Josh Schertz seems to have a great sense of humor, so hopefully it won’t offend him (at least not too much) when I point out ºüÀêÊÓƵ University’s new men’s basketball coach looks like he could share some DNA with his new school’s beloved mascot, the Billiken.
Schertz jokes about being short. He jokes about being a little overweight. He jokes about being a lot bald.
When he first encountered a statue of the Billiken during an introductory tour of Chaifetz Arena, he rushed to rub its belly.
See, the guy is fitting right in here.
The Billiken, reminded retiring SLU president Fred Pestello before Schertz was introduced to fans at Chaifetz Arena on Monday morning, is a mythical figure who tries to make the world the way it ought to be.
That mission fits Schertz’s assignment here and now, as a program that could not get over the hump to regain national relevance under former coach Travis Ford must rebound and rise again. (It could happen fast if Schertz brings a good chunk of his Indiana State roster with him via the transfer portal.)
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Schertz’s connection to another SLU mythical figure bodes well for his chances, and it’s actually one of the big reasons he’s here. It’s not the Billiken. It’s Rick Majerus.
Just as iconic as the Billiken in SLU basketball lore is the late Majerus, the Hall of Fame coach who built the Billikens into a legitimate NCAA Tournament threat before his death in December 2012. SLU’s three consecutive third-round NCAA Tournament appearances under Majerus and then Jim Crews, who took over after Majerus’ death, remain the recent high point for the program. Ford made one NCAA Tournament and was bounced in the first round. The Billikens have been shut out since that briefest of dances in 2019.
SLU athletics mega donor Rich Chaifetz called Schertz “a new-era Rick†during the coaching search. There will be things about Schertz that remind folks of Majerus, longtime SLU athletics director Chris May told fans at SLU’s WNIT championship win on Saturday. Industry insiders like Fran Fraschilla and Jay Bilas have said similar things.
Why?
“We obviously shared an affinity for food,†Schertz joked. “And wear cool sweaters. And even have cool hairdos.â€
Don’t let the self-deprecation fool you. Schertz knows ball, loves studying it and draws great fulfillment from teaching it. In stops at Lincoln Memorial University and Indiana State, which are not the easiest places to win, he won nearly 80% of his games. Players love his free-flowing and up-tempo approach to offense. It was the most efficient in the nation last season. And his defense, which gets overlooked and underestimated, finished first in defensive efficiency in the Missouri Valley Conference his Sycamores won.
Early in his discussions with SLU, Schertz shared a story. He repeated it Monday.
Back when he was a broke college student determined to learn, Schertz begged and borrowed his way to attending one of Majerus’ Utah basketball camps. It was the first trip he made with coaching on his mind. He felt compelled to see Majerus work. He wanted to burn every detail into his brain. After those four weeks, he left more enchanted than he was when he decided to go. The basketball pilgrimage proved to him he had found the right path.
“Thought the world of him as a coach,†Schertz said about the career-cementing trip to Mount Majerus. “(I had) no connections at all. Literally scraped together money. Flew to Salt Lake City. Watched him in camp. He would give lectures and talk. I was mesmerized by the whole thing. How brilliant and detailed he was. My God. Insane. I was amazed, listening to him talk basketball.â€
Those Majerus memories came flooding back fast when Schertz heard the Billikens were interested. Many who are either unaware or unwilling to see the upside SLU can offer the right coach have wondered why Schertz didn’t go somewhere “bigger†or wait for a job offer that was “better.†Schertz never felt that way. SLU was good enough for Majerus, and Majerus proved a coach can do great things at SLU.
Let’s not get it twisted. Schertz is not some Majerus Tribute Band. That’s not what this hiring is about. Majerus could be notoriously hard on his guys, on everybody. Times have changed. Schertz calls playing and coaching with joy a “central value†for his program. And unlike Majerus, Schertz won’t be living at Chase Park Plaza. It’s Majerus’ reputation as a basketball savant and the building buzz that Schertz could be another one that causes the comparisons.
“The chance to come in and hopefully culminate some of what he (Majerus) thought this place could be, it’s appealing,†Schertz said.
He had interest from many and a handful of legitimately impressive offers after Indiana State turned a historically brutal NCAA Tournament snub into its NIT runner-up rebound. Louisville was after him. Same for alma mater Florida Atlantic. And who knows what else could have popped up if he waited it out, considering agents knew before the rest of us that John Calipari was leaving Kentucky for Arkansas. A new round of coaching carousel chaos still could come.
Schertz didn’t need to wait any longer. He’s found his fit. His connection to SLU through Majerus was just a beginning, but it made me feel even better about his chances of making Billikens basketball the way it ought to be.