|
| |
New Head Coach Doug Schakel
It’s not every day that a team can add a hall-of-famer, but that’s exactly
what the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs men’s basketball
program did.
UCCS athletic director Stephen W. Kirkham announced that Doug
Schakel will take over the Mountain Lions’ basketball team for the rest
of the season. A 2004 inductee into the
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Hall of Fame, Schakel has over
500 wins as a men’s basketball coach to his credit, 304 of which came
during his 18-year tenure at Mesa State (1978-96). During that period,
the Mavericks won six RMAC championships.
Schakel began his coaching career at Solon Community High
School (Iowa) in 1964. The next season, he moved to Crowley County
High School (Colo.), where his teams qualified for three consecutive
state playoff appearances, including an undefeated season and state
championship in 1967-68. He reached the 100-win level while coaching
Storm Lake High School (Iowa), where he posted a 43-3 overall
record.
His collegiate coaching career began in 1971-72 at Mid-Plains Community
College in North Platte, Neb., where his teams were 67-32. He
temporarily returned to the high school ranks, coaching Wasson High
School in Colorado Springs in 1974-75 and North Platte (Neb.) High
School from 1975-77.
But Schakel longed to be a college coach. With that goal in mind,
he accepted an assistant coaching position with the University of
Utah, where he spent the 1977-78 season. According to the Associated
Press, the Utes finished that season ranked No. 10 nationally. They
were knocked out of the NCAA Tournament with a loss to the Bill
Laimbeer and Bill Hanzlik-led Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the
Sweet Sixteen.
The next season, Schakel began his storied career at Mesa State.
Besides coaching, Schakel also served two stints as Mesa State’s
athletic director; the first from 1979-81 and again in 1998-2001. He
began development of the Mesa State College Basketball Camps in
1978, growing them into a model for small-school camps around the
nation.
|
