St. Bonaventure head men’s basketball coach Mark Schmidt will retire at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, he announced today after the Bonnies game with Davidson at Reilly Center.
“I’m a lucky guy. To be able to be the head coach at St. Bonaventure for 19 years is an honor,” Schmidt stated. “When I first got the job, I remember someone telling me I was going to be here for three or four years and then I was going to be selling insurance. I give Steve Watson and Sister Margaret Carney all the credit in the world that they took a chance on me 19 years ago. A guy who was 82-90 at Robert Morris and they allowed me to coach, they allowed us to build a program, and I think it was a pretty good one.”
Schmidt retires as the winningest coach in program history, with 339 career victories, three NCAA appearances, three NIT appearances, two regular-season A-10 championships and two A-10 tournament championships.
“Mark is one of the most consequential figures in the history of St. Bonaventure and leaves a lasting impact on our program and our university,” said Bob Beretta, vice president and director of Athletics. “Mark will forever be viewed as one of the most prominent individuals in the history of St. Bonaventure’s storied basketball heritage. The legacy Mark has authored is simply astounding.
“I’d like to congratulate Mark on a spectacular coaching career. We are immensely grateful for all he has done to return the St. Bonaventure basketball program to national distinction. Mark Schmidt will long be remembered as one of the legendary figures in St. Bonaventure basketball lore. And the impact Mark and his wife, Anita, have made in the local community has been equally transformative. They will be missed but never forgotten.”
Schmidt has led a multi-decade revival of the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball program, assuming control of the Bonnies during a turbulent period and bringing the university’s brand back into national prominence.
Since taking over the team in 2007-08, Schmidt led the Bonnies to two Atlantic 10 regular-season championships (co-champ 2016, 2021) and two A-10 tournament championships (2012, 2021). He was named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2021. Schmidt tallied 20 or more wins in seven seasons, including three of his last five seasons at SBU.
Schmidt led St. Bonaventure to seven postseason appearances during his tenure, including three NCAA Tournament appearances in 2012, 2018 and 2021. SBU made three NIT appearances under Schmidt, making the semifinals in 2022 with three straight road wins against power conference opponents.
“It is impossible to overstate the impact Mark has had on our university – building a program from its lowest depths and putting St. Bonaventure back on the national map,” said Dr. Jeff Gingerich, university president. “We wish Mark and his family nothing but the best and we will always be proud of Mark and the legacy he and Anita leave at St. Bonaventure.”
Men’s basketball general manager Adrian Wojnarowski said: “As an alum, I have great admiration for how Mark overcame so many challenges to resurrect our program. The success and foundation he built was one of the reasons I came back. Ours is a proud basketball heritage, and he leaves sitting among the giants of St. Bonaventure basketball. We should all be grateful for what he has meant to this place.”
Schmidt’s 339 wins shattered the previous record of 209 set by Larry Weise, which stood for over four decades. He tallied 170 Atlantic 10 wins at St. Bonaventure, the fifth-most in conference history.
Under Schmidt’s tutelage, 10 Bonnies have garnered first team All-Atlantic 10 selections. Only two A-10 programs have had more first-team honorees during Schmidt’s tenure. Andrew Nicholson (’12) and Jaylen Adams (’18) were each named Atlantic 10 Player of the Year under Schmidt.
Schmidt’s program developed professional players at a high clip, with 33 of Schmidt’s former players signing professional contracts after their time at St. Bonaventure. Two Bonnies — Nicholson and Adams — went on to play in the NBA after four years under Schmidt.
A national search for St. Bonaventure’s next head coach will begin immediately.
OFFICIAL: Schmidt “retires” as Head Basketball Coach at St. Bonaventure
