Lew Shaver is in his fourth season as head coach at SMSU in 2012-13 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 was the first coach at SMSU from 1969 to 1978 before assuming the coaching position at Illinois for the 1978-79 season before returning to SMSU in 1979 and coaching until 1995. He retired from SMSU in 1996.
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. The team also finished as national runners-up six times and won or shared the Central Intercollegiate Conference title from 1978 through 1986.
Recognized nationally as a wheelchair basketball expert, Shaver has written or co-authored three books on the sport. He was also the assistant coach on three international championship wheelchair basketball teams.
In addition to his wheelchair basketball duties, he coached baseball and was the head football coach at SMSU in 1977 and 1978. He was also a professor in the Department of Health and Physical Education (now Wellness and Human Performance).
Shaver has served on numerous national and international coaching positions within the National Wheelchair Basketball Association and the United States Paralympic efforts.
He is retired and lives in Canby, Minn., with his wife Judy.
