Sports

Coach Schmitz Leaving for Dowling

Boys varsity basketball coach to step down at Huntington.

After four years as head coach of Huntington High School's boy's varsity basketball team, Mike Schmitz is leaving the Blue Devils to work as an assistant coach at Dowling College.

The move was announced by Georgia McCarthy, Huntington's director of athletics, at the senior athletic awards banquet earlier this month. Mrs. McCarthy presented Mr. Schmitz with a plaque for his many years of service.

"We wish Mike nothing but the very best of luck at Dowling," Mrs. McCarthy said. "We appreciate his commitment and dedication to our athletic program and the players on his team. He set high standards for himself and the athletes always put a competitive team on the floor."

Find out what's happening in Huntingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Before being named Huntington head coach in June 2006, Mr. Schmitz had been the head coach at Commack High School for eight years. He earlier served as Huntington junior varsity basketball coach from 1994 through the 1998 season under then varsity head coach Wayne Lackmann.

When he returned to Huntington, Mr. Schmitz replaced Joe Crocco who left to pursue an administrative career at Western Suffolk BOCES where he has worked as a teacher. Mr. Schmitz came back to the Blue Devils just as he was retiring from his faculty position in Commack where he worked as a social studies teacher and guidance counselor since 1971.

Find out what's happening in Huntingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Mr. Schmitz earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Bridgeport in history and education and received a Master's degree in 1977 from C.W. Post in Psychology. He later obtained a Professional Diploma in School Counseling from C.W. Post in 1983.

Mrs. McCarthy said a new head basketball coach is expected to be on the agenda when the Huntington School Board next meets on Tuesday, July 6.

All graphics, photographs, and text appearing on the Huntington Public Schools home page and subsequent official web pages are protected by copyright. Redistribution or commercial use is prohibited without express written permission.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here