CONTACT/DIRECTIONS | SEARCH | LINKS | COLLEGE HOME
Associate Professor of Economics and Administration & Women’s Basketball Coach
Dept: Women's Basketball
Location: Austin Hall 214
Mail Location: 1331
ph: 937-382-6661 ext: 284
In his 19 years on the Wilmington sideline, Jerry Scheve has won 371 games. For Scheve — who was named the National Coach of the Year after leading the Lady Quakers to the 2003-04 NCAA Division III national championship — it is an enduring love for basketball, not victory milestones, that keeps his coaching fire burning.
“I coached my first team when I was 16 years old,” Scheve said. “After I got out of college I started coaching again. As I was trying to find a career I knew the only thing I really enjoyed was coaching basketball. I remember telling myself that I didn’t know what else I’m going to do, but I know I’m always going to coach basketball, and I have. I’ve done it because of everything that’s involved with it — the kids, the game itself, the competitive part of it.”
Since coming to Wilmington in 1990, Scheve’s teams have been the epitome of competitive, winning eight regular season and seven conference tournament titles. The 2003-04 national championship season was preceded by three National Tournament appearances that included trips to the “Elite Eight” and “Sweet 16” in 2002 and 2003, respectively. Wilmington advanced to the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament and returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2008.
At Wilmington, Scheve has averaged more than 19 wins per season. Eleven of his 19 teams have won at least 20 games. The Lady Quakers have won at least 20 games 10 of the past 13 years. The numbers are impressive, if not awesome, but they are not the numbers Scheve is focused on.
“The wins are nice, but there are other numbers we concentrate on to get the wins,” Scheve said. “One goal we have every year is to make more free throws than our opponents shoot. It’s a real difficult goal to attain, but when you do it — and we have done it — it just indicates you’re doing a lot of things right. Number one, you’re getting to the foul line. Number two, you’re not fouling; you’re getting the other teams’ good players into foul trouble and you’re not getting your own people into foul trouble. It means you’re playing smart offensively and it means you’re playing smart defensively. When you do those things, you’re going to be successful.”
Scheve also has been named Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year, Ohio Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year, and Coach of the Year in the AMC, HCAC and OAC. During Wilmington’s first nine years in the OAC, the Lady Quakers have won 196 games while losing just 53, helping Scheve ascend to the summit of nearly every league coaching category.
“Statistics are gratifying, but it’s not my goal to get to the top of the coaches list in the OAC,” Scheve said. “My goal is just to have a successful season each year.”
Having said that, could Scheve, when coming to Wilmington in 1990, have imagined the incredible success he and the Lady Quakers have enjoyed?
“Sure. If you can’t imagine it, you’re probably not going to do it,” Scheve said. “Every year, I don’t get excited about what we do usually until the middle of the summer when I’m sitting at home watching tapes of games. I don’t really have time to get excited about it, but then you sit down, and that’s when I feel good. I feel that we’ve accomplished something.”
M.B.A. University of Cincinnati; C.P.A.
Assistant Coach
Dept: Women's Basketball
Location: 251 Ludovic Street, Wilmington, OH 45177
ph: 937-382-6661 ext: 625
Mark Huelsman joined the WC coaching staff in 2007.
Huelsman is a 2007 Wittenberg University and earned three varsity letters playing for the Tigers men’s basketball team. He was a member of Wittenberg’s 2006 national runner-up team.
Huelsman’s understanding of the game and ability to communicate with players are invaluable as he works with Wilmington’s talented group of post players. Huelsman also assists in Wilmington’s recruiting efforts.
"Mark is an outstanding coach," Wilmington head coach Jerry Scheve said. "In his first two seasons with our program, he has developed two All-Americans."
Assistant Coach of Women's Basketball
Dept: Women's Basketball
Location: 251 Ludovic Street, Wilmington, OH 45177
Mail Location: 1246`
ph: 937-382-6661 ext: 285
The Wilmington sideline is a familiar place for Bill Newland, who was the head men’s coach for four seasons in the early 1990s, and later served as an assistant coach for two seasons for the WC women’s program.
Newland was an assistant for the men’s team for two seasons before returning to the Lady Quakers’ staff in 2007.
Newland’s keen eye for the game has been nurtured over a collegiate and high school career that started in 1970. He has a combined head coaching record of 167-93. Career highlights include:
• 1974-75 — Ross County Coach of the Year
• 1978-79 — Highland County Coach of the Year
• 1998-2001 — Southern Buckeye Conference Coach of the Year
• 2004 — Member of NCAA National Champion Coaching Staff
Newland and his wife Karen reside in Lebanon.
Assistant Coach of Women's Basketball
Dept: Women's Basketball
Location: 251 Ludovic Street, Wilmington, OH 45177
ph: 937-382-6661 ext: 284
John Van Benschoten is in his second stint with the Lady Quakers. John was a volunteer assistant from 1998 through 2004. He returns to Wilmington after 4 years in the Phoenix, Arizona area coaching high school basketball.
Van Benschoten lives in Milford with his wife Valerie. He is the Midwest representative for Sportstec video analysis software products.
