NDCL hires Tim Schmotzer as boys basketball coach

Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin announced Tim Schmotzer as its new boys basketball head coach May 8.

Schmotzer most recently was the coach at Normandy. He addressed his new charges for the first time in an auditorium down the hall from his new home court.

More than a score of players filled the room’s front rows, both members of last year’s team and a handful of new faces interested in joining the program. Schmotzer concluded his initial remarks with a challenge for each student in attendance — shake his hand after he finished talking, and make him laugh.

Schmotzer takes over a NDCL program that finished the 2017-18 season 3-20. More than 30 years of coaching experience has taught Schmotzer the value of relationships many times over.

“It’s everything,” Schmotzer said. “It’s why I continue to do it after all these years. It’s the relationships you build mainly with the kids but with the administration, the other coaches, with the officials — although sometimes that doesn’t work out like you want.”

Schmotzer is a Cleveland native and 1977 graduate of St. Edward. He attended St. Edward University in Austin, Texas and completed his master’s degree at Ashland.

A resident of Rocky River, Schmotzer owns a career record of 295-253. He spent the last five seasons at Normandy, where the Invaders won their first conference title in school history. Normandy went 6-17 in 2017-18.

From 1994 to 2010, Schmotzer was the coach at North Olmsted where he is still the Eagles’ all-time winningest coach. Schmotzer owns head coaching experience at St. Edward and John Adams, as well as an understanding of coordinating CYO leagues.

NDCL interim Athletic Director Jim Clark cited Schmotzer’s extensive track record and integrity in the decision to tab him as Chris Poulos’ replacement.

“Every place he’s been, he’s taken the program to a good place,” Clark said. “The people that he’s worked with in the school, the athletic administrators all said to hire him immediately.”

Clark said NDCL received more than 40 applications for the job and conducted interviews with a dozen candidates. Poulos stepped down from his position in March. He will assume duties as an assistant principal next school year alongside his responsibilities as NDCL’s Dean of Students.

As members of the North Coast League’s Blue Division, the Lions compete in one of Ohio’s most rigorous leagues headlined by Benedictine, Lake Catholic and Akron Hoban. NDCL went 0-10 in league play, and Clark’s expectation for the program requires improvement.

“We want to be able to compete with teams in our league,” Clark said. “Lake Catholic’s our rival, they’re a very good basketball program, we’re looking for somebody who can bring us to the point to where we can measure up to that.”

Before the Lions begin to compete in their conference, Schmotzer’s initial focus lies on the program’s culture in the wake of a trying season.

“Short term, our expectation is for the kids to try their best,” Schmotzer said. “The other part of this, because when you come off a tough season like just happened, you want those kids to encourage each other.”