Notables

Wheaton (Ill.) will have a familiar face at the helm of its men’s basketball program next season, as alumnus Mike Schauer returns as the team’s head coach.

Schauer, who has spent the past seven years as men’s basketball coach at Gordon, replaced Bill Harris, who announced his retirement in March after 18 years and 320 wins at Wheaton, 447 overall.

Schauer began his head coaching tenure in 2000 with two seasons at Eastern. In nine years as a collegiate head coach Schauer has posted a 129-59 career record (.686).

"Mike is an excellent choice for Wheaton, from every perspective: in terms of the basketball component, his ability to serve as a mentor and his skills as a proven leader," said Wheaton athletic director Tony Ladd. "We had an outstanding pool of applicants, however, Mike rose to the top in the process. He brings a familiarity to Wheaton and has a proven track record of success as a head coach at the Division III level."

Schauer earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Wheaton in 1993, after a four-year career in the men’s basketball program. A team captain as a senior, Schauer ranked first at Wheaton in career three-point field goals made (171) and third in career assists (290) at the time of his graduation. During seven years as Harris’ assistant, the program enjoyed seven consecutive winning seasons and earned three NCAA tournament bids.

In seven seasons at Gordon, Schauer turned around a program that had achieved only five winning campaigns in the 30 previous seasons. His 2005-06 team made the Division III NCAA Tournament, as Gordon finished that season with a school-record 23 victories by compiling a 23-5 record.

Schauer assumes a Wheaton program that posted a 26-4 record last season, advancing to the NCAA Division III sectionals for the second consecutive year. Three starters are slated to return for Wheaton next year with senior All-CCIW guard Ben Panner and forward Jake Carwell coming back for the Thunder. Forward Tim McCrary also returns following a freshman campaign that saw him earn recognition as the D3hoops.com Midwest Region Rookie of the Year.