Terri Schumacher's Titans
were 7-18 this past season, 1-15 in the WIAC. UW-Oshkosh athletics photo |
Terri Schumacher, who led the Titans to a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship in 2006, stepped down Friday as the head women’s basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Schumacher will remain as a member of the UW-Oshkosh athletics staff until her movement into a full-time position with the UW-Oshkosh Student Recreation & Wellness Center in July. A national search will be held to find the next head coach, with an announcement expected by July 1.
The Titans were 71-107 (.399) in Shumacher's seven seasons.
Schumacher made a name for herself in Oshkosh with success as a
student-athlete, high school coach and collegiate coach. The
1985 Division III All-American followed Pam Ruder as
UW-Oshkosh’s head coach in 2006. During her first season,
the Titans posted a 19-8 record that included a 12-4 league mark
for a share of the WIAC title.
The 2006 season featured a 7-1 start. UW-Oshkosh then recorded
five straight victories in January to climb up the league
standings. In the regular-season finale, the Titans rallied for a
61-58 overtime win over UW-Platteville to clinch the
co-championship. UW-Oshkosh then went 1-1 in the WIAC Tournament,
including a 68-58 loss to UW-Stevens Point in the semifinal
round.
“I have enjoyed my coaching time at UW-Oshkosh,”
Schumacher said. “I was blessed to work with some talented
athletes during my tenure. I leave knowing that I have left a group
of talented athletes with a sound base to build on.”
Schumacher’s second-best season was 2011. UW-Oshkosh
finished fifth in the WIAC with a 7-9 record (12-14 overall). The
Titans ranked first in the nation, ahead of 423 other teams, with
78.6-percent accuracy on free throws. Schumacher also coached the
best three-point shooting team (43.8 percent) in the NCAA Division
III during 2006.
Six players under Schumacher earned All-WIAC first team accolades,
including Whitney Tyriver who was a selection in both 2007 and
2008. Other women receiving All-WIAC status were Shelby Churchill
(2011), Shannon Eggers (2006), Brittany Herrick (2006), Becky Knapp
(2007) and Kelly O’Keefe (2006).
"Terri has served UW-Oshkosh with the utmost pride, integrity and
professionalism during the past seven years," said UW-Oshkosh
athletic director Darryl Sims. "Most important has been Terri's
commitment to the student-athletes that she coached. She always
conducted her program with the player's best interest in mind,
academically, athletically and personally."
Schumacher not only strived for excellence on the court, but in
the classroom as well. From 2007 to 2011, Schumacher’s team
improved its cumulative grade-point average from 2.93 to 3.31.
Schumacher’s record includes a 59-42 upset over 10th-ranked
UW-Stevens Point on Jan. 26, 2008.
Prior to taking over at UW-Oshkosh, Schumacher coached the girls
basketball team at Oshkosh West High School for 13 years. Her final
six seasons with the Wildcats were highlighted by a 131-35 record
and Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 1 state
titles in 2003 and 2004. Schumacher remains one of four female
coaches to win a Division 1 championship in the past 30 years.
Schumacher also coached girls basketball at Plymouth High School
from 1987-92, compiling a record of 69-44.
Following graduation from Plymouth High School in 1981, Schumacher
attended UW-La Crosse and played basketball for the Eagles during
the 1982 and 1983 campaigns. She then transferred to UW-Oshkosh and
played for the Titans the next two years.
At UW-Oshkosh, Schumacher immediately became one of the dominant
players in the WIAC and the NCAA Division III. In 1984, she
received All-WIAC first team honors after averaging a
league-leading 23.8 points per game. In an 82-70 loss to UW-Green
Bay, Schumacher scored 41 points and made 19 field goals to
establish a pair of school records.
In 1985, Schumacher led the Titans to an 18-8 record and their
first WIAC championship. Schumacher received Division III
All-America first team honors and was selected National Player of
the Year by the American Women’s Sports Federation. She
gained all-league accolades while averaging WIAC-highs of 27.3
points and 5.1 steals. Schumacher concluded her UW-Oshkosh career
by scoring 40 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in an 85-69 victory
over UW-Whitewater.
Schumacher scored 1,209 points during her 47 games with the
Titans. Her scoring output is the eighth-best in school history.
The 1986 UW-Oshkosh graduate was inducted into the school’s
Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996.