Reports: Schertz leaving ISU for St. Louis

Apr. 5—Indiana State University head basketball coach Josh Schertz appears headed to St. Louis.

Several news organizations early Friday evening reported Schertz had accepted Saint Louis University's offer and had informed his ISU squad in an afternoon team meeting.

A source close to the Sycamores program told the Tribune-Star that Schertz had indeed informed his team of his coming departure.

Stu Durando of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch appeared to be the first to break the story.

SLU, a Catholic University founded in 1818, had reportedly put an offer on the table before Schertz valued at around $2 million per year for six years.

Even into Friday afternoon, speculation continued to swirl around the plans of Schertz after his team lost a 79-77 heartbreaker to Seton Hall on Thursday night in the National Invitation Tournament final inside Indianapolis' Hinkle Fieldhouse.

In an interview before Thursday's game, Schertz didn't discuss any particular potential move — such as a possible move to Saint Louis — but said he'd be deciding by Friday or, at the latest, Saturday.

ISU enhanced Schertz's contract in Terre Haute last fall, boosting it to $365,000 annually with incentives, according to Tribune-Star reporting in October. But other Missouri Valley Conference coaches earn considerably more.

Still, efforts to supplement Schertz's contract through donations to the ISU Foundation had been ongoing and were said to have lifted his compensation in the range of the MVC's top-paid coaches had he stayed in Terre Haute.

Also, donations to the men's basketball fund in the ISU's Crossroad of Champions NIL collective — the group organizing fundraising to compensate student-athletes for uses of their names, images and likenesses under the new NCAA system — have grown to $270,000, John Newton — the longtime former ISU administrator who serves in the volunteer role of the Crossroad of Champions chairman — said Friday.

Those NIL funds help colleges retain student-athletes, who can now move more easily to other schools via the NCAA transfer portal. Improved NIL opportunities can keep players and thus also help schools keep coaches.

All five of ISU starters — Robbie Avila, Julian Larry, Ryan Conwell, Jayson Kent and Isaiah Swope — were eligible to return as Sycamores for 2024-25. Whether they will now follow Schertz to St. Louis via the transfer portal or perhaps head elsewhere is an unknown at present.

ISU hasn't responded to requests for comments regarding renegotiation of Schertz's contract and SLU had declined comment through Friday afternoon.

Saint Louis had let go previous coach Travis Ford after eight seasons, including this season's finish of 13-20 overall and 5-13 in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Last month, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reported that SLU, a private Jesuit research institution, paid Ford $2.45 million for the 2021-22 season. It was basing its report on SLU tax forms for the most recent year available.

In an interview with the Tribune-Star just hours before Thursday's tipoff, Schertz said he understood why many people in Terre Haute were eagerly awaiting his choice.

"I'll probably have a decision by tomorrow [Friday] or Saturday at the latest," he said after the game. "I don't want to drag it out.

"I want to be able to give resolution to all parties, maybe myself as much as anybody. But understand, whatever I decide, I'm going to make some people happy, make some people upset, but ultimately once I get a decision, everybody can move forward. That's the hope."

The speculation and intense interest hasn't been easy for Schertz as he worked to coach ISU through a MVC tournament disappointment in losing the title game, and the automatic NCAA berth that goes with that championship, to Drake.

Then the Sycamores were passed over for an at-large bid by the NCAA Selection Committee for the Big Dance. But Schertz guided the hard-working team to the NIT title game and finished with a 32-7 season record.

ISU landed Schertz after he'd turned unheralded Lincoln Memorial University into a NCAA Division II power in Tennessee.

Despite his success there, he didn't draw much Division I interest until ISU came calling in 2021. Schertz compiled a 13-year mark of 337-69 at LMU and has gone 66-39 at ISU in three seasons.

"This was the right opportunity at the right time," he said of ISU. "[But] I've never had the level of stuff that's gone on here the last month. I'll say this, I'm glad it's about to be over.

"These things [from the] outside looking in are fun for people to speculate, and everybody gets in a search season and who's going where. But when you're involved in it, it's not nearly as much fun as it is for people on the outside. I can assure you."

Tribune-Star reporters Hunter Tickel and Mark Fitton contributed to this report.

Mark Bennett can be reached at 812-231-4377 or mark.bennett@tribstar.com.