Born to Coach: Josh Schertz and the Remarkable Rise of the LMU Railsplitters

Since his arrival in 2008 at Lincoln Memorial University as head coach of the mens basketball program, Josh Schertz has engineered one of the more astonishing transformations in all of college basketball. In his seven seasons, Schertz has taken the Railsplitters from the doldrums to basketball glory: A 170-44 overall record, four South Atlantic Conference regular-season titles and two SAC tournament championships, six straight 20-win seasons, five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, sixteen postseason wins, and a conference-record 73 consecutive weeks ranked in the Division II national poll, the fourth longest run ever. In the five seasons prior to Schertzs tenure, LMU won a total of 39 games, and the program had posted just seven winning seasons all-time at the NCAA level. Schertz is a three time SAC Coach of the Year and a three-time finalist for Division II National Coach of the Year. He is already the all-time leader in SAC history in winning percentage, and things keep getting better: Over the last five seasons, LMU has posted an amazing 136-21 record, second nationally among all levels of the NCAA. Having just turned 40, Schertz is a basketball lifer. His devotion to LMU mens basketball is a reflection of his love and respect for the game.