COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The National Wheelchair Basketball Association recently announced that Southwest Minnesota State University head wheelchair basketball coach Lew Shaver has been named the head coach for the United States Men's Under-23 team that will compete in Turkey in 2013.

The NWBA High Performance Committee, who reviewed over ten excellent applicants and interviewed five candidates, made the selection.

Shaver will be working with the High Performance Committee in the selection of his coaching staff as well as the selection of the players who will make up the U23 team at the tryout camp later this month in Colorado Springs.

“Obviously it is a privilege and an honor to represent the USA as a head coach in an international competition,” Shaver said.  “I am also proud to represent SMSU with our rich wheelchair basketball history.”

Shaver is currently in his fourth season as head coach at SMSU and has been involved in coaching wheelchair basketball at SMSU since 1969.  Shaver returned to the sidelines during the 2009-10 season, serving as interim head coach.  He was named head coach in August 2010. 

Shaver began teaching and coaching at SMSU in 1969 and spent 26 seasons as the head coach of the wheelchair basketball team compiling a record of 339-241 from 1969-95.  During his tenure, the team won three national championships in 1981, 1983 and 1986 and finished as national runners-up six times.

Shaver has authored several wheelchair basketball coaching books, coordinated PVA /NWBA Basketball camps for 20 years and has served on the coaching staff of five different international teams, including the 1996 USA Men's Bronze Medal Paralympic Team in Atlanta and the 1988 Women's Gold Medal Paralympic Team in Seoul.