Coaching: A Family Matter
“I remember being in the Centerville gym watching practices after school and always wanting to shoot on the side basket,” recalls Drew Schauss, thinking back to his dad, Rick Schauss’s practices at Centerville. “I understood when he was talking I better not be making a sound. He was intense and passionate, which I feel has carried over into my coaching style. He loved his players and they knew he would do anything for them.”
Drew and brother Matt Schauss are the head coaches of Logansport and Columbia City respectively. Perhaps it’s not a surprise that both are head coaches, since they remember fondly their childhood when their dad was leading his own program. And living in the gym came with the territory. “We spent countless hours in the gym. Enough where people thought he was forcing us in there, but we loved it.”
And sibling competitive spirit was alive and well in their formative years, too. “1 on 1 games typically turned into fights.” Matt chimes in. “Drew was an early bloomer and I was a late bloomer, so the games were pretty lopsided up until we were both in college. Eventually, we were able to play to get better and work on things rather than find a winner and loser, but it took some time!”
Teammates in high school and then for a year in college were some of the best times for the whole family. Drew says that year when he transferred to play with his brother at Bethel, the two had become the closest they had ever been, and their parents savored each moment. Rick says that “some of my best memories are sitting with my wife at high school, AAU, and college games watching them play the game they love.”
And now Rick has a front row seat to their coaching endeavors. Literally, in the case of Matt, whom Rick helps as a varsity assistant. “I don’t think I encouraged them with a decision to go into coaching. It just seemed like it was a natural progression in their lives. They love sports and basketball especially.”
Sure, a lot of time has passed since Rick was winning games at Hagerstown and Centerville, but much of what led to his success has benefited both sons in their early coaching endeavors. “I think one of my biggest similarities of my dads would be teaching motion offense,” explains Drew. “He loved IU basketball, so how Bob Knight ran their motion is something I am passionate about teaching as a coach. I think a thing we all have in common is keeping the game simple.” While Drew sees the commonality with his Dad’s style on the offensive end, he sees Matt employ his dad’s defensive style a little more, with periodic aggressiveness and trapping. “They both have a really good feel for teaching and implementing that and mixing their defenses up, while I stick to a more traditional packline defense.”
Coaching is a people business. All three coaches mentioned the importance of creating strong relationships with players. From Rick: “I think we all three understand that creating relationships leads to success. The players will see us as role models and respect the work ethic and dedication to them, the sport and the school.”
Relationships. Competitive spirit. Passion. Intensity. Modeled by Dad and now instilled into two sons on the fast track to coaching success in Indiana High School Basketball. “Both are natural leaders and work so well with young people,” Rick concludes. “I would have been proud of them no matter what profession they chose, but still being able to watch them around basketball is awesome.”
Feel for the Game 