Coaching staff

Grant Schmidt has been head coach of Concordia's men’s basketball program since 1989. Entering 2009-10, Schmidt has a career record of 398-234.  His .630 winning percentage is good for 13th in the NAIA top 25 winningest active coaches list.  Schmidt is the only coach from the Great Plains Athletic Conference on the list.   

The winningest coach in school history, Schmidt has guided the program to three Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference (NIAC) titles as well as 10 NAIA national tournaments, including a runner-up finish in 2004-05.  On Nov. 5, 2009, Concordia defeated Concordia Seminary 86-55 for Schmidt’s 400th career win.    

The 1983 Concordia graduate coached four years at Valley Lutheran High School in Phoenix, Ariz., and was an assistant for two years for the Bulldogs before becoming head coach in the 1989-90 season.

Throughout his coaching career, Schmidt has been honored numerous times. He has twice been named the Omaha World-Herald college coach of the year (1992, 2005). The Lincoln Journal Star bestowed the same honor on Schmidt in 1992, as did the NIAC.

Schmidt also served for several years as athletic director, for which he was honored twice. In 2003, he was named the NAIA Region III and Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) athletic administrator of the year. He received the same honor from the GPAC in 2005.

During his playing days as a Bulldog, he was named All-Conference and All-NAIA District II. Schmidt was a team leader in scoring and was also team captain in 1982-83.

He and his wife, Deb (Aurich), also a Concordia graduate, have three children.
 

Contact Coach Schmidt

• 402-643-7328 (office) • Grant.Schmidt@cune.edu

Anthony Elias is in his fourth season as an assistant coach for the Concordia University men’s basketball team.  He is also an Admissions Counselor and Athletic Recruitment Coordinator at Concordia. 

Elias spent two seasons as the head coach at Mt. Pleasant High School in California.  In 2005-06, he earned Blossom Valley Athletic League Coach of the Year honors, leading the school to the 2006 league title.  Elias also spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Cuyamaca College.

In his playing days, Elias spent the 1998-99 season at San Jose City College.  From there, Elias spent the 1999-2000 season at Cuyamaca College, where he earned Pacific Coast All-Conference honors and was a team captain.  Elias finished his collegiate career at Concordia University from 2002-04.  He helped lead the Bulldogs to two CIT championships and was a member of the National Tournament qualifying team in 2003.

Elias earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Human Performance from Concordia University and his Master’s Degree in Sports Leadership from Concordia-Chicago.  He is engaged to Tiffany McCrimmon and resides in Seward.