Indiana University Athletics
INDIANA ASSISTANT DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER
11/9/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Bloomington, Ind. -- Head football coach Cam Cameron today announced that Indiana assistant head coach Pete Schmidt has been diagnosed with cancer. Schmidt, 51, will begin treatments on Thursday in Bloomington.
?Our primary concern this week, and this has been ongoing for a couple of weeks, is that Pete Schmidt, our assistant head coach and offensive coordinator, has been diagnosed with cancer. It?s a form of lymphoma. The good news about the lymphoma is that it is very treatable. I?ve been told, although we don?t have a 100 percent diagnosis yet, it?s very similar to the lymphoma that Paul Azinger had. And now, obviously, he?s made a remarkable recovery. The treatment will start on Thursday.?
Schmidt wishes to be at practice today and Wednesday and is expected to attend. He is currently working on the game plan for this week?s game but will not accompany the team to Minnesota this Saturday. Schmidt notified the team of his illness this past Saturday morning in a team meeting.
Said Cameron, ?As you know, he?s one of the finest guys in our profession. He?s the first guy I hired when I became head coach here. A guy that this team cares a lot about and I would just ask everyone that your prayers be with Pete, his wife, Becky, and their family.?
Schmidt joined Cameron?s staff at Indiana as its assistant head coach in 1997 after serving as the head coach at Albion College from 1983-96. As the head coach at Albion, Schmidt compiled a 106-26-5 record and led the Britons to five NCAA playoff appearances and nine Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships. In 1994, Albion compiled a perfect 13-0 record and defeated Washington & Jefferson, 38-15, to win the NCAA Division III national championship. Following the 1994 season, Schmidt was named the Division III NCAA National Coach of the Year and also walked away with Chevrolet National Coach of the Year honors. In 1996, Albion led the country in total offense with a 538 yards-per-game average, the third-highest total in the history of Division III college football.
A Port Austin, Mich., native who calls all of Indiana?s offensive plays, Schmidt has been highly productive at Indiana. He has been widely credited with making Indiana one of the nation?s most explosive offenses. Indiana has scored 30 or more points in six of nine games this season, the second highest total in school history. Schmidt has been placed in charge of the development of sophomore quarterback Antwaan Randle El who is one of the nation?s top players.
Said Randle El, ?That?s home. Most of my time is spent with him. As time has gone along Coach Schmidt and my relationship keeps getting stronger and stronger. He?s great. He?s a guy people look to. If you didn?t have a dad, that would be a dad.?
