Scott Schmidt, M.A.

Biography 

Scott Schmidt is an assistant professor of business and program director of the Augustana Master of Arts in Sports Administration & Leadership (MSAL) who prides himself in becoming deeply engaged in experiential-based learning, the overall student experience, as well as community involvement. Having several years of experience within leadership roles of nonprofit, public and private sector jobs, Schmidt takes a servant leadership approach to teaching classes.

Schmidt is working toward a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in leadership from the University of Sioux Falls, with an anticipated graduation date in May 2024 — combining his passion for education and dedication to leadership development. His dissertation is "Parental Stressors of Children in Youth Sports: An Examination of Their Relationship to Parental Emotions and Behaviors."

Born and raised in Mitchell, South Dakota, Schmidt began working at Aurora Plains Academy in Plankinton, South Dakota, following his time at Dakota Wesleyan University, where he earned a Bachelor of Art in business administration and minor in communications. Schmidt then served as co-founder and managing director of M33M Youth Basketball/Mike Miller Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee for former Mitchell High School (MHS) graduate and NBA player Mike Miller and alongside fellow MHS graduate Ernie Kuyper.

Schmidt earned a Master of Arts in sports & leisure commerce from the University of Memphis in 2012, and later became Miller’s personal assistant when he signed with the Miami Heat. Following the personal assistant position, Schmidt presented a strategic plan to Florida National University in Miami to establish an athletic program, for which he served as the inaugural athletic director, head basketball coach and adjunct professor until accepting the position as executive director of the Mitchell Corn Palace in South Dakota in 2016.

Schmidt served as an adjunct faculty member at Dakota Wesleyan University (DWU) during his time as Mitchell Corn Palace's executive director, and later became an assistant professor of business at DWU, as well as the Learn & Earn program coordinator. The Learn & Earn Program reimagined higher education by giving students in South Dakota educational deserts an opportunity to attend college, earn a degree, gain professional experience and get paid.

In academia, Schmidt shares his expertise by teaching undergraduate management courses, as well as undergraduate- and graduate-level sports management courses — enriching the educational experience for students aspiring to enter the world of sports, management and leadership.