Ed Pastilong, Jerry West, Bob Huggins, Don Nehlen, Gale Catlett and “Hot Rod” Hundley offer their thoughts on former WVU Director of Athletics Fred Schaus, who passed away the evening of February 10, 2010.
For more about Schaus, please visit: http://www.msnsportsnet.com/page.cfm?story=16016
Ed Pastilong:
“Our deepest sympathy goes out to Barbara, a wonderful lady who over the years has been a major part of WVU’s athletic family.”
“We lost one of our finest student-athletes, coaches and administrators in Fred. He was an outstanding player, as evidenced by his induction into our athletic department hall of fame. He coached in one of our finest eras in basketball, and then returned to do an outstanding job of directing our athletic department.”
“We are deeply indebted to his allegiance and service to WVU and our athletic department.”
Jerry West:
“Fred’s passing brings finality to a relationship that began in 1955, when he first came to our house to introduce himself as the coach of West Virginia University. He explained to me that he thought that WVU would be the place for me to attend school and have an opportunity to play basketball. At that point in my life, he was the first coach to show interest in me. I was thrilled beyond words and to this day, I remember much about our meeting. Little did I know what a long-lasting relationship we would have.”
“We shared many incredible experiences, both joyous and painful, during our years together at WVU and then as my coach with the Los Angeles Lakers. As a young man with little experience with the outside world, he became my mentor and sounding board as I progressed as an athlete and as a person.”
“Fred was a humble, spirited competitor and his passion for winning and excellence were qualities about him that I admired. He led a full life. His family and friends were his most important focus during the times that I was closest to him. Fred’s legacy was one of bringing great prominence to West Virginia basketball and in Los Angeles to bringing the Lakers to the attention of all basketball fans.”
“During his period of illness, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Fred and found that he still had that smile and his personality never seemed to change. He will be missed by all who know and love him, especially Barbara and his children. We have lost a great man and for me personally, someone who was so instrumental in my life. I will be forever grateful that he showed a special interest during my formidable years at the university and also his during my very difficult transition to professional basketball. For all of us fortunate enough to have been associated with Fred, he made our lives fuller and had great influence on our successes regardless of where they led us.”
Bob Huggins:
“Fred was everything. I think when Fred coached here they were in the polls for 40-some consecutive weeks, and they were one of the premier teams in college basketball. I don’t know that there are a lot of people that can do the things Fred did in his career.”
“From a great college coach to a great pro coach to a great pro front office guy, then coming back to college and winning at Purdue and then coming back to be a great athletic director here at WVU, he excelled in every area of athletics”
Don Nehlen:
“I was there one year and Fred became our Athletic Director. The thing Fred did, I thought was give our athletic program instant credibility. He was such a nationally known figure, and he was just an outstanding guy to work for and be around.”
“I respected Fred so much. I was a little bit in awe of Fred Schaus, because I had heard so much about him when he came here. Fred was there when we expanded the facilities building and when we expanded the stadium. He did a lot of great things for the university.”
“He was a great decision maker. When you went to Fred with a question, you got a yes or a no before you left his office. Very seldom did you ever get, ‘Well, I don’t know” or ‘I’ll think about it.’ He made a decision. Sometimes you liked it and sometimes you didn’t.”
Gale Catlett:
“Coach Schaus was a great man, a great coach and a great athletic director. He touched and influenced many lives. He exemplified class, dignity and integrity, and he loved West Virginia University. He changed my life entirely when he recruited me out of Hedgesville High School in 1958. We will never forget him.”
“Hot Rod” Hundley:
“Today is a sad day. I am saddened to hear of the death of Coach Schaus. I want to extend my sympathy to a wonderful lady, in Barbara Schaus, and the rest of the family. As a kid, I idolized Fred and remember listening to Jack Fleming broadcast his games while he was playing for WVU. Fred was one of the best players, and I looked up to him.”
“I felt fortunate to play for Fred at both WVU and in the pros with the Lakers. I always respected Fred as a coach because he had played the game at the highest level. He was a good coach, a great coach and he knew the game forward and backward.”
“He was a no nonsense coach, but I learned years later that he secretly enjoyed all the things I did as a player at WVU. He always told me, ‘I don’t care if you drop kick the ball out of the building, but we better be up by 20 when you do.’ Fred taught me that the game was the most important thing. He never did anything to jeopardize the game.”
-WVU-
02/11/10