Schertz departs ISU, takes Saint Louis U. job

Apr. 6—Former Indiana State men's basketball coach Josh Schertz is exiting Terre Haute to head up the Saint Louis Billikens, the school announced Saturday.

On the heels of this news, 15 minutes later, the Indiana State University and Sycamore Athletics announced associate coach Matthew Graves was named the interim men's basketball coach.

Graves will lead the day-to-day operations of the program while a national search is conducted for the next coach.

Schertz will be formally introduced on Monday, April 8, at 10 a.m. in a press conference at Chaifetz Arena that will be open to the public.

"I could not be more excited to be named the head coach at Saint Louis University," Schertz said in a statement Saturday. "From the top-down leadership of president Dr. Fred Pestello, chairman Joe Conran, trustee Dr. Richard Chaifetz and athletics director Chris May — to the elite facilities, infrastructure, academics and resources — this a place where you can build a sustainable championship-level program.

"On top of that, the opportunity to work, recruit and live in the great sports city of St. Louis was incredibly appealing," Schertz added. "I can't wait to get to work building and developing a program everyone involved with can be proud of."

SLU did not release the terms of Schertz's contract. The St. Louis Post Dispatch reported it exceeded $2 million annually.

An Indiana State University statement Saturday said Schertz declined an enhanced contract offer and extension through 2030. ISU said its offer came after a "record-breaking fundraising effort." Last October, ISU extended Schertz's contract through 2028 and enhanced his salary to $365,000 with incentives.

"The generous financial support of Sycamore donors made it possible for Indiana State University to offer Coach Schertz more than any other coach has ever been paid at Indiana State," ISU President Deborah Curtis said in a university news release Saturday. "Coach Schertz's leadership has been the driving force behind rebuilding and elevating our NCAA Division I men's basketball program and the team's success this year. We wish him the best in his future endeavors."

Schertz came to Indiana State three years ago from Lincoln Memorial, a NCAA Division II school in Harrogate, Tenn., where he won 337 games and reached the DII Final Four three times.

In his first Division I job at ISU, he went 66-40.

"On behalf of Sycamore Athletics, I want to thank Coach Schertz for elevating Indiana State basketball and for the excitement he's brought to our program," ISU interim Athletic Director Angie Lansing said in a statement. "Our student-athletes have garnered national attention under his leadership. We wish him the best in his next coaching opportunity."

The program wasn't glamorous for all three years of his ISU tenure.

Two-year player at ISU and three-year player at Lincoln Memorial, former Sycamore Cameron Henry went through thick and thin with Schertz.

"I'm very proud of coach Schertz," Henry said. "The decision he made wasn't an easy one. At the end of the day I feel he did what's right for his career and his family. Saint Louis is obviously offering more money and more resources. They got the bells and whistles for him but Indiana State gotta realize that all good things come to an end. They went on a massive run and the community was behind [them], the community doesn't have to stop backing up the team like they were just because coach Schertz is leaving or some players are leaving. I think they should keep rallying behind Indiana State — that brought a lot to Terre Haute.

"He was the rock that held Terre Haute together in a matter of three years," Henry added.

After going 11-20 in his first year, the team had a rapid rebound last year to 23-13.

Schertz headed up a high-octane offense that went 32-7 this year as the team's trajectory skyrocketed when they jumped into the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1979.

The team clinched its first outright regular season Missouri Valley Conference title in 24 years and advanced to the MVC tourney final for the first time since 2014.

The team nearly ended the school's 13-year NCAA tournament hiatus with an at-large bid, but were the first four left out of the Field of 68.

The Sycamores were coached by Greg Lansing before Schertz became the 26th coach of the program.

Lansing was one of four coaches at the ISU helm since 1997: the late Royce Waltman from 1998-07, Kevin McKenna from 2008-10 and Lansing from 2011-21 and then Schertz. Lansing served as an assistant at ISU from 1995-99, and again from 2006-10.

Prior to taking the helm at ISU, Schertz spent 13 seasons at Lincoln Memorial, where he led the Railsplitters to 10 NCAA Division II national tournaments, including an appearance in the 2016 NCAA Division II national championship game. He finished 337-69 in his first head coaching position.

"I am thrilled to welcome Josh, his wife, Natalia, and sons, Jordan and Jaden to the Billiken family," said May, the Billikens AD. "Coach Schertz has had considerable success throughout his career in the areas connected to our strategic objectives and values. He educates, competes and builds community at championship levels.

"The expectations at SLU are to compete for championships and to advance in the NCAA Tournament," May added. "Josh's teams win at a high level and compete for championships while performing at an elite level of offensive and defensive efficiencies. They compete with a disciplined focus and toughness that elite teams possess. Josh is a dynamic leader who will build a championship basketball program that the entire Billiken community will be proud of."

Schertz will replace Travis Ford at SLU, who went 146-109 in eight years as coach.

SLU went 13-20 and 5-12 in the Atlantic 10 Conference this season and fell to tourney champion Duquesne in the second round.

The Billikens have played in the NCAA tournament five times since the turn of the millennium: 2000, 2012, 2013, 2014 and most recently in 2019.

SLU went to the NIT in 2021 and 2022.

"We are delighted to welcome Josh Schertz to the Billiken family," Pestello, the SLU president, said. "Coach Schertz has a style of leadership that aligns with SLU's values and our fans' expectations — he is focused on creating community, supporting the development of each student-athlete, and building high levels of success on the court and in the classroom.

"Saint Louis University's basketball program is a special source of pride for the SLU community and the St. Louis region," Pestello added. "In coach Schertz we have the right person to lead it. We are eager to watch his impact as he takes the helm."

One of Lansing's and Schertz's former players chimed in on this decision.

"I'm happy for him and his family," said Kailex Stephens, who finished playing for ISU in 2023. "When he first got to ISU a lot of people questioned if he was good enough to coach DI coming from DII. And within that time frame of being at ISU I think he's certainly shown that he can coach with the best of them. Although coach's stay at ISU was short, I think the impact he has on ISU and the community is nothing short of the best.

"The love and support that he has received and reciprocated is tremendous," Stephens added. "Coach Schertz came in and put ISU on the map, literally. So as a former player of Schertz and now a fan, I just want to say thank you coach Schertz. I wish him nothing but the best at his next gig and know that he will have the same impact and success wherever he goes."

Following a 79-77 loss to Seton Hall in the NIT championship on Thursday in Indianapolis' Hinkle Fieldhouse, Schertz addressed the media in the press game conference with the decision weighing on his mind.

And he added that some of the Sycamores with remaining eligibility still have a decision to make for next season.

"There's too many things pulling at you," Schertz said Thursday of why he would wait until the weekend to render his decision. "I won't have a chance [until then] to decompress, turn my phone off and sit down and think about what's best for me. And certainly these guys will all have decisions to make as well."

None of the five starters graduate and only two players that started games on the bench, Jake Wolfe and Xavier Bledson, have completed their eligibility.