Remembering Dick Shutte

The Passaic County Coaches Association is saddened by the news of the passing of former longtime Lakeland baseball and Cross Country Coach Dick Shutte.

Coach Shutte was a standout athlete at Lakeland Regional High School in baseball and basketball before becoming a Physical Education teacher at his alma mater, the very same place he would become a legendary coach in baseball and cross country.

The list of Coach Shutte's coaching accomplishments are staggering.

In baseball, his teams won ten Conference Championships where he was named Conference Coach of the year on three occasions.

His teams won the Group 2 State Title in 1974 and Group 3 State Title in 1976 along with a three State Sectional Titles.

Coach Shutte was named PCCA Baseball Coach of the Year in 1974 and PCCA Coach of the Year in 1986.

Coach Shutte earned over 300 wins in his career and was inducted into the NJ Scholastic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Lakeland High School Wall of Fame in 2008. He finished his career with a record of 359-179.

In Cross Country, Coach Shutte's career spanned 32 years and his teams won seven Conference Championships where he was named Conference Coach of the Year seven times.

His first season in 1969 saw his team win the State Group II Title as he also added a State Sectional Title in 1998.

His teams won two PCCA Championships where Coach Shutte was honored as PCCA Coach of the Year in 1999 where he was also honored for earning over 200 career victories.

He was honored in 2001 by the Paterson Old Timers Association Cross Country Award and was named NJSIAA Co Coach of the Year in 2008.

Coach Shutte will certainly be remembered as a legendary coach but more importantly as a humble gentleman who made an impact on so many lives beyond the playing field.

The Passaic County Coaches sends their deepest condolences to Coach Shutte's wife Janet, his children Sue, Dan, and Audrey and the entire Shutte family.

Below are some notable quotes about and from the late, great Coach Shutte:

"My first year at Lakeland, I hoped to get the head baseball job, but before that happened, Jack Weiss, who was the athletic director at the time, said that Lakeland needed a cross-country coach," Shutte said. "I didn't have a whole lot of experience in running. I ran one meet as a sophomore in high school, but I took the job. "It's a much different atmosphere than baseball. You can't call time out in the middle of the race and go out and talk to the runner. " -

"We wanted to win for Mr. Shutte," Jim Moebius told the Record in 1987. "He gives so much time and effort. He'll do anything for the kids. He throws a picnic for the track, cross-country, and baseball kids; and he throws batting practice every day. He's so consistent. Incredible. "

"Dick has always been a tremendous inspiration to me," Paul Tanis told The Record in 1998 after being promoted to Head Coach at Pompton Lakes."We talk at all the Passaic County [Coaches Association] functions and he's always given me plenty of confidence."

"I've been lucky," Dick Shutte told the Record in 1990 after stepping away as Lakeland Baseball Coach. "I've had great coaches, great guys who know what they're doing. And the type of kids you get up here are hard-nosed kids who play hard and practice hard; blue-collar types who love the game. "I've been fortunate that the two towns, Ringwood and Wanaque, have very nice baseball programs, and I've had two great athletic directors, Jack Weiss and Steve Naccara,""I'll miss the kids and the other coaches," he says. "But it was time for me to give it up. "

When Lakeland coach Mike Capozzi asked his predecessor the greatly respected Dick Shutte which dugout at tournament site Passaic Tech might be lucky for Lakeland in the 1993 County Final, Shutte smiled and said, "I don't know. I've lost in both of them."

Photo Courtesy :Shutte Family