Schnellenberger first to admit he didn’t do it by himself
By Marcus Nelson
Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger pulled off perhaps one of his biggest victories in his career on Wednesday.
He wasn’t celebrating, just yet. He knows there is still a big hurdle to clear in the Board of Governors meeting on Sept. 16, but to him, Wednesday might have been just as rewarding as when the Governors give that final blessing.
No matter what happens with the Governors, having FAU’s trustees approve the funding of the stadium, means his crusade of bringing football to this campus that was mired in mediocrity before he arrived in 1998 is a success.
The trustees get it. And so does the FAU administration.
Football isn’t just a contest for a few hours on Saturday. It can define a campus and becomes a culture all its own.
FAU accomplished much in the last few seasons playing at Lockhart Stadium, but when the Owls put toe to leather in the first game at this new 30,000 stadium in 20011, FAU will never be the same. Nor will Boca Raton or Palm Beach County.
The vote by the trustees was a validation of what Schnellenberger has been saying since the first day he arrived on campus. They believe, and once FAU moves to its rightful home, they’ll have plenty of company once the Innovation Village is complete with new dorms right next to a new stadium. Overnight, it will be a new campus
A few hours after his vision of an on-campus stadium was finally approved by the FAU Board of Trustees, I sat in his office talking to Schnellenberger about the peaks and valleys this project has been on since the early days of the program. Schnellenberger wanted none of that. He just wanted to give credit, where credit was due – and, no, he wasn’t taking about himself.
He had a saying that he made popular when he was at Louisville.
It takes everyone to be No. 1.
He said it applied here as well and said he put some serious thought into his statement the school released after the vote.
I’ve known Schnellenberger since his first year at FAU. I could tell his lengthy statement wasn’t just a few sentences thrown together by a PR flak. This was the speech he so wanted to give after the vote to the trustees in person, but couldn’t make it to the meeting due to a personal matter.
I would be remiss if I didn't share the whole statement here…
“The unanimous affirmative vote by the Board of Trustees on the funding for the proposed on-campus stadium on this day, July 21st 2010, will go down as one of the most important milestones in the history of Florida Atlantic University.
This achievement belongs to many individuals, starting with the first recruits and coaches who had the courage and faith to commit their lives in the critical years of our development. That team carried us through the developing years and qualified us to be invited to compete in our first Division I-AA playoffs. The teams that followed not only took us to a Sun Belt Conference championship but also to back-to-back bowl wins.
It could have happened without the initial dream of former President Anthony Catanese, former president Frank Brogan and the new energy and vision of President Mary Jane Saunders and their staff in keeping the faith and belief that the stadium would become the catalyst for the university’s new direction.
As important as anyone else, are the thousands of donors who have helped keep the program alive and given us the financial tools to succeed. A special thanks to the faculty and staff, but especially the students who have given support through their enthusiastic spirit and financial generosity.
Now is the time for all loyal sons and daughters of FAU to join together with a new vigor and move our program to the next level.”
- Howard Schnellenberger
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