Schu resigns
KC basketball coach says goodbye after 13 seasons
By MITCH LUCAS sports@kilgorenewsherald.com
For 13 seasons, Scott Schumacher has led the Kilgore College men's basketball team, one of the longesttenured coaches in the Kilgore area.

SCHUMACHER

But that status changed on Tuesday with Schumacher's resignation as KC head men's basketball coach. The college, through public information director Chris Craddock, confirmed Schumacher's resignation late Tuesday afternoon.

"He's a great guy," Kilgore College Athletic Director David Castles said of Schumacher, this morning. "He knows basketball. I'm going to miss him, and his family, so much. They're just great people, super people. I sure hate to see them go. He's meant a lot to Kilgore College over the years, and will continue to mean a lot to us."

Still, the search for Schumacher's replacement will begin immediately, Castles said.

"We're working on it," the AD said. "We're probably going to take applications through April 28, and then start reviewing applications and getting the process on the road. We want to do it as quick as we can."

The Fargo (N.D.) Forum, a newspaper in North Dakota, has been reporting for about two weeks that Schumacher was one of four finalists to take over as the head men's basketball coach at North Dakota State College of Science, like Kilgore College, a two-year institution located in Wahpeton, N.D. The Forum reported today that Schumacher had told NDSCS officials he would take the position.

File photo by Lester Murray LOTS OF GOOD TIMES - Former Kilgore College head coach Scott Schumacher (right) shares a laugh with players La'Marshall Corbett (24) and Ridge McKeither (42) during a practice. After 13 seasons as head men's basketball

Schumacher couldn't be reached for this story, and didn't confirm he was taking the position in North Dakota through a Kilgore College press release. "It has been my pleasure to lead the KC men's basketball program for 13 years," said "Schu," as his friends have called him. "These young men have all benefitted from their time spent at Kilgore College."

In 13 seasons under Schu, the Rangers went 235-156, and went 145-138 in Region XIV Conference play. They won one conference title (the 1998-99 season) and in that time frame, had the fourth-most wins in the conference. Also, as Craddock pointed out, the Rangers had eight NJCAA All-Americans in that time period, including the highly-recruited Marcus Thornton, now at LSU, last season.

In 2007-08, the league wasn't kind to KC - the Rangers had a lineup almost completely of freshmen, while many of the other teams had a good balance of freshmen and sophomores. The result was a tough conference campaign, one that ended without the Rangers making the conference tournament, which was played here at Masters Gym.

But unless there's a transfer epidemic, one would think that players like Ridge McKeither, one of the conference's leading scorers, La'Marshall Corbett, Nick Walls and Maurice Foster will all be back for their sophomore seasons in white and Ranger blue next year, all with a year of experience together already under their belts.

Schumacher also has served as the president of the NJCAA Basketball Coaches Association, one of the reasons the college was able to secure the NJCAA All-Star event the last two seasons, pitting national all-stars against all-stars from Texas' Region XIV. He has also served as the Junior College Representative to the USA Basketball Collegiate Selection Committee.

In the college's press release, Schumacher said he is proud of the academic achievements of his student athletes.

"Every sophomore that has been part of our program has had the opportunity to continue their education on a scholarship," Schumacher said.

But Schumacher has been more than a coach in his time here. He's been a friend to the people of Kilgore.

Schu and wife Lisa have three children (Ross, 7, Lonna, 2, and Alec, born just weeks ago in the middle of the season), and have been an important part of the Kilgore-area sports community. The Schumacher family has been involved in so many sports-related and non-sports-related community activities over the years, including such things as the Ranger Basketball for Education and even helping with the Rotary Club's placement of American flags across town on holidays.

According to a brief biography on the basketball program's web site. Schumacher began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Sheridan Junior College in Sheridan, Wyo., under then-future hall-of-fame coach Bruce Hoffman. From there, Schu moved on and became an assistant at Sam Houston State.

His first head coaching job was at KC rival Paris Junior College, where he spent five seasons, winning a conference title there before coming to KC for his first season (1995-96).

Schu thanked KC President Dr. Bill Holda, Harold Nolte, athletic director David Castles and the Kilgore community for their support.

"Other coaches have always asked me about my job, and I tell them that the best part of my job was living in Kilgore and working with the faculty and staff at KC," Schumacher said. "Kilgore College is a special place and will continue to prosper."