Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, who became a college basketball fan favorite during Loyola Chicago’s March Madness run to the Final Four in 2018, has passed away at 106 years old. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the news on Thursday.
“Loyola University Chicago is greatly saddened to confirm the death of Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, BVM,” Loyola Chicago wrote in a statement. “This is a tremendous loss of someone who touched the lives of so many people. We appreciate everyone’s thoughts & prayers during this difficult time.”
Sister Jean was a Catholic nun, campus minister and official chaplain of Loyola Chicago’s basketball team. She became synonymous in the college basketball world when she was seen on the sidelines cheering on the Ramblers as they made a Cinderella run to the Final Four, marking their first since their national championship in 1963.
Sister Jean took a job at Mundelein College in 1961 and later joined Loyola Chicago when the two schools became affiliated in 1991. She stepped into the academic advisor role with the men’s basketball team in 1994 before becoming the team’s chaplain.
“In many roles at Loyola over the course of more than 60 years, Sister Jean was an invaluable source of wisdom and grace for generations of students, faculty, and staff,” Loyola President Mark C. Reed said. “While we feel grief and a sense of loss, there is great joy in her legacy. Her presence was a profound blessing for our entire community and her spirit abides in thousands of lives. In her honor, we can aspire to share with others the love and compassion Sister Jean shared with us.”Â
Just last month, Sister Jean retired from her role with the team and stepped away from her duties at the university.
Sister Jean also joined the Ramblers for their two NCAA tournament appearances that followed the Final Four run. In 2020-21, ahead of Loyola’s upset win over No. 1 Illinois, she offered wisdom not only in the players’ lives, but also on the court.
“As we play the Fighting Illini, we ask for special help to overcome this team and get a great win,” she said. “We hope to score early and make our opponents nervous. We have a great opportunity to convert rebounds as this team makes about 50% of layups and 30% of its 3 points. Our defense can take care of that.”
But Sister Jean’s legacy extends far beyond her work with the basketball team.
Sister Jean paired Loyola students with residents of a local assisted living community through a program called SMILE (Students Moving Into the Lives of the Elderly) and held weekly prayer groups for students.
She “received recognition from church and world leaders thanking her for her joy and service,” and received an Apostolic Blessing from Pope Francis for her 100th birthday. She received a proclamation from President Joe Biden on her 105th birthday.
The Ramblers will no longer have Sister Jean on their sideline, but they’ll surely be thinking of her the next time they take to the court.