Mark Scherer Head shot

Mark Scherer


          Veteran college coach Mark Scherer was named the Head Coach of the Millikin men’s basketball program in March 2017.  In his first year leading the program, Scherer led the Big Blue to a 11-14 record giving the program the most wins in a season since 2008-09.  The Big Blue were 7-2 in non-conference action, which was the best mark by a Millikin team in nine years.
          Scherer is a proven winner in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) posting 245 career wins, a conference championship and seven top two CCIW finishes before retiring as the head coach at Elmhurst College in 2013.  In his 17 seasons guiding the Bluejays, Scherer’s teams finished in the top four in the conference 10 times and made two trips to the NCAA Tournament including the school’s first trip to the Sweet 16.  Scherer holds the Elmhurst record for most career wins as a head coach and best career winning percentage.  During his tenure, the Bluejays were ranked in the NCAA Division III Top 25 rankings 10 times including four times in the top 10. While at Elmhurst, Scherer was named the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Midwest Region Division III Coach of the Year.
          Most recently, Scherer has served as the Director of Development at Illinois State University.  Scherer served as Director of Development at Eureka College from 2013-2016 and was the Red Devils Interim Director of Athletics in 2013.
          Before joining the Elmhurst staff in 1996, Scherer was assistant coach at Valparaiso University for four years and an assistant coach at Western Illinois University for two years.  After playing professionally in the Irish Basketball Association from 1983-86, Scherer got his start in coaching as a teacher and junior varsity coach at Sullivan High School.
          Scherer earned a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education at Eureka College and a Master of Science in Sport Management at Western Illinois University.
 
What Others Are Saying About Mark Scherer:
“I am pleased to see Mark Scherer reentering the coaching profession by taking the coaching position at Millikin.  He knows what it takes to win in the CCIW as well as finding the right players to fit the school. His success at Elmhurst was built around committed student athletes who knew how to compete as a team and be successful in the classroom.  Millikin is getting a classy coach and I look forward to following his success at another Division III school.”-Mark Edwards, Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Washington University-St. Louis
 
"Mark is an outstanding coach and recruiter who is very familiar with the competitiveness of men's basketball in the CCIW.  He is well organized, a tireless worker who is committed to program success.  As a leader and educator Mark has always embraced the Division III philosophy of the student-athlete. He has always worked to maintain an environment in which a student-athlete's athletic activities serve to enhance and support the overall educational experience."-Chris Ragsdale, Commissioner Heartland College Athletic Conference