Optimist
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Features
    • Book Review
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Police Log
  • Print Edition
  • Projects
  • Classifieds
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
You are here: Home / Sports / Columnists / The second time around: Son of Tech coach returns to ACU, has big plans

The second time around: Son of Tech coach returns to ACU, has big plans

August 30, 2002 by Joshua Parrott

By Joshua Parrott, Sports Writer

The feeling wasn’t all that unusual for Shanon Hays.

The current ACU athletic director had encountered it all too many times during his two years as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Texas Tech from 1999-2001.

Thirty-five times out of a possible 56 opportunities, the Red Raiders came up short against the opposing team.

The feeling of losing had become common, although the uncertainty following a first-round Big 12 Tournament loss to Oklahoma State was not.

Not only did the Red Raiders post the worst record in Hays’ coaching career at 9-19 overall, he was also unemployed after head coach James Dickey and his entire coaching staff was fired.

With questions abounding Hays knew what he needed to do, like he had so many times before. What makes this situation different from any other was that Hays was unemployed and unsure of what his future held.

The Beginning

While in college, Shanon had it all planned out. He wanted to play basketball and baseball. He wanted to go to law school or coach, in that order.

“I thought I would get away from sports when I got out of college,” said Hays, who was hired by ACU over the summer. “I was going to go to law school, but I changed my mind, and ever since I’ve been in the sports profession.”

Shanon started his collegiate career at Lubbock Christian University playing baseball and basketball, mostly because he wasn’t sure he wanted to play at Texas Tech for his father, Larry Hays.

His father said he shared similar feelings.

“I just felt that coaching my own son was something I didn’t want to do,” said Larry, the current head baseball coach at Tech. “I was hesitant because everything here is such a high-profile situation.”

After one year at LCU in which he lost 18 pounds over six weeks, Shanon transferred to Texas Tech and became a three-year letterman playing for his father, who is currently fourth all-time among active coaches in collegiate baseball.

The elder Hays started the baseball program at LCU when Shanon was a child and spent 17 years coaching baseball at LCU before moving on to Texas Tech, where he has spent the past 17 years.

After his successful stint as a baseball player at Tech, Shanon volunteered to help Tech basketball coach James Dickey during the 1991-92 season.

Dickey, now an assistant coach at Oklahoma State, said he noticed Shanon’s love for coaching back years ago.

“Shanon has had a great vision of what he wants to accomplish,” Dickey said. “He knows what he wants to do as both a father and a husband.”

Larry never doubted that Shanon could excel as a basketball or baseball coach.

“I always felt he could do both,” Larry said. “I felt he was a better baseball coach than basketball coach, but I wasn’t surprised.”

After spending the 1991-92 season at Tech, Shanon spent the next three years coaching at the high school level and an additional year at Frank Phillips College.

By that time, Shanon noticed that he might have to put off law school.

“When it came down to it I had to look at it and ask myself, ‘How do I want to spend most of my day, everyday?'” he said. “Coaching wasn’t a job, it was fun. I didn’t even consider it working.”

Look for the second part of this story in the Wednesday, Sept. 4 issue of the Optimist.

Filed Under: Columnists Tagged With: Parrott Feaver

Other Sports:

  • Wildcats fall to Lumberjacks in OT

  • Wildcats fall on the road in WAC opener

  • Football earns nearly $1 million in contract guarantees from 2023 season

About Joshua Parrott

You are here: Home / Sports / Columnists / The second time around: Son of Tech coach returns to ACU, has big plans

Other Sports:

  • Wildcats fall to Lumberjacks in OT

  • Wildcats fall on the road in WAC opener

  • Football earns nearly $1 million in contract guarantees from 2023 season

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

Twitter feed is not available at the moment.

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

3 days ago

The Optimist
Worry. Confusion. Fear. These are emotions that consume people when processing the concept of war. A student wants answers to peace and looks for it in family, friends, and leaders of the community. Students want answers to their questions and ACU has provided a platform for this. To read more about the resources provided visit acuoptimist.com or click the link in our bio. #acu #abilenechristianuniversity #israelhamaswar #abilenetx #warresources ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

6 days ago

The Optimist
This week on the Optimist Newscast we talk about the end of the Wildcat Football season and the goodbye blessing of Chaplin Cyrus Eaton. #acu #abilenechristianuniversity #acuchaplin #acufootball #acuvstexasam ... See MoreSee Less

Video

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Optimist Newscast Nov. 28, 2023

Our top stories this week include the Venture Out Market, ASA's Choma Event and ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Nov. 16, 2023
  • Ethnos: Echoes Celebrates Students’ Diverse Cultures
  • Optimist Newscast Nov. 10, 2023

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • Podcasts

© 2023 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved