Spring 2013

Where Are They Now?

Xavier basketball is more popular now than ever, but the program has always attracted a litany of talented and touted players. Some have gone on to the professional ranks; others have simply gone on. As this year’s season gets underway, we tracked down some former players to find out what they’ve been doing in the years since they left campus. Here we check in with Joe Schoenfeld. You can find links to other profiles at the bottom of the page.

JOE SCHOENFELD '81

Joe Schoenfeld is the first to point out that he wasn’t the best player during his career at Xavier. He rode the bench his first two years under coach Tay Baker, then earned more playing time his final two seasons with coach Bob Staak, who arrived with an up-tempo style that demanded lots of substitutions. What makes Schoenfeld’s story special is what the 1981 graduate has done with the lessons he learned from Baker, Staak and Paul Frey, his coach at Cincinnati’s Elder High School.

An accounting major at the University, Schoenfeld stayed on campus for a year after graduation, earning his teaching certification while working as a graduate assistant under Staak. The next year, he became a substitute teacher at Elder, eventually moving into a full-time position. He took over as varsity basketball coach in 1991. Since then, his teams have won three league championships, one state title and one state runner-up title.

“If I hadn’t been at XU, I’m not sure I’d have taken this path,” he says. “I always said, ‘If I could make school as enjoyable for my students as my coaches and teachers did for me, that would be great.’ I wake up every morning feeling pretty grateful.”