me in all areas of my life,” said Jim, who turns 48 on June 9. “And I couldn’t be more proud of all the things he has accomplished.”
The elder Schaus was an All-America basketball player at West Virginia University in the late 1940s, returned in the mid-1950s for a six-year stretch as the most successful coach in school history, then served as coach and later general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers until 1972.
That’s when Fred went to Purdue as basketball coach and later associate athletic director until returning to WVU in 1981 to head its athletic program until 1989, when he retired. He remains the only alumnus to play, coach and serve as AD.
“It’s not just all the things he has done but the way he’s done it and the way he’s dealt with people that I’ve always admired,” Jim Schaus said. “So he has always set a good example for me as an athletic administrator, and I think he’s had a great career as an administrator – not just in coaching.
“I love my father and am proud of both my parents. He is very special to me. And he has been a great influence on my career.”
Happily, his mother still is in pretty good health. But now that he’ll be just a couple hours’ drive from Morgantown, young Schaus hopes to visit them more often than he could previously.
He owns a bachelor’s degree from Purdue and a master’s from WVU. He now has nearly 24 years of experience in athletic administration, with an emphasis on external relations and internal management.
Besides Wichita State and now Ohio University, Schaus served stints as associate AD at Texas-El Paso and the University of Cincinnati. He also served in a similar role at Northern Illinois. In 1982 he was an intern with the NFL’s New England Patriots, then worked with the LPGA Tour and in marketing with the Washington Redskins.
He led Wichita State out of the red, just as his father did in taking over the WVU program, and now likely will face the task of putting OU on firm footing financially.
Schaus has signed a five-year contract at an annual salary of $225,000. His operating budget will be about $3 million more a year than it was at Wichita State.
“I like challenges,” he said. “And when this opportunity came up, I thought the Lord just had a plan for me. Every part of this thing just fell into place. Everything was just right for me to have a chance to be close to my parents.
“So I thought this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I wasn’t going to pass that up. I just talked to my folks a few minutes ago and they’re so excited.”
One thing that attracted him to OU is its Division I-A football program. That was lacking at Wichita State. But it won several Missouri Valley Conference championships in other sports.
Schaus is married to the former Priscilla Winsor and they have three children. Son Kevin, 20, is in college. Diane, 18, is going to enroll at Morehead State in the fall, and Laura, 16, is a junior in high school.
“We’ll be able to keep our family together with this move,” he said. “I feel very blessed to be back in this area.”
By Mickey Furfari
For the Times West Virginian
MORGANTOWN— You might say that Jim Schaus has been following in the administrative footsteps of his famous father, Fred Schaus.
He’s taking over as director of athletics at Ohio University on Thursday after serving nine years in the same position at Wichita State University.
The Morgantown native admittedly couldn’t be happier.
“It’s my passion,” Schaus said the other day while heading to Athens, Ohio. “It certainly has been in my blood from the beginning, and it’s something I’ve loved and enjoyed.”
He cited several reasons for jumping at the opportunity to head the sports program at OU, but high on the list was to get closer to his parents, who still reside in Morgantown.
His father, 83, has been battling health problems in the past few years.
“My dad always has been a mentor for me in all areas of my life,” said Jim, who turns 48 on June 9. “And I couldn’t be more proud of all the things he has accomplished.”
The elder Schaus was an All-America basketball player at West Virginia University in the late 1940s, returned in the mid-1950s for a six-year stretch as the most successful coach in school history, then served as coach and later general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers until 1972.
That’s when Fred went to Purdue as basketball coach and later associate athletic director until returning to WVU in 1981 to head its athletic program until 1989, when he retired. He remains the only alumnus to play, coach and serve as AD.
“It’s not just all the things he has done but the way he’s done it and the way he’s dealt with people that I’ve always admired,” Jim Schaus said. “So he has always set a good example for me as an athletic administrator, and I think he’s had a great career as an administrator – not just in coaching.
“I love my father and am proud of both my parents. He is very special to me. And he has been a great influence on my career.”
Happily, his mother still is in pretty good health. But now that he’ll be just a couple hours’ drive from Morgantown, young Schaus hopes to visit them more often than he could previously.
He owns a bachelor’s degree from Purdue and a master’s from WVU. He now has nearly 24 years of experience in athletic administration, with an emphasis on external relations and internal management.
Besides Wichita State and now Ohio University, Schaus served stints as associate AD at Texas-El Paso and the University of Cincinnati. He also served in a similar role at Northern Illinois. In 1982 he was an intern with the NFL’s New England Patriots, then worked with the LPGA Tour and in marketing with the Washington Redskins.
He led Wichita State out of the red, just as his father did in taking over the WVU program, and now likely will face the task of putting OU on firm footing financially.
Schaus has signed a five-year contract at an annual salary of $225,000. His operating budget will be about $3 million more a year than it was at Wichita State.
“I like challenges,” he said. “And when this opportunity came up, I thought the Lord just had a plan for me. Every part of this thing just fell into place. Everything was just right for me to have a chance to be close to my parents.
“So I thought this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I wasn’t going to pass that up. I just talked to my folks a few minutes ago and they’re so excited.”
One thing that attracted him to OU is its Division I-A football program. That was lacking at Wichita State. But it won several Missouri Valley Conference championships in other sports.
Schaus is married to the former Priscilla Winsor and they have three children. Son Kevin, 20, is in college. Diane, 18, is going to enroll at Morehead State in the fall, and Laura, 16, is a junior in high school.
“We’ll be able to keep our family together with this move,” he said. “I feel very blessed to be back in this area.”
