Rich Schmidt
Dick Schmidt has amassed an incredible coaching record at the University of Tampa men’s basketball program and currently stands as the eighth winningest coach in NCAA Division II history.
Schmidt is widely considered one of the leading figures in motor control and learning. In 1969 he established Motor Behavior journal and served as its editor for 11 years; additionally, he pioneered schema theory.
Early Life and Education
Rich Schmidt holds an unconventional academic resume. He boasts both bachelor’s and master’s degrees as well as one doctorate. Furthermore, he’s currently working towards another one!
He started coaching junior varsity teams before taking over as head coach of Tampa’s varsity squad in 1982. Under his guidance, his inaugural squad won both the Sunshine State Conference Tournament and an NCAA Division II bid.
Schmidt was asked by Missionary Christian Church to participate in a voluntary service term in South American rain forests as part of LeTourneau Road Building and Land Clearance project, where he assisted with equipment repairs for LeTourneau road building project.
He taught children of missionary parents who worked with jungle tribes. At his home today, he keeps a flock of budgies (commonly referred to as parakeets) and turacos.
Professional Career
Schmidt was both an exemplary family man and community leader, serving on numerous community boards such as Kiwanis Club of Milwaukee and River Revitalization Foundation and volunteering with FBI Citizen Academy.
He was the author of three editions of Motor Control and Learning, the original developer of schema theory, as well as founding editor and founding publisher of Journal of Motor Behavior. Furthermore, he managed his consulting firm, Human Performance Research.
He developed an avid passion for fishing, aviary photography, and snowboarding that brought great pleasure both for himself and sharing them with family members. Additionally, Schmidt was an active philanthropist with multiple local nonprofits receiving regular donations from him; additionally he enjoyed an extended career coaching college basketball teams.
Achievement and Honors
Schmidt is widely recognized as an authority on language teaching and learning, serving as co-editor of Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics’ fourth edition and chairing Language Resource Center Council of Directors as well as president of American Association for Applied Linguistics.
Since 2004, he has become only the third active Division II coach to reach 700 career victories and was honored with induction into the University of Tennessee Athletic Hall of Fame. Additionally, his teams have won several South Shore Conference tournament championships under his leadership; two of these titles being recognized with Coach of the Year honors from SSC.
In 2006, Richard Schmidt established the Richard Schmidt Scholarship Fund to recognize his friends and colleagues at UB for their key contributions to biostatistics research. This fund supports an annual student scholarship in the Department of Biostatistics.
Personal Life
Schmidt was not only known for his groundbreaking academic work; he was also an accomplished sailor, lifelong runner, and sports enthusiast. Schmidt won several college gymnastics championships before competing in some of the world’s most challenging sailing classes such as Seashell and Windmill. Additionally, he participated in international running races completing several sub-3 hour marathons.
Research by Prof. Egner in the area of motor behavior and learning was groundbreaking, while his mentoring of several Ph.D-level students over his long academic career was invaluable. Furthermore, he published four textbooks, with one remaining as the premier graduate-level text today.
He and Carol live in a home filled with family heirlooms, art pieces and keepsakes from their travels. Every morning they take great pleasure in sitting by their fish pond for coffee while discussing what lies ahead for their day.
Net Worth
Rick Schmidt is one of the wealthiest individuals on Earth, having worked tirelessly and with dedication and focus to reach this position. Due to his work, he has gained much fame worldwide as well as becoming an inspiration to many others.
He owns several properties across the US, including luxury real estate in Miami, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Additionally, he has made investments in stocks and mutual funds; has formed partnerships with multiple companies; as well as giving to various causes.
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