Shane Davis: From a Small Town to National Champion

Head coach Shane Davis had an unconventional journey to becoming a cornerstone of Loyola’s men’s volleyball program. After playing three seasons with the Ramblers as a student-athlete and graduating in 2003, Davis went on to lead the program for the next 12 years.

Born and raised in the small town of Denver, Iowa, Davis said volleyball wasn’t a common sport for boys growing up, and his area had no boy’s volleyball at the high school level.

Instead, Davis said his volleyball exposure arose from a special place — his parents.

“My parents would play in a lot of rec volleyball leagues in nearby towns,” Davis said. “My sister and I would just tag along, and we’d pass back and forth. We couldn’t play because we were too young, but we were always there.”

Eventually, someone at one of the recreation leagues suggested Davis’ sister, Shari, try volleyball, which opened the door for Davis to play nearby.

 “We found out there was actually boy’s club volleyball for 14 and under,” Davis said. “That’s how I got started. My sister’s opportunity and just some local boys club in Waterloo-Cedar Falls area.”

From there, Davis said his passion for volleyball grew. While balancing five other sports — football, basketball, golf, track and baseball — he made time for club volleyball practices in the evenings. By high school, Davis was playing in adult men’s volleyball tournaments sharpening his skills against more experienced players.

Davis said he was torn when it came time to decide on a college to further his athletic career. Football had been a major part of his life, but volleyball presented a new challenge. After a conversation with his dad, Davis said he was pushed to see how far he could go with volleyball.

Drawn by Loyola’s proximity to home and strong academic programs, Davis ultimately chose to pursue collegiate volleyball. The family connection was further cemented when his sister decided to attend Loyola, graduating as a Rambler in 2002.

Shane Davis didn’t just thrive at Loyola, he made history. From 2000 to 2003, he set the program record with 5,337 assists and became the leader in digs and service aces. In 2003, he was tabbed as Ramblers Male Athlete of the Year.

After graduating, unexpectedly found himself stepping into the coaching role when Loyola’s head coach job opened up. He said he didn’t initially have a passion for coaching or even see it as a viable career option.

“I had no idea what I wanted to do after Loyola,” Davis said. “I could play volleyball, try the overseas thing or just get a regular job, but I was really lost. Coaching wasn’t even on my radar. I had zero experience — I’d never coached even T-ball.”

At the time, the team’s previous coach Tim O’Brian, who was also an assistant coach for Loyola’s women’s volleyball program, decided to leave to coach a professional team. With both programs demanding his time, the coach approached Davis, a three-year captain.

“He told me to talk to the athletic director, saying he thought I’d be a great fit to take over the program because of my leadership experience,” Davis said. “But my immediate reaction was, ‘No way.’ I had no idea what I was doing. I told them they could find someone better.”

It wasn’t until a few months later, in August, when Davis began reconsidering the job offer. He said he thought giving it a shot could do no harm, and he planned to only take on the responsibilities for a year.

“The athletic director just threw the keys across the desk and said, ‘You know where the office is,’” Davis said with a laugh. “That’s how my coaching career started.”

Initially, Davis said he viewed the position as a temporary gig — more of a stopgap to ensure the program’s continuity. But over time, he fell in love with the position.

“It was a stipend position, and I was working two other jobs at the time,” he said. “I just cared about the program and wanted to help out. But somewhere along the way, I fell in love with it — coaching, impacting lives and, honestly, wearing Nike gear to the office.”

This leap of faith led Davis to stay with the team, beginning an illustrious coaching career. During his tenure, he guided Loyola to three straight NCAA Final Four appearances, culminating in back-to-back national championships in 2014 and 2015. 

Davis said everything came together during those championship years — his 10 years with the program paid off.

Davis was inducted into Loyola’s Hall of Fame in 2015 as the program’s all-time winningest coach with a 265-88 record. He was also named the 2014 AVCA Coach of the Year as he molded 12 All-Americans, 43 All-MIVA picks and a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist. 

After 10 years of success with the Ramblers, Davis decided to take his coaching career to Northwestern University’s women’s volleyball program.

After Loyola’s previous head coach, John Hawks left for the University of California at Los Angeles, Loyola Athletics announced Davis would return to the team as head coach. 

“There aren’t many opportunities where you can leave a place gracefully and feel so supported coming back,” Davis said. “For me, this was a no-brainer. I love this place. I picked it when I was 18 for a reason.”

As Davis embarks on a new chapter with Loyola, he said his focus remains on getting to know his players and seeing them grow.

“I’m still really excited to get to know the guys even more,” he said. “I’m excited to see how they battle conflict and adversity. There’s so much growth that can come from those moments, and I’m eager to see where that takes this group by the end of the season.”

From tagging along to recreation league games to leading a national powerhouse team, the Hall of Fame coach has returned to the Rambler community with a commitment to excellence rooted in the Loyola volleyball program.