The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Community mourns death of coach
Mentor volleyball coach was 40-years-old
Stephen Scherlacher’s sudden death Oct. 8 shocked the Northeast Ohio volleyball community.
Scherlacher, 40, impacted thousands of lives through his coaching at Mentor, Kenston and the Eastside Volleyball Club. He guided numerous student-athletes on to collegiate careers and inspired many to pursue their own coaching aspirations.
The healing process began late Oct. 8, when Mentor’s volleyball program met at the school’s Paradigm center. Players, coaches, alumni, and parents from Mentor, Gilmour, Lake Catholic, Chardon and Eastlake North gathered to share memories and emotions.
“Steve was Northeast Ohio volleyball,” Lake Catholic assistant Jenna Golic said. “The two are synonymous with each other.”
Scherlacher missed a meeting early Oct. 8 and was not present at a practice later that day. The uncharacteristic absence prompted a call to Mayfield police for a welfare check. A cause of death is still unconfirmed.
He is survived by his brother, Christian, sister, Leah, and mother, Patricia. Scherlacher’s father, Louis, passed away earlier this year.
Golic, a 2009 Mentor graduate, is among Scherlacher’s various former players who went on to coach at the high school level and with him at Eastside. North coach Sam Muzic and Brianne Hrusovsky, the Cardinals’ interim head coach, are counted in the group.
Hrusovsky graduated from Mentor in 2006. She played for Scherlacher when he was an assistant under Rich Woodman from 200508, then joined the staff at Eastside in 2011. Hrusovsky was in her third year as Scherlacher’s assistant.
The turnout Oct. 8 stirred the Mentor volleyball community.
“You really saw all the other girls and lives he impacted and just their support for the girls right now.” Hrusosvsky said, “It was overwhelming to see all of it. I think it meant a lot to all of us to see they were there and supporting us.”
The Paradigm center was opened to the team during the school day Oct. 9. Members of the volleyball team were excused from class, if necessary, to mourn with teammates and their coaches. Counselors were made available to the students. The Cardinals remained together for a team dinner later in the afternoon.
Mentor’s volleyball match against Strongsville Oct. 9 was postponed. Athletic Director Jeff Cassella said the Cardinals are available to make the match up early next week, if necessary, depending on Strongsville’s choice. Mentor, the No. 2 seed at the Division I Euclid District, has a bye in the first round of the sectional tournament. The match could hold consequence for the Mustangs, ranked No. 6 in the state, who are 12-0 in the Greater Cleveland Conference with a two-game lead over Brunswick.
Mentor’s Senior Night match scheduled for Oct. 11 against Medina will be played.
“The kids and the coaching staff felt very strongly that they wanted to proceed with that game,” Cassella said.
Cassella’s relationship with Scherlacher dates back to his tenure as Woodman’s assistant. Scherlacher also coached Cassella’s daughter, Leah, at Eastside.
Upon Scherlacher’s return to Mentor after three successful seasons at Kenston, the Cardinals won the 2016 Euclid District title. Mentor finished as the district’s runner-up last season. The Cardinals’ 2017 team featured three D-I college players: Toledo’s Alexis Falzone, Akron’s Teagan Ochaya and West Virginia’s Ashleigh Barton.
Cassella watched as Scherlacher instilled a tradition to the Cardinals’ volleyball program similar to its days under Woodman. Scherlacher assisted Woodman during Mentor’s 2007 season that ended with a trip to the state tournament. Scherlacher’s program was founded on equally developing his student-athletes’ ability and character.
“I classify Steve as a coach that gets it,” Cassella said. “He’s a guy that sees the big picture of what it means to be a student-athlete.”
Lake Catholic coach Rob Cline knew Scherlacher for nearly two decades, dating back to when they competed against each other in beach volleyball. Cline also works as a Junior Olympic coach at Eastside, where Scherlacher hired him.
Scherlacher’s legacy entails an athlete-first philosophy. When sophomore Emma Walker made a midseason return from an injury, he quoted a tweet from the Philadelphia Eagles regarding Carson Wentz’s return to say, “Who cares about Carson Wentz, @emmawalkss gets to play today.”
Friends, players and opponents all echoed praise of Scherlacher’s superlative care for his wards.
Cline never doubted any potential inflation of Scherlacher’s importance or ego.
“That’s something that I do see from time to time with coaches,” Cline said. “It’s not about the coaches, it’s about the kids. That’s who’s playing the game, that’s who matters and he definitely touched a lot of lives, a lot of coaches.”