IU quarterbacks coach succumbs to lymphoma at 52

Assistant football head coach and quarterbacks coach Pete Schmidt passed away Friday in Bloomington after battling lymphoma for almost a year.\nCoach Cam Cameron hired Schmidt, 52, in 1996 after serving as head coach at Albion College from 1983-1996. Schmidt was the first assistant hired by Cameron. Throughout Schmidt's illness, Cameron said he managed to visit him once a day.\n"Pete was a great husband, father, coach and, most importantly, a great man of faith," Cameron said in a statement. "It's not often you get an\nopportunity to hire one of your idols yet I was fortunate to be able to do that four years ago when I hired Pete Schmidt.\n"He will always be an inspirational and motivating force in my life and the lives of others."\nSchmidt planned to sit out the entire 2000 season and Cameron was hoping to have him back next year. In Schmidt's absence Cameron took over the\nplay-calling and duties as quarterbacks coach. Cameron also hired Hal Hunter in March as offensive coordinator/offensive line coach to ease the burden of Schmidt's absence.\nSchmidt directed the IU offense, which averaged 405.9 yards of total offense last season. He is also responsible for training junior quarterback Antwaan Randle El into what sportscasters call one of the most exciting players in college football.\nRandle El has developed under Schmidt's guidance and he needs just 128 rushing yards to become the sixth player in Division I-A history with 4,000 passing and 2,000 rushing yards. Randle El was unavailable for comment Friday.\nSchmidt, a native of Port Austin, Mich. and a graduate of Alma College, started his career as a head coach at Okemos High School in Michigan. From\n1975-81 he led Okemos to six conference titles and three undefeated seasons. He left Okemos in 1982 to become the defensive coordinator for one season before becoming the Britons' head coach.\n"Our state and the coaching profession has lost a great person," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said in a statement. "I know of few people who had as many friends as Pete Schmidt and that's because he's a special man."\nSchmidt is survived by his wife, Becky, and three adult children, Amy, Peter and Sarah.