Men's Basketball Head Coach
Varsity R Club Co-Coordinator
Jim Shaw
E-mail: james.shaw@rose-hulman.edu
Phone: 812-877-8497
Jim Shaw has continued the tradition of success for the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology men's basketball program since his promotion to head coach prior to the 1994-95 season.
Shaw has led Rose-Hulman to five NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, four regular-season conference championships and three conference tournament titles in his 19 years as head coach of the Engineers.
The recent run of success includes NCAA Division III Tournament appearances in 2012 and 2013; Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament championships in 2012 and 2013; and a conference regular season title in 2013.
Shaw, the 14th head men's basketball coach in school history, also served as Rose-Hulman's men's golf coach and has won a pair of league Coach of the Year honors on the links. He currently serves as the co-coordinator for the Rose-Hulman Varsity R Club, a group with the goal of reconnecting athletic alumni with the department.
Shaw became the second men's basketball coach in school history to cross 200 career victories at Rose-Hulman with a victory at Hanover in 2008. He trails only the 341 victories from John Mutchner in the school's record book and has compiled a record of 281-215 (.566) in his career.
Individual accolades for Shaw include Conference Coach of the Year awards in 1996, 1997, 2001 and 2013; National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Regional co-Coach of the Year honors in 2013; and finalist honors for the Glenn Robinson National Coach of the Year Award in 2013.
Shaw's era at Rose-Hulman includes NCAA Division III Tournament appearances in 1996, 1997, 1999, 2012 and 2013. Most importantly, Shaw has maintained a balance of success both on the court and in the classroom for his student-athletes.
"My goal is to have a great program, one which is always near the top of the league and is competing for a tournament berth. With our conference championships and NCAA appearances, we are proud of our accomplishments but are trying to take the program to the next level," said Shaw.
The Engineers won their first Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament championship under Shaw in the 1995-96 campaign, giving Rose-Hulman its first NCAA III tournament appearance in seven years.
He guided the Engineers to a 19-9 record, regular season conference championship and NCAA tournament appearance again in the 1996-97 season. Illinois Wesleyan ended the Engineers' 1997 tournament dreams by just a single point before going on to claim the national championship.
Rose-Hulman made a rapid transition into the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1998-99, capturing the league title and an NCAA III tournament appearance after winning 20 games for just the third time in school history. Rose-Hulman won an SCAC record 15 games, including 12 consecutive wins to open league play. Shaw earned another conference Coach of the Year honor and the Engineers continued to earn national respect, including a top 10 ranking.
The 2000-01 season continued Rose-Hulman's successful tradition, as the Engineers claimed their second SCAC championship in three seasons, compiling a 17-8 record after a 2-6 start to the season. Rose-Hulman shared the league championship with Millsaps College by finishing 14-4 in league play.
In 2001-02, the Engineers remained in the chase for the conference championship until the season's final week, finishing with a 14-11 record and a 12-6 mark in SCAC play. The 2003-04 squad had the best single-season turnaround in school history, improving from 9-17 to 19-8 and finishing second in the SCAC.
In 2008, Rose-Hulman qualified for the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament with a victory at league regular season champion Defiance College on the final day of the regular season. The 2010-11 squad enjoyed the second-best single-season turnaround in program history with an improvement of nine wins and a 16-10 mark.
The 2011-12 squad recorded the fourth 20-win season in Rose-Hulman history, then made a memorable run as the No. 3 seed to win the HCAC Tournament and advance to NCAA play. The Engineers topped Transylvania 76-73 in overtime to tie for the second most wins in a season in Rose-Hulman history.
His 2012-13 team reached as high as No. 18 nationally and tied the single-season school record for most wins (24) and fewest losses (4). The squad included second-team NABC All-American Julian Strickland and led all NCAA Division III schools in scoring defense by allowing just 51.8 points per game.
In addition, Shaw has continued the team's tradition of foreign travel as men's basketball coach. Under his direction, the team has taken trips to France (2011), China & Japan (2007), London and Greece (2003), Japan (2000) and Italy (1997).
Shaw understands that a well-rounded education is not acquired solely in the classroom, but he also knows the importance of the education that each of his athletes is receiving at one of the nation's top engineering schools.
"Competing in athletics at a great school, such as Rose-Hulman, presents different challenges and demands for the student-athletes and coaches," said Shaw. "This makes it very special when their hard work pays off, because they are not only able to live for the moment -- but they are able to prepare for the future at the same time."
Shaw began his college coaching career at Rose-Hulman under current DePauw Head Coach Bill Fenlon. He spent five seasons working under both Fenlon and former Rose-Hulman head coach Bill Perkins. The Engineers compiled a 72-55 record during that five-year span.
Shaw's Terre Haute coaching career has not been limited to the collegiate level. He served as an assistant coach under Pat Rady at Terre Haute South High School in 1987 and '88, where he coached former Dallas Cowboys tight end Tony McGee and former Indiana University and NBA player Brian Evans. During that two-year stint, the Braves had a 40-9 record, won two sectionals and a regional, and were ranked No. 1 in Indiana.
"Coach Fenlon and Coach Rady have in the past and still are very important to my coaching career. They have been instrumental in my development as a coach and person, I appreciate them very much. Other than my parents and my brother, they have probably impacted me the most," said Shaw.
Shaw graduated from Terre Haute South High School in 1978, and earned bachelor's degrees in journalism and political science from Indiana University in 1982. He added a master's degree in sports administration from Indiana State in 1989.