FROM KEITH GROLLER
Dick Schmidt, one of the most successful coaches in District 11 basketball history, died on Tuesday.
He was 86.
Schmidt is the only coach in District 11 basketball history to win four consecutive district titles as a boys coach (Dieruff from 1966-69) and also as a girls coach (Bethlehem Catholic from 1992-95).
Overall, Schmidt was 271-100 in 15 seasons (1959-1974) at Dieruff. In addition to the four district crowns, his teams won four East Penn League championships (1966-68 and 1974). His Huskies played in two consecutive PIAA Eastern finals (1967-68).
After retiring as coach, he then served as the school's athletic director until 1986.
Schmidt came back to the bench as Bethlehem Catholic's girls coach in the late 1980s and again won four straight District 11 titles. Over eight seasons ending in 1995, he was 142-75 and took the Golden Hawks to the 1993 Class 3A state finals.
Although he was successful at Becahi, Schmidt will be forever synonymous with Dieruff athletics.
“Even though he coached his last basketball game here in 1974, 37 years ago, his name was synonymous with this school,” Dieruff athletic director Tim Geiger said. “Everywhere I went, when people heard the name Dieruff, they immediately thought of Dick Schmidt.
“I am so thankful that we had our gymnasium named in his honor in 2009. Through the planning of that night, I got to meet the entire Schmidt family and they are all great people. I know that Coach Schmidt was a very happy man that night. The only people happier were his former players who got to come back and extend their good wishes and appreciation for all he had done for them. That was a special night.”
Geiger expressed his condolences to the family on behalf of the school and added that “because of the gymnasium bearing his name, Dick Schmidt’s name at Dieruff will live on for a long, long time.”
Schmidt’s passing comes exactly one week after the loss of another iconic figure in Allentown high school sports history.
On June 7, Ken “Toot” Wildonger died at age 99.
Wildonger was a teacher at Allentown High Schoolfor 37 years. He spent 36 years with the baseball team, first as an assistant (10 years), then as head coach (26 years). He also spent 27 years as an assistant football coach, 26 years as an assistant basketball coach, three years as a wrestling coach and two years as a coach of the boxing team, all at Allentown/ Wm Allen.
He was an instructor and supervisor of Allentown City Playgrounds for many years.
Suffice to say, both men touched the lives of hundreds of athletes in Allentown over a span of several decades. They helped to make high school sports what they are around here – something special.
Both will be greatly missed.
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