Chris Schwarz had a hunch a phone call was forthcoming Monday. And with good reason.

Schwarz already had taken his fair share of calls from the curious and the concerned. His job as UW-La Crosse’s baseball coach had been posted in the classified section of Sunday’s La Crosse Tribune. They asked him if his four-year tenure as the Eagles’ coach was over.

Chris Schwarz

Granted, Schwarz is well aware there are no guarantees with his job. He knows he must submit a resume for the position, which is broken down into two parts: 75 percent working as a development officer in the UW-L Foundation, and 25 percent coaching. And he must do so before June 9.

He knows he must go through the interview process with UW-L’s search and screen committee, just like any other finalist.

But when Schwarz was contacted late Monday afternoon while he was watching the Logan High School baseball team’s 5-2 Mississippi Valley Conference victory over Aquinas, he said he was more than ready to do that.

“I’m comfortable with the interview process, and I’m comfortable with the people doing the interviews. I know what to expect,” Schwarz said.

“The process itself isn’t scary; it’s just something that has to be done. I’m looking forward to going through it and moving forward.”

Larry Terry, UW-L football coach and head of the search and screen committee, declined comment on the hiring process, only saying: “We want to move on this as fast as we can.”

Schwarz, who was hired on a full-time basis in 2006 after serving as interim coach in 2005, has a career record of 69-87-1. He led UW-L to a 19-20 mark and a berth in the WIAC Tournament this season.

Schwarz said he was hired to serve in his current capacity on a two-year interim basis in 2006. He said the position has been made a permanent one, meaning it had to be opened up to both internal and external applicants.

Schwarz said he has explained the situation to UW-L’s incoming recruits. And he has tried to reassure them he will be their coach in 2009, and beyond.

“I plan on being back to coach here next year. I don’t foresee any problems,” Schwarz said. “I know there are risks involved, but I do plan on being here a long time.”

Kirk Bey can be reached at (608) 791-8414, or at kbey@lacrossetribune.com

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