Bears have three national titles under Schmidt
Read more: Steve Schmidt, Mott Bears, NJCAA, Ballenger Field House, MCCAA, College
FLINT -- Steve Schmidt, longtime head men's basketball coach at Mott Community College, will be inducted into the NJCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Since its inception in 1984, a total of 123 coaches, players and special contributors have been inducted into the hall. Schmidt, along with four others, will be inducted in the 2010 class.
Schmidt, 47, has been one of the most successful basketball coaches in the country since taking over the reins at MCC in 1991. Mott has never posted a sub-.500 record, having won more than 25 games in each of the last 14 seasons.
After winning his first national championship in 2003, Schmidt won two more national titles back-to-back in 2007 and 2008, when the Bears finished the season with a 33-game winning streak.
Schmidt will accept the award at a banquet this spring in Las Vegas.
"It's hard to describe," Schmidt said. "The fact of the matter is I've not won a single game by myself. I've been part of a team. All of this is possible because of the efforts of all these players. That's a perspective I've never lost."
During his tenure at Mott, Schmidt has won three national coach of the year awards, 11 conference, six regional, and six state championships. His teams have qualified for the national tournament six times and have advanced to the title game on five occasions. He has coached three national players of the year and 15 All-Americans. He currently holds the record for highest national tournament winning percentage at nearly 87 percent (20-3).
Schmidt entered the 2009-2010 season with a staggering 478-115 career record, which ranks 17th among active NJCAA coaches.
Prior to this national recognition, Schmidt was inducted into the Greater Flint Area Sports Hall of Fame. Earlier this year, the administration at Mott Community College named the gymnasium at Ballenger Field House the Steve Schmidt Gymnasium.
