Schmotzer brothers to be inducted into Coker Athletics Hall of Fame
Coker College will induct Dan and Dave Schmotzer into the Coker College Athletics Hall of Fame on February 11, 2017.
In a unanimous decision by the Coker Hall of Fame selection committee, the Schmotzer brothers, who both retired from coaching following the 2015-16 season, will each become two-time members of the Coker Hall of Fame. Dan was previously inducted with his 1987-88 men’s basketball team in 2012, while Dave was inducted with his 1994 baseball team in 2010.
The induction will take place during Coker’s 2017 Homecoming Weekend. A ceremony and dinner is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11 in the DeLoach Center, with the presentation given by vice president of athletics and athletic facilities, Dr. Lynn Griffin and president, Dr. Robert Wyatt. In addition to the formal Hall of Fame ceremony, there will be a Hall of Fame Bowling Challenge between Dr. Wyatt and Dave Schmotzer on Friday, Feb. 10 at Lakeview Country Club.
“We are very excited and honored to induct Dan and Dave, once again, into our hall of fame,” Griffin said. “These two have made a significant impact on Coker, and more specifically Coker athletics, and we look forward to celebrating both of their phenomenal careers.”
After nearly 30 years, the Schmotzer coaching era at Coker College came to an end in July 2016. Dan had been Coker’s head men’s basketball coach since 1987, while brother Dave joined the Cobra staff as baseball coach in 1992.
The longest tenured coach in Coker history, Dan compiled a record of 374-412 and coached multiple all-conference, all-region and All-American players, including four members of the Coker Athletics Hall of Fame; Dennis Woolfolk, Ray Henry, Monty Carr and Dan Shanks, Coker’s most decorated men’s basketball player.
In 1994, Dan earned conference coach of the year honors after leading his team to the Carolinas Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (CIAC) regular season title. His 1994-95 team won a school-record 10 straight games, and they were ranked No. 14 nationally in Division II.
In addition to his success on the basketball court, Dan spent six years as the head men’s golf coach at Coker from 1998-2003. He led the Cobras to three NCAA South/Southeast Regional appearances and Chris Taylor qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championship as an individual in 2002 and 2003. In 2003, he was awarded region coach of the year honors.
Dan, along with his entire 1987-88 men’s basketball team, was inducted into the Coker Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012. The 87-88 season marked Dan’s first at Coker, and the first time the men’s program reached 20 wins win a season. The Cobras finished the season with a record of 21-8, the best record in school history at the time. The Cobras made their first-ever trip to the NAIA District 6 postseason tournament and finished the season ranked No. 12 in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just under 64 points per game.
Dave became Coker’s first head baseball coach in 1992, leading the Cobras to a record of 652-513-2 during his tenure. At the time of his retirement, he was ranked No. 18 among winningest active coaches in NCAA Division II with a career record of 737-553-2.
Under Dave, the Cobras captured seven conference titles, three conference tournament titles, and finished as tournament runner-up twice. The Cobras advanced to the NAIA World Series in 1994 and to the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2013.
Dave was named conference coach of the year five times and was named region coach of the year twice. He coached two MLB Draft picks, John Crowther (1994, 2nd Rd.) and Zach Loraine (2013, 21st Rd.), while numerous players went on to sign free agent and independent league contracts during his time at Coker.
In 2010, Dave along with his entire 1994 team, were inducted into the Coker Athletics Hall of Fame. In just the second year of the program’s existence, the 1994 baseball team finished the season with a record of 48-12. The team was ranked as high as No. 3 and finished the season ranked No. 6 in the national NAIA poll. The Cobras won the CIAC Tournament, the NAIA Mid-East Regional and earned a berth in the 1994 NAIA College World Series in Des Moines, Iowa. The team’s Regional Championship and trip to the College World Series were firsts in Coker baseball history.
In 2013, Dave and the Cobras returned to the national stage once again as the baseball team advanced to the NCAA DII National Championship for the first time in the history of the program. The Cobras finished the season ranked No. 3 in the nation with a record of 38-16. They won the 2013 Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship and the 2013 NCAA Southeast Region Baseball Tournament. Coker was one of the final eight teams to advance to the NCAA DII Baseball National Championship in Cary, N.C.
In addition to Dave’s success on the diamond, since 2009 he has taken his talents to the bowling lanes in an annual bowling challenge against Coker president, Dr. Robert Wyatt. Each year the two square off in a single bowling match. If Dave wins, Wyatt makes a personal donation to the baseball program, while if Wyatt is victorious; the baseball team gets a reprieve from its fall two-mile run. In the seven years of the challenge, Wyatt holds a hefty 8-1 record over Dave. Even though Dave has retired from coaching, the two still plan on competing in this annual event.
The brothers are natives of Cleveland, Ohio. They both attended St. Edward’s University in Texas, where they were two-sport athletes playing basketball and baseball. After graduating from St. Edward’s, they returned to Cleveland where they began their careers at Trinity High School. Thanks to the flip of a coin, Dan became the basketball coach and Dave the baseball coach. After five seasons at Trinity, the Schmotzers returned to Texas to begin their collegiate coaching careers at Texas Christian University. They both spent 10 years as assistant coaches for the Horn Frogs. In addition to both being members of the Coker Athletics Hall of Fame, both were inducted into the Trinity High School Hall of Fame in 1996, and they were inducted into the Padua Franciscan High School Hall of Fame in 2010.
