St. Thomas men’s basketball coach John Tauer not only works on developing students’ basketball skills on the hardwood but also coaches students in the classroom.

Tauer has a Ph.D in psychology from the UW-Madison and teaches a course in that subject every semester at St. Thomas. He is one of three NCAA basketball coaches in Divisions I, II and III who has a doctorate and teaches classes.

“Coaching and teaching were two dream jobs for me and to be able to blend those together has been an amazing experience; especially at a school like St. Thomas, where I went as a student and a place so near and dear to my heart,” Tauer said.

Before Tauer attended St. Thomas, he graduated from Cretin-Derham Hall where he won a state basketball championship in 1991. Not too far down the road at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic School, his father coached eighth-graders, which encouraged Tauer to pursue his basketball career.

“I grew up in a gym – my dad was a coach – so as long as I can remember, I grew up shooting baskets at a hoop,” Tauer said.

St. Thomas psychology professor John Buri also had an impact on Tauer’s career.

“(Buri) was the guy who let me into his class when it was full,” Tauer said. “There was a wait list and he said, ‘Nope, sit in the back corner.’ I don’t think I even had a chair, but he said, ‘If you want to take this class, you’re in it, and it changed my life. I’m not in that class, who knows what I major in,” Tauer said.

This semester, Tauer is teaching a 300-level psychology course. While he’s had players take his courses in the past, Tauer said this season’s team sees enough of him at practice and games.

“They get a big enough dose of me at practice that there’s no need to see (me) three more times during the week,” Tauer said.

Team manager Josh Rodenbiker took one of Tauer’s classes and said he is equally engaging in the classroom and on the court.

“He understands personalities and how to motivate people and best apply certain teaching styles depending on which guy he’s talking to or which student he’s talking to in the classroom,” Rodenbiker said.

Up next for coach Tauer and the Tommies is a shot at the Division-III national championship as they square off against Northwestern-St. Paul in the first round of the national playoffs Friday.

Jesse Krull can be reached at Krul7386@stthomas.edu.