In just three seasons on the men's basketball team from 1996 to 1999, Luke Schmidt proved to be one of the most efficient and lethal scorers in program history. With Schmidt routinely lighting up box scores in an era during which the men's basketball team went 69-19 overall and 50-10 in the MIAC, Gustavus established itself as a consistent MIAC title contender and?a fixture in the NCAA tournament. The Gusties won an MIAC championship in 1996-97 and three MIAC playoff titles, which led to three NCAA tournament appearances during Schmidt's tenure. Gustavus made it as far as the NCAA Midwest sectional championship in 1998 and 1999, falling to eventual NCAA Champion UW-Platteville both years.
Dominant in the paint and a terror on the glass and around the rim, Schmidt earned all-conference accolades all three seasons and was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) all-region team twice following his sophomore and senior years. Luke played in 88 games, shot 50.1 percent from the field, and averaged over 18 points per game throughout his career in a Gustavus uniform. He ranks fifth in program history in scoring with 1,607 points and holds the program record in career field goals (663), and single-season records in points (604, 1997-98) and field goals (245, 1997-98). To go along with his scoring ability, Schmidt holds the school record in blocked shots with 160 and ranks fourth in rebounds with 785.
After graduating with a degree in communication studies in 1999, Schmidt worked as a software engineer before attending Luther Seminary in St. Paul. He earned his master of divinity degree (M.Div.) from Luther and later served at congregations in Excelsior, Brooklyn Park, and Buffalo. Luke is currently the pastor at Zion Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Buffalo, where he lives with his wife, Jessica (Johnson '00), and their children, Kate and Will.
