About Don Shaw

One of the top coaches in collegiate volleyball history, Don Shaw established Stanford University as a national powerhouse in his 26 seasons coaching both men & women’s teams.

Shaw played a major role in helping Stanford women’s volleyball achieve the national prominence it now holds. In 16 seasons as women’s head coach, he led the Cardinal to 10 Final Fours, eight Championship Matches and four NCAA Championships (1992, 1994, 1996, 1997), including an NCAA tournament record of 50-12. He compiled an all-time record of 440-70 (.863), the top all-time winning percentage among Division I women's volleyball coaches. In Pac-10 Conference matches, Shaw was an amazing 229-23 (.909) while winning 10 conference championships. His overall collegiate record (including 7 years coaching the Stanford men’s team) is 523-154.

A charter member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association, he was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame on December 18, 2008. Shaw was named AVCA National Coach of the Year (1991), Volleyball Magazine Coach of the Year (1997), Regional/District Coach of the Year (‘92, ‘94, ‘97) & Conference Coach of the Year (’85, ’87, ’91, ’97).

Shaw has coached some of the top players in collegiate volleyball history, including 9 Olympians, 44 All-Americans and 20 USA National Team members. The impressive list includes, on the men’s side, ’88 Gold Medalists Jon Root and Scott Fortune, as well as current National Team setter and ’08 Gold Medalist Kevin Hansen. Five of his Stanford women’s players earned 7 National Player of the Year honors: Kim Oden (1984, 1985), Bev Oden (1990), Kristin Klein (1991), Cary Wendell (1994, 1995) and current Olympic Beach Gold Medalist Kerri Walsh (1999).

An outstanding clinician and ambassador of the game of volleyball, Shaw was the co-founder of the Stanford Volleyball Camps and served as Director for over two decades. He has conducted clinics and camps all over the U.S. and in Canada.

As a player, Shaw was a member of the U.S. National Team in 1979 and also earned All-America honors in leading Chuck's Steak House to the USVBA open national championship in both 1977 and 1978. He was also a USVBA All-American in 1986, as his team captured the senior division national title. He played professionally in the International Volleyball Association in 1979 and 1980 and was a top-rated beach player throughout the ‘70s. Shaw continues to compete in the sand and has won the championship of the Motherlode Volleyball Classic in Aspen, CO (Masters Division) three times.