Few men, if any, have had greater impact on the young men of Leo High School than Robert A. “Bob” Schablaske – or “Coach Schab” to his legions of admirers as a social studies/theology teacher and basketball/baseball coach.
He spent 27 years at Leo, and it’s fair to say that everyone he encountered came away with a “Coach Schab” story. The common denominator: an uncommon determination and matching ability to inspire maximum effort from and provide meaningful enjoyment for those in his charge, in the classroom or on the basketball court or baseball field.
“Coach Schab was my favorite coach ever,” said Staff Sgt. James Fagan USMC, who was the Lions’ top pitcher in 2012-13.
After surviving a liver transplant, Coach Schab succumbed to a heart attack in January 2019, at the height of a brutal polar vortex. He was 64. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think of him” has been a common refrain among his many friends in the six years since.
So at the behest of former coaching colleagues Anthony Rappold and John Arvetis ’69, Leo’s baseball game with De La Salle on Saturday, May 17 was designated “Coach Schab Day.” The largest Kroc Center crowd of the season included many of Schab’s friends, former players and family members.
His brother Mike and wife Karin drove over from Rockford and were presented with a plaque and a “Coach Schab” Leo baseball jersey. The Schablaske family presented Leo with a generous check for the school’s Scholarship Fund.
“When I think of the word ‘coach’ I immediately think of our dear friend,” Rappold said. “Every ounce of his being was teaching and coaching. His dedication to his student/athletes was second to none.”
Mike Zunica is De La Salle’s current president, but part of his tenure as St. Rita’s baseball coach coincided with Coach Schab’s time at Leo.
“I considered Coach Schablaske one of the greatest coaches in Catholic League history,” Zunica said. “His love for the game and his kids was authentic and admirable. I will always cherish the fond memories I have of Bob Schablaske and his Leo Lions.”
A Leo victory would have made for a perfect day, but it was not to be. The Meteors struck for four runs in the second inning, tacked on six more as the afternoon wore on and rode senior Francisco Rodriguez’s strong pitching to a 10-1 victory in the regular-season finale for both teams.
By Dan McGrath
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