He came to Lipscomb from Brookville, Pennsylvania as a recruit of Coach Ralph Samples, and he became part of a successful run for the Bison Golf program. After graduating, Mike Schuckers used his Psychology degree as a golf pro and a business founder. His company now employs nearly 300 workers and serves five states. This week he took a few minutes to speak with Lipscombsports.com. 

What years did you compete for Lipscomb?

I played golf for Coach Ralph Samples from Fall 1981 through Spring 1985, when I graduated with a degree in Psychology.

Why did you attend Lipscomb?

Growing up, I played golf – thanks to the influence of my father – with a little baseball mixed in. Coach (Ralph) Samples recruited me from Brookville High School in Brookville, Pennsylvania. I was interested in playing college golf, and the warmer weather in the south appealed to me. I knew a few guys who played at Lipscomb – Todd Emerick, who was from my hometown, and Scott Holden – and although I didn’t have a connection to Nashville at the time, once I visited the Lipscomb campus, my decision was easy. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Lipscomb and in Nashville, and I still love to go back to Nashville to visit. 

What is your favorite athletic memory at Lipscomb?

Truthfully, the travelling we did as a team is my strongest memory from college. The large amount of time we spent together on the road was a great bonding experience, and after spending three or four years together, we honestly felt like family members. We spent so much time with each other: going to class, living in the dorm, travelling, practicing and playing -- I considered Dale Armstrong, Dale Jackson, Loren Personnett, Niel Olsen and others as “brothers” by the time I graduated.

The fact that we had a great deal in common – classes, golf, and other interests – combined with the fact that most of us were away from home drew us even closer. We spent several holidays together because it was just too far for several of us to travel home and back. 

The team trips to Alabama were always good times for us. They were easy drives – just a few hours usually – and we always seemed to play well, so those memories are very good.

Who influenced your athletic career at Lipscomb?

For me, a lot of motivation came directly from my teammates. We had some really good years at that time and lots of really good golfers. All of us were competitive enough to want a secure place in matches and tournaments, so we battled each other for top spots on the team. I remember some great competition with Dale Armstrong and Loren Personnett – they were fierce teammates who didn’t like to lose, and the best performers one week got to play the next week. It was tremendously motivating.

Coach Samples was also very inspiring. He was a great all-around guy. It’s probably something none of us realized at the time, but after we got the chance to look back a few years later it was clear he was just a really good person. I’ve never heard Coach say anything bad about anybody ... and we gave him plenty of reason to complain about us, believe me. But he was a good motivator and a very good leader for us.

What’s your favorite non-athletic memory from your time here?

Most of my memories are on-campus memories, now that I think about it. We spent so much time in class or on the golf course; I suppose that was our little world. We spent a little time at Shoney’s in Green Hills or across Granny White Pike at Pizza Perfect, but those were our only big outings.

I got the chance to visit campus recently, and I was incredibly impressed. Some of the buildings look familiar on the exterior, but the campus and the neighborhood are so drastically improved I hardly recognized them. I’m really impressed by the progress both on Lipscomb’s campus and in the city of Nashville.

What are the most valuable lessons you learned in your time at Lipscomb?

The biggest thing I learned was discipline – both on the golf course and on campus. I was away from home for essentially the first time, and I learned a lot about structure by having to go to class and to chapel. I came from a big public school in the north, and we didn’t have anything like that. So my best lesson was in self-discipline.

I look back now, and although it was totally different from the structure I was accustomed to, it was absolutely the best thing for me. I learned a lot, and I grew tremendously in my four years there.

Who were your favorite professors?

I learned a lot from Dr. (Nathaniel) Long, one of my major professors. He was a very good instructor, along with Coach Samples. We always hoped we could take coach and it would be a cakewalk, but it wasn’t – he worked us hard and we learned a lot.

What do you do now?

I’m the president of SERVCO Services, a privately held building maintenance and management company. We provide everything from property management to cleaning to general maintenance.

(Editor’s note: He was too humble to reveal the entire story, but Mike founded a company approximately 25 years ago that merged with SERVCO. It has grown to employ nearly 300 people, with clients in five states and a corporate headquarters in Bradford, Pennsylvania. He also operates Brook Capital Real Estate, which owns both commercial and residential rental real estate.)

When I got out of college, I spent 9-10 years as a PGA professional, but I saw a lot of the courses being bought by management companies – and I didn’t want to go to work for a management company. So I began the company and grew it from scratch. The bulk of our business now is in New York and Pennsylvania, but we also work in Ohio, West Virginia and North Carolina.

Tell us about your family:

My wife, Mary, and I dated some in high school before going our separate ways and getting back together after college. We have one son, Ryan, who is married and works with me at SERVCO. About a year-and-a-half ago he and his wife blessed us with a grandson.

FAST FINISH:

• Favorite food: Pizza
• Favorite show: Game of Thrones
• Favorite sports team: Pittsburgh Steelers
• Pet Peeve: Negativity
• Favorite Season: Summer
• Salad or Dessert: Dessert
• Dream vacation spot: South Beach
• Best car I’ve owned: 1969 MGB

You can reach Mike by email at: mschuckers@servco-services.com