Tom Kleinschmidt
Encyclopedia
Tom Kleinschmidt is a retired American
basketball
player and current head basketball coach at York High School
in Elmhurst, Illinois
. He was an All-American
at DePaul University
and the first player in school history to win a conference player of the year award.
from Gordon Tech in Chicago
, Kleinschmidt settled on hometown DePaul University
. There, he became one of the Blue Demons' greatest players. He was a three-time first team All-Great Midwest Conference
pick and was the conference player of the year
and an AP
honorable mention All-American as a senior in 1995. This made him the first conference player of the year winner in DePaul history. In his DePaul career, Kleinschmidt scored 1,837 points (16.3 per game). He was the first Blue Demon to amass over 1,000 points, 500 rebounds
, 300 assists
, 100 steals
and 100 three pointers
.
. He went to training camp with the Seattle SuperSonics
but was among the final cuts. He then played for the Chicago Rockers of the Continental Basketball Association
during the 1995–96 season, where he averaged 13.3 points per game and made the CBA All-Rookie second team.
From there, Kleinschmidt played in Japan
, Italy
and Venezuela
, with his best years coming in the Japanese Super League
for Bosch, Mitsubishi and Toshiba. He led the Super League in scoring twice during his time there.
, but was released when Wainwright was fired at the end of the 2009–10 season
. He became a volunteer assistant at York High School in 2010, then became head coach in June of 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and current head basketball coach at York High School
York Community High School
York Community High School is a public secondary school in Elmhurst, Illinois, United States. Most of the students reside in Elmhurst, however the district also draws a small number of students from Addison, Bensenville, and Oak Brook...
in Elmhurst, Illinois
Elmhurst, Illinois
Elmhurst is a suburb of Chicago in DuPage and Cook Counties, Illinois. The population is 46,013 as of the 2008 US Census population estimate.-History:...
. He was an All-American
NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
The NCAA Men's Basketball All-American teams are honorary teams made up of those NCAA basketball players voted the best in the country by a variety of organizations.-History:...
at DePaul University
DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball
The DePaul Blue Demons Men's Basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois...
and the first player in school history to win a conference player of the year award.
College career
A hotly recruited small forwardSmall forward
The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
from Gordon Tech in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Kleinschmidt settled on hometown DePaul University
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
. There, he became one of the Blue Demons' greatest players. He was a three-time first team All-Great Midwest Conference
Great Midwest Conference
The Great Midwest Conference was an NCAA Division I athletics conference which existed from 1991 to 1995.It was formed in 1990 with six members--Cincinnati and Memphis State from the Metro Conference; UAB from the Sun Belt Conference; Marquette and Saint Louis from the Midwestern Collegiate...
pick and was the conference player of the year
Great Midwest Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Great Midwest Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the Great Midwest Conference's most outstanding player. The award was short-lived and only handed out from 1992 to 1995. Four recipients received the award, but only Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway won more...
and an AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
honorable mention All-American as a senior in 1995. This made him the first conference player of the year winner in DePaul history. In his DePaul career, Kleinschmidt scored 1,837 points (16.3 per game). He was the first Blue Demon to amass over 1,000 points, 500 rebounds
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
, 300 assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
, 100 steals
Steal (basketball)
In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player...
and 100 three pointers
Three-point field goal
A three-point field goal is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket...
.
Professional career
After graduation, Kleinschmidt was not drafted in the 1995 NBA Draft1995 NBA Draft
The 1995 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 1995 at SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It marked the first NBA draft for the two Canadian expansion teams, Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies...
. He went to training camp with the Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
but was among the final cuts. He then played for the Chicago Rockers of the Continental Basketball Association
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
during the 1995–96 season, where he averaged 13.3 points per game and made the CBA All-Rookie second team.
From there, Kleinschmidt played in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, with his best years coming in the Japanese Super League
Japan Basketball League
The Japan Basketball League is a professional basketball league in Japan. It lies below the bj league, which is Japan's top basketball competition, but there is no promotion and relegation between bj and the JBL....
for Bosch, Mitsubishi and Toshiba. He led the Super League in scoring twice during his time there.
Coaching career
After the conclusion of his professional career, Kleinschmidt sought to enter coaching. He became Director of Basketball Operations in 2009 at his alma mater under head coach Jerry WainwrightJerry Wainwright
Jerry Wainwright is an American basketball coach who is currently an assistant coach at Fresno State University, he was most recently the head coach of the DePaul University Blue Demons. Following his mid-season firing in 2010, Wainwright left college basketball to promote charity causes in North...
, but was released when Wainwright was fired at the end of the 2009–10 season
2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 9, 2009, and ended with the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 5, 2010 on the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The opening round occurred on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, followed by first...
. He became a volunteer assistant at York High School in 2010, then became head coach in June of 2011.