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DOWAGIAC — Dowagiac Union High School didn’t have to go far when looking to find its next varsity basketball coaches.

Craig Schau and Eric Charles were already a part of the Chieftains’ coaching staff. 

Schau, last year’s varsity girls’ coach, was recently hired to take over as Dowagiac’s head varsity boys’ mentor replacing Danum Hunt, who stepped down after 16 seasons leading the Chieftains’ hardcourt fortunes. 

Dowagiac finished the 2024-25 girls’ basketball season 5-17 in Schau’s one season leading the program, including a narrow 47-43 loss in the Division 2 district quarterfinals to Niles. 

“It was a very difficult decision to leave the girls’ program and it’s something I wrestled with before making my decision to apply for the boys’ job,” said Schau, a 2001 Dowagiac graduate and former college player. 

Schau inherits a Dowagiac boys’ program that finished just 1-20 with six seniors, but the Chieftains will return a good group of promising underclassmen.

“I’m very excited to get going with this group of kids. I’ve worked with a few of these boys coming up through the program and I’ve built a relationship with them. It’s been a goal of mine to become a boys’ varsity coach so I decided to put in my application when the job became available,” Schau said. He and his wife have five children in the Dowagiac school district.

With summer vacation now underway, Schau has been able to get into the gym with his team and start laying a foundation with workouts and weight lifting.

“Our focus right now is to build relationships with the kids and a strong culture. We want kids that want to play hard and I am going to focus on playing tough defense, building our basketball IQ and strengthening fundamentals. Offensively we will play a style that fits our personnel,” Schau said. 

Brent Nate, Dowagiac’s athletic director, is pleased to still have Schau as a member of the coaching staff.

“It was a tough decision for Craig to take the boys’ position because he felt so much loyalty to the girls’ program. As the process unfolded though, his strong connections with the players coming up in our boys’ program made him a strong choice,” Nate said. 

Meanwhile, Charles, a 2012 Dowagiac graduate and former football and basketball player himself for the Chieftains, takes the helm of the Lady Chieftains’ basketball fortunes following a five-year stint as junior varsity boys coach at Dowagiac.

“I have a real passion for coaching youth and for Dowagiac Athletics. I like having the opportunity to be involved in the community working with young people,” said Charles, who will inherit an experienced team in the 2025-26 season.

Dowagiac’s girls graduated just one senior and will return nine players. The Lady Chieftains’ roster will be dominated by juniors and seniors this coming season.

“I want to run a fast-paced game, apply a lot of full-court pressure and employ man-to-man defense as well. We will be a gritty team. I’m looking forward to turning Dowagiac into a basketball school. We want the girls coming through to have as much love for basketball as they do other sports,” Charles said.

Dowagiac officially hired Charles for the position on June 11 and he was able to get into the gym earlier this week to start working with his squad. The Lady Chieftains have summer scrimmages set up with Niles and Lawton. 

“I’m excited to get started and we are very enthusiastic with this group. These girls work extremely hard and when you do that good things happen,” Charles said.

Charles and his wife Dominique, also a Dowagiac graduate who sits on the school board, have two boys that are eight and two years old. 

Nate is equally excited to have Charles leading Dowagiac’s girls’ basketball program. 

“With Eric we are not only getting someone dedicated to basketball, but someone who is more than just an in-season coach. Often you will see Eric at other school events watching his players compete in volleyball, basketball, softball or track and field meets. Our coaches make a good effort to be involved with the other sports as well. That’s the culture we are projecting here at Dowagiac,” Nate said.