Jesse Shaw is in his second season as head men’s basketball coach of the Saints program. In his first year, playing a GLVC-only schedule, he guided the Saints to eight league wins, the second most since joining the conference. Shaw coached one first-team All-GLVC player and had another voted to the All-Defensive squad.
Shaw came to Maryville after spending four seasons as an assistant coach at fellow Great Lakes Valley Conference member, University of Missouri-St. Louis. Shaw moved across town after helping guide the most successful year in UMSL history.
During his four years as an UMSL assistant, Shaw helped the Tritons to 72 victories, capped by a record-setting 27-6 record, the first GLVC regular-season title and an appearance in the GLVC Tournament finals. He helped UMSL set a program record for victories, achieve the highest national ranking in school history (No. 13) and post an undefeated home record. After amassing 20 victories in 2018-19, the Tritons recorded back-to-back 20-win campaigns for the first time in program history.
Prior to UMSL, Shaw was at Pratt Community College where he was the head coach from 2011-16, and an assistant for three seasons prior to getting promoted. In his first three seasons, as head coach, he transformed the last-place team in the region into a regional champion. During his tenure at PCC, Shaw developed 12 NCAA Division I signees, coached 15 All-Jayhawk Conference selections and eight professional basketball players. PCC posted at least 20 wins his final three seasons, won the 2014 NJCAA Region VI title and reached the JUCO national tournament. Shaw earned NJCAA Region VI Coach of the Year and the KBCA Junior College Men’s Coach of the Year honors. His final squad posted a 22-9 record and enjoyed the best record on the east side of the Jayhawk Conference for the first time in more than 25 years. Shaw amassed a five-year record of 92-69 in his five seasons at PCC.
Shaw served as a graduate assistant coach at Emporia State from 2006 through 2008. He helped the 2006-07 Hornets to a 16-0 start and a No. 7 national ranking, both school records. Shaw helped guide Emporia State to the 2007 NCAA DII National Tournament, just the second time the ESU had earned a berth. The next year, he helped the Hornets to their only MIAA Tournament championship game in school history and tied their program record with the No. 7 national ranking.
As a player, Shaw helped Northwest Missouri State University become the national contender that it has become today in Division II. He graduated as the second winningest player in Bearcat history and played on the first two teams to reach the NCAA DII Elite Eight. Shaw was a member of two regional championship teams and helped the Bearcats claim two MIAA Tournament championships and one regular season conference championship. Two of Shaw’s playing teams have been inducted into Northwest Missouri State’s Hall of Fame. He earned his Bachelor’s of Science in Physical Education in December 2005.
A native of Lincoln, Neb., Shaw was an all-state basketball selection and helped Lincoln East High School win its only state championship in more than 40 years. He is married to the former Hannah Bell, and the couple has two daughters, Harmony and Avery.
