JERSEY CITY, NJ…After a distinguished 40 years at
New Jersey City University, including the last 30 as Director of Athletics,
LAWRENCE R. SCHINER (Manalapan, NJ) has announced he will call it a career and officially retire, effective July 1, 2007. One of the longest-serving athletic directors in the nation at any level,
Schiner, who has served in that capacity since 1977, is only the third athletics director in the history of the University.
"I feel I did the best I could to develop the athletics and intramural programs in my 30 years as athletics director," said Schiner. "It is time for new leadership and philosophy to continue the growth and development of the program."
"Over the years, I've worked with many outstanding coaches and support staff in the athletics department. Success is dependent on good people working with you, and I was fortunate to have so many people that contributed so much to improve our program. I will certainly miss the excitement of competition, the interaction with the student-athletes and working with our dedicated staff. I wish the University and athletic department continued growth and success in all future endeavors."
In 30 years as Director of Athletics at NJCU, Schiner has been the chief architect of unprecedented growth and improvement in Gothic Knight intercollegiate sports.
Dr. Carlos Hernández, President of NJCU, said: "Over the past 40 years, Larry has been a consistent and strong advocate in helping the University administration recognize the value of our Intercollegiate Athletics Program. During Larry's long tenure our programs have been consistently competitive, but even more importantly, under his leadership young men and women have matured and developed into responsible and productive citizens. His emphasis on community outreach programming may be one of his more lasting legacies as Athletics Director."
During his tenure, Schiner has spearheaded development of the John J. Moore Athletics & Fitness Center, supervised the development of the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex, initiated the athletic department's extensive community outreach projects and services program, launched the athletics Hall of Fame, and served with distinction on New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) committees.
Schiner was named director of athletics in the Summer of 1977 after serving as head men's basketball coach and assistant athletic director under Tom Gerrity. During his nine seasons as head basketball coach, he became at that time the winningest coach in the program's history with 133 wins. Two of his teams were selected to participate in the NCAA College Division Championship Tournament. Five of his Gothic Knight teams reached post-season play and the 1973 and 1974 squads claimed back-to-back New Jersey State College Athletic Conference (NJSCAC) titles.
He earned NJSCAC Coach of the Year honors in 1968 and 1973, and was inducted into NJCU's Athletic Hall of Fall as a coach in 1980. In 1982, he was presented with the Jersey City State College Honorary Alumni Award. He also served as NJCU's men's tennis coach for three seasons (1968-70), after initially coming to the college in September 1967.
Schiner is co-founder and past president of both the Collegiate Athletic Administrators of New Jersey (CAANJ) and the New Jersey Collegiate Basketball Coaches Association (NJCBCA), performing a term as president of the NJCBCA in 1976-77 and of the CAANJ in 1986-87.
Schiner was instrumental in the formation of the New Jersey Athletic Conference and served as its first president from 1985 through 1987. He served as president of the NJSCAC (New Jersey State College Athletic Conference), the precursor of the NJAC from 1982 until the inception of the NJAC in 1985.
Active on the national and regional levels, Schiner served on the NCAA Council/Division III Steering Committee from 1993-97 and was a member of the Division III Task Force that reviewed the NCAA membership structure and Division III philosophy statement. He also served on the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Committee (1991-97), the NCAA Division III Championships Committee, and both the NCAA Nominating and Interpretations Committees. From 1991-97, he was chair of the Mid-Atlantic Division III Men's Basketball Committee. Additionally, he was a member of the Hudson County Sports Hall of Fame Committee.
Presently, Schiner is the chair of the ECAC Championships Committee and Eastern Regional Football Selection Committee. He served on the ECAC Eligibility Committee from 1987 through 1992, chairing the committee in 1991-92. He recently completed a three-year term on the ECAC Board of Directors, and has served on numerous other ECAC committees. Schiner is also an active member of the NACDA, and was a member of NACDA Kickoff Classic Host Committee for the annual Kickoff Classic College Football game at the Meadowlands which concluded following the 2002 season.
"Larry Schiner has served NJCU with a dedication and passion that has never wavered in supporting the University's mission," said Dr. John Melendez, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs. "His commitment to excellence is the hallmark of his career, as he consistently challenges student-athletes to excel both on the field and in the classroom. Larry may be retiring but his influence on the athletics program at the University will remain for generations."
Schiner's influence across college athletics has earned him an array of prestigious honors during his five-decade career, including two this academic year. On April 10, he received the 2007 Distinguished Service Award from the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association. On January 28, the New Jersey Sports Writers Association bestowed him with its Meritorious Service to New Jersey Collegiate Athletics award.
More awards were bestowed upon Schiner during the 2003-04 academic year, as he was selected as the 2003-04 Division III Southeast Region NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics) AD of the Year.
He earned the 2003 Jostens-ECAC Male Administrator of the Year—presented annually to athletics administrators from ECAC member schools in recognition of outstanding or meritorious service to the ECAC.
On November 30, 2000, Schiner was honored with the General Robert R. Neyland Outstanding Athletic Director/All-American Football Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award at the All-American Football Foundation's Banquet of Champions for decades of contributions to the sport.
In October of 1995, Schiner had the double honor of being inducted into the University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame as a basketball player and being bestowed the Garden State Award by the CAANJ for his substantial and enduring contributions to intercollegiate athletics in the state.
Charles Brown, head men's basketball coach, said: "Larry has been a successful coach and athletics administrator for 40 years at NJCU. Under his tutelage, the athletics department has grown and has steadily improved competitively. Larry's work on NCAA committees and various NJAC committees has brought exposure and recognition to NJCU. Working for and with Larry for the past 25 years has been a rewarding experience and a real pleasure. I wish him the best of luck and good health in his retirement. He will be missed."
Schiner summed up his career by saying "It's been an interesting ride with many bumps along the way, but fortunately the positives significantly outweighed the negatives. I would have liked to have won an NCAA team national championship, as well as further developed our outdoor facilities, but I am confident this will happen in the near future. I have seen many great athletes perform, shared in the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, as all of us have, but, more importantly, I've met and worked with many very good people and made a lot of lifetime friendships."
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