As a junior, center Steve Fritz was the leading scorer during the 1970 basketball season. Here fans are carrying him off the court following the NAIA district 13 playoff win, leading the team to the national tournament in Kansas City.
Head Coach Steve Fritz talking to his team during the battle against the power house Winona State. Winona had held the last two D-II titles before St. Thomas upset them 82-83.
Assistant coach Steve Fritz looks on with head coach Tom Feely and assistant Jack Blum as St. Thomas wins a thriller against Winona State in double overtime 66-65.
Current St. Thomas men’s basketball coach John Tauer (left) celebrates a win with his former coach, Athletic Director Steve Fritz in a TommieMedia photo from 2016.
Assistant Coach Steve Fritz (far left) stands with the 1975 St. Thomas basketball team in the Aquinas yearbook.
St. Thomas athletic director Steve Fritz addresses the media at Target Field. Fritz announced his plan to retire at the end of the 2018-19 academic year. (Carolyn Meyer/TommieMedia)
In an issue of the Aquin from January 9, 1968, Steve Fritz is photographed in a game against Mayville State. Fritz scored 30 points to help the Tommies beat Mayville 107-100.
St. Thomas Athletics Director Steve Fritz, who coached men’s basketball for 31 years and led the school to a national championship in 2010-11, has announced he will retire in the spring of 2019.
Fritz has been with the university for over half a century as student-athlete, coach and athletics director.
“Steve leaves a tremendous legacy at St. Thomas. He has been a mentor and friend to countless coaches, student-athletes and staff throughout the years,” President Julie Sullivan wrote in an email to the university community.
Fritz began his 51-year association with St. Thomas in 1967 as a student-athlete, playing for the men’s basketball team.
He took over as coach of men’s basketball in 1980.
“I certainly wanted to give (coaching) a chance,” Fritz said. “(My dad) died when I was very young, but he was a high school coach, so there was a little bit in my blood.”
Throughout his tenure, the team had only one losing season and compiled a 594-246 record. He was named MIAC Coach of the Year 14 times.
Fritz was then named athletic director in addition to head coach in 1992. He served as both AD and coach from that point until 2011, when he left coaching to focus on administration.
“We had decided early in 2011 that I was going to give (coaching) up and then, obviously, we had some magic there at the end winning the championship,” Fritz said. “But (I) had decided either way it was going to be the last year.”
Plans for retirement have been in the making for the past three to four years, according to Fritz.
“I’ll be 70 in the spring. It’s time to spend more time with my wife, grandkids and kids and get on to other things in life,” Fritz said.
Fritz is a member of the St. Thomas Athletic Hall of Fame and was named 2011 National Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
“It’s a great opportunity to work with young people and the people that work here,” Fritz said. “It’s a place where you really never have to compromise your ideals to be successful and it just grows on you.”
Althea Larson can be reached at lars2360@stthomas.edu.
Brady Halbmaier can be reached at halb2084@stthomas.edu.
Noah Brown contributed to this report.