Many talented educators and coaches were once professional athletes. This is the case with Erwin Clagget, a high school social studies teacher and basketball coach who happens to be a former professional basketball player.

Erwin, born in 1973, graduated high school in Venice, Illinois, where he earned the nickname the “Venice Menace.” But he is probably most famous for his college basketball career at St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri. There he played combo guard for the St. Louis Billikens between 1991 and 1995. At 6 feet, 1 inch, and 185 pounds, Erwin  played a total of four seasons for the Billikens, where he scored a total of 1,910 points. He was named the all-time leading scorer of the Great Midwest Conference, and because the conference disbanded in 1995, he will always hold that record. He led the squad to a berth in the 1994 NCAA Tournament, where they lost in the opening round to Maryland. During his senior year, the Billikens earned another berth into the tournament, this time losing to Wake Forest. Despite these losses, in 1995, Erwin was honored by the Associated Press as an All-American, and in 2001 he was inducted into the Saint Louis University Athletic Hall of Fame. After college,  Erwin played professional basketball in Europe.

Erwin earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Louis in 1995 and his master’s from Lindenwood University in 2003. He began his career as a professional educator and coach at   Venice High School in Missouri, where he worked for two years. He then transferred to McCluer High School in Florissant, Missouri, where he spent nine years as a social studies teacher and the Head Basketball Coach. While there, the McCluer High Comets consistently ranked as one of the area’s top teams, often battling for the championship of the Suburban North Conference, which is one of the toughest basketball leagues in the state. In his nine years there, Erwin’s teams posted a record of 169-60, including three Suburban North Conference titles. During his tenure, the Comets produced many talented players, including NCAA Division I players Lonnie and Shaquille Boga. Three times Coach Claggett was named the league’s Coach of the Year: in 2004, 2006, and again in 2010. In 2012, Erwin was named the Head Basketball Coach at St. Louis University High School, where he also teaches social studies.

Well done, Erwin!