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Don ShondellBorn: January 1, 1929 in Fort Wayne, Indiana (United States)
Died: November 23, 2021 in Muncie, Indiana (United States) Enshrined: 1996 Country: United States Category: Coach |
BIOGRAPHY
Don Shondell (Dr. Don) enrolled at Ball State University to pursue a degree in Physical Education where he was introduced to the sport of volleyball and a passion for the sport was born.
A graduate of Ball State University in 1952 and 1956, earning a Doctoral Degree from Indiana University in 1965, Dr. Don had a long and illustrious career as a coach at his alma mater. After graduating from Ball State in 1952, he joined the U.S. Army and was assigned to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri where he played on his regimental volleyball team and was assigned the role of intramural coordinator for the troops. He was given the opportunity to coach and build a volleyball program at his army base in the Ozarks.
Following his discharge from military service, he returned to Indiana with his wife, Betty. He accepted a 5 grade teaching position and basketball coach position in Brook, Indiana before destiny landed him a position as the Intramural Director at Ball State University.
Dr. Don launched a BSU club volleyball team in 1959 and worked tirelessly against strong administrative opposition to make it a varsity sport by 1964. Following a one year leave in 1965 to complete a doctoral program at Indiana University, he promptly turned the varsity program into a national powerhouse while also teaching physical education.
He coached the Cardinals for 34 years, amassing a career record of 769-280-6 record, the second most wins by a Head Coach in NCAA men's volleyball history; 20 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) titles and 13 NCAA Tournament berths.
From 1964 through 1998, Dr. Don received Coach of the Year honors eight times from the MIVA, the conference of which he was a co-founder and first president.
He served as the president of the USVBA from 1979-80, was inducted into the Ball State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1983, and was the first recipient of the Mikasa Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989. The USVBA awarded Shondell with the William G. Morgan Award in 1989 and the Dr. Harold T. Friermood Award in 1992.
The Ball State Cardinals, have played in the annual Volleyball Hall of Fame Classic Tournament at Springfield College in 1995 and 1996. The Cardinals returned to Springfield in 1995 to play in the Men’s NCAA Volleyball Championship, hosted by the Hall of Fame. No stranger to those championships, Don has led BSU to 13 appearances in the NCAA tournament.
He was named American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) / Tachikara National Coach of the Year in 1995 and All-Time Great Coach by the USVBA in 1996.
Don retired from Ball State University in 1988, but his influence on the sport did not end there. He continued coaching volleyball at Munciana and Muncie Burris, where he led the eighth-grade volleyball team for 12 years before retiring in 2017. At the age of 87 and his
final season at the helm, he led the Burris Owls to an undefeated season.
In honor of his achievements and contribution to the university, Ball State officially opened the Dr. Don Shondell Practice Center in July of 2018.
A graduate of Ball State University in 1952 and 1956, earning a Doctoral Degree from Indiana University in 1965, Dr. Don had a long and illustrious career as a coach at his alma mater. After graduating from Ball State in 1952, he joined the U.S. Army and was assigned to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri where he played on his regimental volleyball team and was assigned the role of intramural coordinator for the troops. He was given the opportunity to coach and build a volleyball program at his army base in the Ozarks.
Following his discharge from military service, he returned to Indiana with his wife, Betty. He accepted a 5 grade teaching position and basketball coach position in Brook, Indiana before destiny landed him a position as the Intramural Director at Ball State University.
Dr. Don launched a BSU club volleyball team in 1959 and worked tirelessly against strong administrative opposition to make it a varsity sport by 1964. Following a one year leave in 1965 to complete a doctoral program at Indiana University, he promptly turned the varsity program into a national powerhouse while also teaching physical education.
He coached the Cardinals for 34 years, amassing a career record of 769-280-6 record, the second most wins by a Head Coach in NCAA men's volleyball history; 20 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) titles and 13 NCAA Tournament berths.
From 1964 through 1998, Dr. Don received Coach of the Year honors eight times from the MIVA, the conference of which he was a co-founder and first president.
He served as the president of the USVBA from 1979-80, was inducted into the Ball State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1983, and was the first recipient of the Mikasa Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989. The USVBA awarded Shondell with the William G. Morgan Award in 1989 and the Dr. Harold T. Friermood Award in 1992.
The Ball State Cardinals, have played in the annual Volleyball Hall of Fame Classic Tournament at Springfield College in 1995 and 1996. The Cardinals returned to Springfield in 1995 to play in the Men’s NCAA Volleyball Championship, hosted by the Hall of Fame. No stranger to those championships, Don has led BSU to 13 appearances in the NCAA tournament.
He was named American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) / Tachikara National Coach of the Year in 1995 and All-Time Great Coach by the USVBA in 1996.
Don retired from Ball State University in 1988, but his influence on the sport did not end there. He continued coaching volleyball at Munciana and Muncie Burris, where he led the eighth-grade volleyball team for 12 years before retiring in 2017. At the age of 87 and his
final season at the helm, he led the Burris Owls to an undefeated season.
In honor of his achievements and contribution to the university, Ball State officially opened the Dr. Don Shondell Practice Center in July of 2018.
