Q and A: Retiring UNH ski coach Schwartz reflects on career
May 3—Cory Schwartz figured it was finally the right time.
Schwartz, who grew up in Center Conway, first thought about retiring as the University of New Hampshire's ski coach before the COVID-19 pandemic.
A 1982 UNH graduate, Schwartz said he stayed on so the program had a good foundation through and after COVID.
In 2022, Schwartz considered retirement again. That year, UNH welcomed a new athletic director, Allison Rich, and he wanted to make sure she understood the ski programs. Schwartz was the Nordic ski coach for 42 years as the program posted 31 top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships. And he served 37 years as ski coordinator for the Nordic and Alpine programs.
Schwartz retired several weeks ago. The Union Leader caught up with him to reflect on his decades-long career as an athlete and coach for one of UNH's most successful programs.
UL: How did you first get into skiing and how did you end up skiing for UNH?
CS: My parents moved to the White Mountains (from Long Island, New York) when I was very young ... In high school (at Kennett High), I was switched from Alpine to Nordic. I had a really good high school coach, Doug Armstrong, and had a good high school career and got recruited to the University of New Hampshire. (Coach) Paul Berton, I think it was his first year at UNH. He was the Alpine coach. The first year we didn't have a (Nordic) coach.
... Then (Byron) "Buzz" Davis came in and was my coach for our last three years. Buzz and Paul asked me to assist them when my eligibility was up and that's sort of how I got into coaching.
UL: As a junior at UNH in 1981, you placed 10th at the NCAA Championships. What stands out when you think back to that meet?
CS: That race was in Steamboat (Springs), (Colorado), I believe. ... The race was one of those normal, really-bad-condition Western races where it goes from really cold to really warm really fast so it was just tough skiing in terms of very slow, wet snow. I guess I was a little bit more of a grinder-type skier so it worked well for me because I just kept just going hard.
UL: As an athlete, when did you first realize that you might want to try coaching?
CS: I kind of feel like it was when they (Davis and Berton) asked me to stay and help. I was supposed to be Buzz's assistant, which I was, but he sort of gave me a little bit of free rein on the men's side. He allowed me to figure out some of the training and communication and recruiting while under his guidance.
UL: How did the opportunity to become UNH's head Alpine coach arise?
CS: Buzz left and they hired a gentleman, (Lex Scourby), and Lex was also an Alpine coach so now we had two head coaches that were Alpine coaches so they asked me to oversee the Nordic team.
UL: What were those early years like coaching the program compared to your final few years?
CS: I think the biggest difference was (at the start) I wasn't much older than my athletes. I was learning how to communicate, make decisions. ... Just learning how to (coach) them and pretty much build that team atmosphere was probably the thing that I learned right away that was real important. We created some things that we did that helped build that bond between us. For example, every fall we go and ski the Kancamagus Highway on roller skis.
UL: Is there a season where you felt like UNH had become one of the top programs nationally?
CS: It was in 1985. We had a really strong group and we came together fairly quickly, especially on the men's side, in terms of deep talent. I think we had all non-scholarship athletes and they came in fifth in the nation as a Nordic men's team. ... I think that brought us fairly quickly into the limelight.
UL: What were the most important traits you looked for when recruiting athletes or that you tried to instill in your athletes?
CS: You have to put a lot of time in to succeed. You have to like to train, so that was something that I was always looking for: Do they like to train?
As recruiting changed, we had to bring skiers to UNH so they could see what opportunities they had. We're going against Dartmouth and a lot of the private schools. ... We're a university versus schools that have a lot more money and facilities. We really tried to bring them on to show them the opportunities that they would have at UNH, not only academically but also on the team. Sometimes that also meant trying to (tell) them that they're going to make more of a difference at UNH than they might at, for example, Dartmouth.
UL: The program has consistently topped fundraising efforts not just among UNH teams but all campus groups. Why do you think that is?
CS: I think it goes back to — I think during my time we were almost dropped four times by the university. Not being supported at the level we needed, we found out that we had to fundraise. After so many years and other people helping, I think we just had that foundation where people (alumni) give back so we could create a better situation than they had.
UL: You coached 13 athletes that went on to be Olympians. Of that group, who improved the most at UNH?
CS: I would say one would be Patrick Weaver (1998, 2002 Olympian). He was a solid junior (skier) but, through hard work over the years, developed into one of the best in the country. Now he coaches at UVM (the University of Vermont).
UL: The Nordic program had its best finish at the NCAA Championships in 2022, taking sixth place. How would you describe that year's team?
CS: Really talented group, led by (current senior) Jas(mine) Lyons. They worked really well together. They're doing what we really wanted to bring together — a fun group working hard together and just enjoying every day.
UL: Do you expect you'll stay in the sport in some capacity?
CS: I think I'll enjoy some personal-type skiing by myself and with my wife, Julie, who was on the (UNH) team with me. That's where we met. I'll probably stay involved with the team in whatever manner that they ask ... I'm sure I'll go to races and cheer and maybe sometimes lend a hand.
