Indiana State University and Head Men’s Basketball Coach Josh Schertz have agreed to a contract extension that will keep Schertz in the Blue and White through the 2027-28 season.
“Coach Schertz has made a positive impact on our men’s basketball program at Indiana State since his arrival two years ago. Off the court, he is a positive influence in our community and his student-athletes’ lives. We are pleased to have Coach Schertz lead our men’s basketball team as we eagerly anticipate the start of this upcoming season,” Indiana State University President Deborah Curtis said.
“My family and I were thrilled to be approached with this contract extension, and we sincerely appreciate those on campus and in the greater ISU community who made it possible. We are grateful for the empowering leadership of our administration, the opportunity to work alongside of such a talented staff, the support and passion of our incredible fans and of course the commitment and hard work of the players we are blessed to be able to coach. It’s an honor to be the caretaker of this storied program and we will continue striving for growth in pursuit of bringing championships to Indiana State and to the Terre Haute community,” Schertz said.
Schertz enters his third season as the head coach in 2023-24 after guiding Indiana State to a 23-13 record with a 13-7 mark in Missouri Valley Conference action–a 12-win improvement overall and nine-win improvement in the Valley from year one to year two. He was the MVC Coach of the Year Runner-Up and a Skip Prosser Award Finalist. Schertz led the Sycamores to their first postseason appearance since 2014 and first postseason win since 2001 after defeating USC Upstate in the First Round of the CBI.
ISU’s 23 wins were the most by the Sycamores since 2013-14 and tied for the most since 1978-79, while the 13 conference wins were the most by a Sycamore team dating back to the 1999-2000 season (third-most in program history). In the postseason, the Sycamores advanced to their first ArchMadness semifinal round since 2021 and fifth since 2011. Schertz’s 2022-23 team set a program record for 3-pointers in a single season (340) and led the Valley in scoring and field goal percentage.
“Josh has shown in short order that the future is bright for Sycamore basketball. I am very grateful to those that share my optimism by investing in him and our program.” said Athletic Director Sherard Clinkscales.
Additional highlights from the 2022-23 season include ISU’s leading scorer Courvoisier McCauley being named MVC Newcomer of the year, marking just the third Sycamore ever to win the award and the first since 1988. Three additional Sycamores earned All-Conference recognition as Cameron Henry was named All-Conference Third Team, Robbie Avila All-Freshman Team, and Julian Larry All-Defensive Team.
Not only did the Sycamores perform well on the court in Schertz’s second year, they also performed well in the classroom, garnering NABC Team Academic Excellence Award honors.
Schertz came to Terre Haute after an exceptional 13-year tenure as head coach at NCAA Division II Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee, where he had a career record of 337-69 (.831). Schertz led the Railsplitters to 10 NCAA Division II Tournament appearances, won 14 total conference championships and three Southeast Regional titles, and had five seasons of 30-or-more victories.
Indiana State has officially opened practice in preparation for the upcoming 2023-24 season. The Sycamores will host 14 games inside Hulman Center starting with the November 6 tipoff against St. Mary of the Woods College.
