Doug Schakel, a 1964 graduate of Central Iowa College (CC), reached the pinnacle of collegiate track & field, capturing the Iowa intercollegiate pole vault championship while attending CC in 1963 and 1964. However, all along, it was Schakel's goal to achieve greatness atop the collegiate coaching ranks in the sport of basketball. And, in his 30 years as a head basketball coach (33 in all), he did just that, accomplishing a very impressive 503-285 record (.638 winning pct.).
During his 18 seasons at the helm of Mesa State College (1978-1996), he was on the winning end of 304 games (304-195), which was good for a .609 winning percentage. The road to win number 500 started at Solon Community High School (Iowa) during the 1964-1965 season. A year later, he transferred his coaching prowess to Crowley County High School (Colo.), in which he led the boys' basketball team to three consecutive state playoff appearances, including the 1967-1968 Colorado state title and an undefeated season (24-0), when senior guard Bill Jones hit a 15-footer with two seconds remaining to lift the Chargers (45-43) to the ultimate prize.
During a two-year stint (1969-1971) at Storm Lake High School (Iowa), he reached the 100-win level in 1971, compiling a 43-3 mark at Storm Lake. In 1970, SLHS's only loss was in the state final game to Davenport Central as the Tornadoes ended up with a 24-1 record. He then spent three years (1971-1974) at Mid-Plains Community College in North Platte, Neb., where he enjoyed the best three years in the school's history. In three seasons, his squads totalled 67 wins and 32 losses with the most successful season coming in 1973-1974 when the Knights went 27-9 and lost to Casper Junior College (WY) for the right to play in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national tournament. In 1974-1975, he returned to the high school ranks to coach Wasson High School (Colo.), and 1975-1977, he guided North Platte High School (Neb.) to West Big 10 conference championships in consecutive seasons.
Schakel's desire to coach at the collegiate level propelled him to the assistant coaching position at the University of Utah, where he spent one season (1977-1978) at the NCAA Division I level. According to the Associated Press, the Utes finished as the No. 10 team in the nation, losing to Bill Laimbeer's and Bill Hanzlik's Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen at Phog Allen Arena in Lawrence, Kan. Then in the early winter of 1978, he hit the 200-win mark as he began his long-lasting career with the Mesa State Mavericks. Number 300 was an 86-56 win over New Mexico Highlands on Feb. 11, 1985. And during the 1990-1991 season, Schakel reached the 400-win milestone for his career as well as the 200-victory mark at Mesa State. On Jan. 26, 1996, Schakel reached the 500 win plateau at New Mexico Highlands with a 70-61 victory.
More to Schakel's credit, under his guidance, the Mavs won six RMAC Men's Basketball Championships during his 18-year reign at MSC. One of Schakel's most memorable teams was the 1985 squad that participated in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national tournament in Kansas City, Mo. That season, Schakel's team started 1-3, but rolled off 18 consecutive wins, including a NAIA District VII victory over Grand Canyon (AZ) in the district final to qualify for national tournament.
Schakel, who was also an assistant manager of the United States Olympic team in 1968, pioneered the coaching exchange program between the United States and east Africa in August of 1984. He also developed the Mesa State College Basketball Camps in 1978, which are still some of the largest camps in the country today. All tolled, Schakel coached nine All-Americans, several Academic All-Americans, posted the best mark in MSC history and the fourth-best record in Colorado collegiate basketball history. Schakel also served as the Mavericks Director of Athletics for two years (1979-1981) and then again was asked to be the head of the MSC Athletic Department from 1998-2001. Ironically, Schakel could not keep his hands out of the basketball circle as he served as the Mavs' Women's Basketball Assistant Coach in charge of offense during MSC's 2001-2002 conference championship season (17-2 RMAC). That year, MSC became the first-ever RMAC women's basketball team to host the NCAA Division II North Central Regional. MSC ended the season 26-4. After a short retirement, Schakel returned to the sidelines in 2009 as an assistant women's basketball coach at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas.