Following up on something that HoopDirt.com published earlier this week. Here’s the official statement from D’Youville on the departure of head men’s basketball coach Earl Schunk:
Earl Schunk, head coach of the D’Youville men’s basketball program will retire on May 27, he announced Tuesday. His decision will leave the men’s basketball team with their first new head coach since 2011.
“My time here at D’Youville University has reached its natural conclusion,” stated Schunk. “Twelve years ago, I officially sent my papers retiring as a teacher and coach with the Buffalo Public School after 33 years. At that time, I wasn’t sure I would work anywhere full time again, much less stay anywhere long enough to retire again. Then I found D’Youville and have enjoyed every minute of my 11 years here.”
Prior to his arrival at D’Youville, Schunk was a successful high school coach in Western New York for 21 seasons. His last season as a highs school coach in 2011 has Schunk lead the Tapestry Charter School to a record of 17-4 and the Section VI Class C finals – the first charter school in Western New York to ever advance that far in the playoffs. That season, Schunk’s Tapestry team led all Section VI high school teams in scoring, averaging 81.6 points per game.
Before Tapestry, Schunk was the varsity coach at Grover Cleveland High School from 1998-2020, compiling a 165-64 record and a pair of Buffalo Public School championships in 2004 and 2008. In 2004, his Presidents won the Section VI Class A Championships and advanced all the way to the New York State Public High School Championship’s Final Four. That campaign saw Schunk win Section VI Coach of the Year honors from the Basketball Coaches Association of New York.
“Coaching college basketball was a great experience;” Schunk continued. “I loved the competition and I always felt our program and school have been doing things the right way. Now, with the transition to Division II, it is time to step away and watch the program thrive at this new level. The foundation has been set. We have an excellent group of young players that are primed to take the next step and I’ll be closely following their development.”
Schunk arrived at D’Youville in 2011 and has created a name for himself in the red and black. During his first year at DYU, Schunk led the program to its first Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Tournament berth, as well as ranking in the top-25 nationally in points per game, blocked shots, steals, and turnover margin. The squad his first year set several program scoring records, including averaging the most points per game during D’Youville’s NCAA-era and eclipsing the 100-point mark in four of the team’s games. Individually, the then-Spartans had three players rank in the top-10 nationally for the first time in program history. Schunk’s first year also had three players picked to all-conference teams for the first time since joining the AMCC.
The 2018-19 season saw Schunk’s squad earn an AMCC playoff berth, as the team also led the league in scoring and produced the conference’s leading scorer and rebounder. For the sixth-straight season, the team received the College Basketball Officials Association of America’s Academic Excellence Award for their overall grade-point average. That season, the team was also awarded the AMCC Peak Performer Award – an award bestowed upon the men’s basketball team with the highest team GPA. In the 2019-20 campaign, Schunk saw six members of his squad named to the Academic All-AMCC Team, and saw Devon Darrell earn AMCC Player of the Week honors.
“I am grateful for the years of leadership that Coach Schunk has given to the Saints’ men’s basketball program and the University,” said Director of Athletics Ona Halladay. “Earl’s commitment to the person inside of every student-athlete is something I admire most about him, and what I believe makes him unique. I want to thank Earl for all he has done for D’Youville and I wish him the best in his next adventure.”
D’Youville began its transition to NCAA Division II competition in 2020. In their first year of the transition, Schunk guided the Saints through uncharted waters, competing against competitive Division II teams and in the East Coast Conference. The season featured a 94-80 season-opening victory over Villa Maria.
“This is an outstanding university, with many great people,” stated Schunk. “I thank all of them for making my second career so enjoyable. I especially want to thank Coach Haskell for being there all 11 years, and Coaches Heard and Camel for doing such a great job the last couple of years. Most importantly, I want to thank all the players whom I had the honor of coaching. The best part of my day was the time I spent with my players. I am proud of our successes on and off the court, and my players really deserve the credit for that. I am proud of the guys that have graduated and are already successful in their careers.”
Schunk will be remembered for his dedication and love of D’Youville University. He will also be remembered for his dedication to his student-athletes. When asked about his plans, Schunk is sure he’ll be involved in coaching in some capacity.
“My competitive fires are still burning,” said Schunk. “We will have to see what God has planned next for me. My official last day at D’Youville is in May, but I’m sure I’ll be stopping by from time-to-time. I may change colors someday, but I’ll always be a Saint.”
