How Josh Schertz went from a dorm-room-living assistant to a coaching star

Josh Schertz swung open the wooden door, told his sons he’d be back in a moment, and turned the corner into the carpeted hallway. Schertz’ walk was quiet, save for the buzz of the air conditioner and a quick nod to the college student walking the other way. Schertz strolled down the carpeted walkway toward the communal bathroom, which he already knew well.

That was home for Schertz and his family.

Schertz, his then-wife, and his two young sons lived in a Queens University dorm room with a conjoining door. He and his wife slept on a bed they’d made by pushing two twin beds together, while their two young sons slept in the other room on bunk beds. Access to the room was written into the contract Schertz signed when he agreed to become an assistant coach under Bart Lundy at Queens–a then Division II program that has since transitioned to Division I. Schertz was making $12,500 a year when he first took the job and eventually earned $15,000 when Queens coach Bart Lundy gave him a raise.

Schertz’ current lifestyle as Saint Louis’ head coach is drastically different. Just months ago, he signed a six-year, $22 million extension rather than leaving for a high-major opportunity after taking Saint Louis to the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32. Schertz is the hottest name on the coaching carousel every year. He’s the favorite coach of a number of his profession’s biggest stars and promises to be a fixture of it for years to come.