Twenty-Five Years After His Death, Pete Schmidt’s Multifaceted Legacy Remains

It has been 25 years since former Albion head football coach Pete Schmidt passed away at the age of 52 from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma on Sept. 29, 2000. During his 14 seasons as head coach from 1983-96, the Britons were one of the most successful teams in Division III – compiling a record of 106-26-5, nine MIAA titles, five NCAA playoff appearances and a perfect 13-0 season and national championship in 1994. While on-field consistency is one of the many facets of Schmidt’s story, his integrity, character and father-figure presence is what truly stood out to those who knew him best. This is the story of those whose lives he impacted and how his legacy is still being honored by them today.

HIS EYES WERE glistening as they turned red and welled up with tears.

Pete Schmidt grabbed his son, Pete Jr., as they walked together alone at the end of Allegheny’s Robertson Field in utter silence. 

As people milled around at a distance, a rare emotional moment occurred for Schmidt – stinging with as much force as the amount of pressure his Albion football team had put on the Gators in the game’s final 31 minutes.

The Britons had come within an overtime field goal that caromed off the right upright and in of besting the defending Division III national champions in the 1991 NCAA playoffs, scoring 21 unanswered points in that stretch to force the extra period.

It was the first athletic contest in Schmidt’s two-decade coaching career that brought tears to his eyes.

He could not have felt prouder of his team for the perseverance they displayed and the strong character he instilled in them, true staples of his coaching philosophy.

They were some of Schmidt’s many traits that bonded him with the hundreds of players he coached. It was the same sentiment Pete Jr. shared with them during that snapshot in time.

“It was comforting knowing I was the only person that he could be around in that moment and sharing him with all the guys who looked to him as a father figure,” Schmidt Jr. remembered. “I'll think about that always. It meant a lot to me.”

THAT FATHER-FIGURE and high-character image so many of Schmidt’s players could describe was homed in Port Austin, a quaint village at the tip of the Michigan Thumb on the shores of Lake Huron.

From an early age, Schmidt was either fishing or playing sports. The son of a coach, he would often find himself on baseball diamonds or basketball courts during the summers and on gridirons in the fall.

“There wasn’t really a whole lot else to do,” Schmidt Jr. said. “I have to think that’s what drove him to becoming the great coach that he was.”

He played all three sports at Alma, earning eight combined letters while being a member of three MIAA championship football teams – graduating in 1970 with degrees in physical education and social studies.

Schmidt’s first coaching job out of college was defensive coordinator at Stockbridge High School under his wife’s father, Richard Howlett, for four years. He then moved on to Okemos High School outside Lansing, where he led the Chieftains to a 60-13 record, six conference titles, three undefeated seasons and two Class B runner-up finishes in his seven seasons at the helm.

Seeking a new challenge, Schmidt was hired as Frank Joranko’s defensive coordinator at Albion in 1982 before taking over as head coach the season after.

Joranko was, in his own right, a successful coach at Albion as he led the Britons to two MIAA titles and the program’s first Division III playoff appearance in 1977.

While Schmidt left his own fingerprints on the program he inherited, he created a standard of trust built around accountability and respect in a soft yet demanding manner that left an indelible first impression on some of his greatest players.

“I just remember being very impressed by the way he handled himself,” Kyle Klein, the starting quarterback of the 1994 national championship team, said of his initial impression of Schmidt. “He was a very quiet guy, and he just handled himself in a way that commanded a lot of respect from the people around him. 

“He didn’t need to say a lot to communicate.”

Todd Morris received hand-written letters from Schmidt during his recruiting process. The future fullback and Albion Hall of Famer who paved the way for some of Schmidt’s greatest rushing attacks first remembered Schmidt as someone who made him and his parents feel at ease while walking them around campus for the first time.

“He was a very low-key man, but he just really helped to make everybody feel comfortable with what was going on and have confidence in the lifestyle management of being a college athlete at that time,” Morris said.

A classmate of Schmidt Jr. at Lumen Christi High School in nearby Jackson, Dave Lefere had grown up knowing Schmidt the coach. Sensing how quiet and intimidating he could be, Lefere did not interact much with Schmidt growing up. 

As it came time to choose a college, Lefere had a simple choice to make – attend Michigan State and not play sports or go to Albion and play sports.

Schmidt’s demeanor had him sold on Albion.

“He had a big presence, even though he was quiet,” Lefere said. “You wanted to please him, impress him and do good for him. If you could get him to say something good about you, you knew you did something good.”

THE JOURNEY TO building the standard took dedication and commitment that many of Schmidt’s players admired.

Schmidt Jr. would often wake up and hear his father showering at three o’clock in the morning on his way to campus to partake in game film study and practice preparation.

On top of coaching, Schmidt also served as Albion’s athletic director and a professor during various periods of time as head coach.

“He had the work ethic and was willing to prepare in a way that other people may have not been willing to do,” Schmidt Jr. said. “He had a drive to be successful in everything he did.”

While his devotion to coaching consumed much of his time, Schmidt never forgot about his family.

After working those early mornings, he would come back home and help Schmidt Jr. and his siblings, Amy and Sarah, get ready for school. 

Schmidt Jr. would even tag along at practices, scurrying over to the field after school got out and serving as a ball and water boy idolizing the players his father coached.

His wife, Becky, was also very supportive of her husband’s goals, and they formed a special relationship as a couple.

“I think he thought about ways to make sure that he was balancing both of those worlds,” Schmidt Jr. said. “He was very intentional about having his family be part of the program. It certainly was, by all accounts, a family effort.”

“Watching him, we understood that his family was very important to him and to always have a family-first mindset and make sure to take care of things at home,” Morris recalled. “It’s something that was a huge influence from him.”

Being stand-up members of the community was also something Schmidt took great pride in. He involved his teams with various cleanups in parks and houses around the city of Albion as well as blood drives on campus and after school programs locally.

In addition, every senior that came through Schmidt’s team graduated.

“We all felt a lot of pride in getting involved in the community and on campus,” Morris said. “I think it was important to him to make that be a part of bringing people on campus and community members to games to make them feel a part of something.”

At those games, fans were consistently entertained by one of the best offenses in Division III. In 1996, Albion led the nation in total offense (538.0 yards per game, the third-highest total in Division III history at the time) and scoring (50.8 points per game) while leading the MIAA in multiple statistical categories during Schmidt’s tenure.

Throughout his coaching career, Schmidt built up a strong network of high-level coaches that included many members of the staff at the University of Michigan like future Division I and NFL head coach Cam Cameron. 

He was also a frequent speaker at camps and clinics all throughout the state – always searching for innovations and ideas on how to fine tune his offensive scheme.

“He knew he was just as good as they were from and X’s and O’s standpoint,” Lefere said, referencing Schmidt compared to offensive coaches at higher levels. “He just ate and slept football and was always around it.

“Someone who already has an innate talent when they start really digging in and applying themselves, I’m sure that’s where it came from. He just immersed himself in it.”

Schmidt had an uncanny understanding of motion and timing in an offense and when to hold off on an aggressive approach. Morris recalled Schmidt calmy explaining to the team during halftime speeches plans to shift their gameplan to counter what the opponent presented to them.

“He was a great in-game adapter,” Morris said. “He would adjust the approach as the game moved on, not throwing the game plan aside, but adapting to what was working.

“We were very unpredictable when you look back at it, sometimes running the same play from 6-10 different formations.”

TRUST WAS ANOTHER key element in Schmidt’s program.

He leaned on the upperclassmen of his teams to set the standard and hold their teammates accountable to create a championship culture.

“He taught them how to be leaders, because those seniors were really the ones that controlled the locker room,” Schmidt Jr. said. “They controlled the space when my dad or other coaches weren't there, so it was important for him to make sure that his senior classes and the other leaders on the team were instilling those characteristics in the younger classes.

“That's how your team gains momentum, and I think that was a really important component of Albion's development as a program.”

By the time Klein, Morris and Lefere had arrived at Albion, the program had already won multiple MIAA titles and had been to the NCAA playoffs under Schmidt.

There was a great amount of success already in place that provided a blueprint for winning championships.

“Nobody wanted to be the team that took a step backward,” Klein said. “There was a standard that had been built, and it was all about maintaining and building upon that.”

That trust was certainly earned and not given in Schmidt’s program.

“You earned the trust by how you carried and handled yourself not just on the football field but around campus,” Lefere said. “When it came down to football, you earned trust by making plays. 

“He knew good football players, and he could see it before other people saw it.”

Lefere could never have seen himself as a defensive player at Albion.

While he played on that side of the ball in high school, playing wide receiver is he trained all summer at going into his sophomore year in 1994 looking to crack the starting lineup. 

On the first day of fall camp, Schmidt had other ideas of how Lefere could be an impact player. He wanted him to switch over to free safety on the defensive side of the ball.

“I told him I wasn't going to do it,” Lefere recalled. “He told me, ‘Well, you can go home,’ but he knew what he was doing. Looking back, I think he saw me as a player who had a lot of ball skills who was also very willing to hit since I wasn’t afraid to block as a receiver. 

“He just found a way to put the athletes in the best position to succeed. If you were an athlete, he was going to find a way to put you on the field.”

Schmidt knew within the first five plays of their first game of the season against Wilmington that he needed to get his new free safety onto the field.

“I distinctly remember him looking at our defensive coordinator [Greg Psconda] and saying, ‘Get him in,’” Lefere recalled. “I thought, ‘Who is he talking about?’ It was me, so I got in there.”

He ended the game with three interceptions.

“He just knew when to make the right call,” Lefere said. “Once you gain his trust, you had it, and he’d put you anywhere.”

It was the start of a magical season, culminating with a national title victory over Washington & Jefferson and a perfect 13-0 record.

The future three-time All-American ended the season with 12 picks, six of which came in the postseason including another trio against St. John’s in the NCAA semifinal.

While one might expect a national championship to be a clear goal of Schmidt’s throughout his career, his vision was always focused on improvement each week rather than season-end goals.

“We didn’t talk about a national championship at all the entire season,” Klein said. “That was not a goal of that team going into the year, and it was certainly not one that was discussed.”

While there were arguably more talented teams in the 141-year history of the program, the 1994 team was one that came together as the season progressed and became a great team.

Klein did not become the established starter until a few games into the campaign. His play coupled with a very dominant rushing attack and opportunistic passing made for a potent offense with a stellar defensive unit that also gelled as the season wore on.

“It was just game by game, beat your opponent in front of you week after week,” Morris said. “That was our mindset – who do we have next week, and then preparation. Let them know who we are and just execute and do your job.”

THE STANDARD OF excellence Schmidt had built at Albion is what led to the final chapter of his coaching career. 

In 1997, Cameron had been hired as Indiana’s head coach and made Schmidt one of his first hires on staff as offensive coordinator. Schmidt often frequented Washington Redskins training camp while Cameron served as quarterbacks coach with the team from 1994-96.

According to Schmidt Jr., the idea of taking his coaching prowess to the Division I level was very attractive to his father and always thought of new ways to challenge himself.

“I think they had similar coaching philosophies,” Schmidt Jr. said about his father and Cameron’s relationship. “I know that he loved and cherished his time at Albion, but like every other person who ends up being somewhat successful, you find ways to grow and get outside of your comfort zone. 

“He saw Division I as the ultimate opportunity to the pinnacle of his career progression.”

Just like at Albion, different Hoosier players could see the father-figure stature of Schmidt. 

He developed a special relationship with Antwaan Randle El, who became Indiana’s starting quarterback in 1998 and eventually finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting as a senior.

Randle El played nine seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver and is now coaching the position group with the Chicago Bears.

“I think Antwaan saw my dad as a father figure like others did,” Schmidt Jr. said. “But more importantly, it was clear that my dad was invested in him and wanted him to succeed. They really spent a significant amount of time together, not only developing as a quarterback but as a person and a leader as well. 

“Those were the characteristics that my dad really worked to develop in Antwaan to become the player that he became.”

Schmidt also left an impression on a young Indiana assistant coach, John Harbaugh, who is now the Baltimore Ravens’ Super Bowl-winning head coach.

“I’ll always remember how nice and genuine he was,” Harbaugh said. “He was the most humble yet confident guy you could meet, and he made everyone feel important.”

Harbaugh’s relationship with Schmidt began in the 1980’s when they would work summer camps at the University of Michigan together. He remembers the parties Schmidt and Becky would throw after games and in the offseason.

The man who rarely showed emotion could show share the occasional wisecrack or practical joke, too, as Harbaugh also recalled from a trip down to a lake near Indiana’s campus.

“One of the coaches had a pontoon boat, and I remember Pete tricked some of us younger, more gullible coaches that the boat had run out of gas in the middle of the lake,” Harbaugh said. “He told us we had to jump out and swim-push the boat back to the marina. It took us a couple of hours, and when we were about 50 yards away Pete started the engine up and just laughed and laughed.

“The man was funny, and he was wonderful.”

Schmidt began showing signs of cancer in 1999 and was eventually diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma during the season. 

He did not let the cancer ruin the work ethic he always possessed, as the Big Ten Conference allowed him to call plays from his hospital bed for their remaining games.

Despite positive signs of recovery during the 2000 offseason, Schmidt passed away within a year of his initial diagnosis.

T.J. Weist, Indiana’s wide receivers coach and former special teams assistant with Harbaugh’s Ravens, distinctly remembers Schmidt’s final hours.

“Someone from his family was in his room all day and night,” Weist recalled. “Later that night, after everyone had been up all night, the family decided to take turns going home to shower. Becky and Pete Jr. stepped outside for just a minute, and it was the only time he was left alone.

“That’s when he passed. It was fitting for a man who never wanted any attention on himself.”

For many of Schmidt’s former players, the loss was as devastating as losing a loved one.

“When we heard about it, I kind of fell apart,” Randle El said at Super Bowl XL Media Day in 2006. “Without him, I couldn’t put things in perspective. The power of prayer is what kept me going.”

“You lost a big presence in your life,” Lefere said. “I went in as a kid, and he taught me the basic foundation of how to be a man. It was like losing a second dad, and every player that ever played for him probably felt the same way.”

Klein, Morris and Lefere all are high-ranking officials at the businesses they either work at or own today. All have families of their own and continue to live out the lessons that Schmidt taught them as players in their professional and personal lives.

“For me, it’s the importance of character and doing things the right way,” Klein said about Schmidt’s values he continues to use in his daily life. “Celebrate success, but don’t ever put anybody down because of your success.”

“It’s understanding people and trying to get the most out of them,” Lefere said. “It’s trying to put people in the best positions to allow them to succeed.”

“I always remember family first,” Morris said. “Show up on time being the best prepared you can be to make things happen professionally and for your family. Also, always be ready to help.”

Perhaps Schmidt’s greatest impact was his selfless ability to lead and sacrifices he made in coaching and at home so the team and others could accomplish their goals on and off the field.

“He really lived his life to the creed of ‘What you do for others becomes your legacy,’” Schmidt Jr. said. “He got the most joy out of helping young men turn into men that became pillars of their own communities.

“Seeing those results gave him as much satisfaction as any win on the field.”