University of Wyoming assistant coach Shaun Vandiver enters his seventh season with the Cowboys.
He has served various roles including graduate assistant, special assistant to head coach and assistant coach. A veteran in the coahing ranks he is the longest tenured staff member on the Cowboy coaching staff.
The Cowboys reached the NCAA Tournament in 2022 finishing the season with a 25-9 overall record. The Pokes received their first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2002 and marked the first trip to the Big Dance since 2015. The Pokes recorded 24 wins in the regular season for the most since the 1951-52 campaign.
The Pokes, who were picked to finish eighth in the Conference ranked as high as No. 22 in the nation in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches' polls.
He helped mentor freshman Graham Ike during the 2020-21 season. Ike recorded a career-high 32 points against San Jose State in the first round of the MW Tournament. His 32 points was tied for the second most amongst freshman in a single game in the NCAA last season.
The Pokes went 6-1 in non-conference play in 2020-21 including a road win over an Elite Eight team in Oregon State. Wyoming won six total road games on the season for the most away from Laramie since the 2012-13 season. UW also had a winning record on the road since 2000-01 season.
In his first season back with the Brown and Gold, Vandiver helped the Pokes defeat South Carolina for Wyoming’s first win against an SEC team in Laramie since he served as a graduate assistant during the 2002-03 season. In his second season, he helped lead the Cowboys to the semifinals of the MW Tournament.
Vandiver was an assistant for the Pokes from 2005-10 serving under head coaches Steve McClain and Heath Schroyer. He also served as a graduate assist at Wyoming for the 2002-03 season.
As a member of the Wyoming coaching staff, Vandiver helped lead the Cowboys to the Championship game of the 2006 Mountain West Tournament. During his time with the Pokes, he mentored nine players who earned All-MW honors.
“I like the way the Cowboy basketball program has progressed, and my goal is to help the coaching staff keep it going and take it to another level,” Vandiver said.
Vandiver led the Hornets to five Mid-America Athletic Association tournaments during his time at Emporia State. In his first season as head coach, he became only the second coach in MIAA history to lead his team to the tournament championship game in his first season. Last season, Emporia State nearly knocked off Mizzou on the road before falling to the Tigers 67-62.
Prior to his time as head coach at Emporia State, Vandiver was an assistant coach at Boise State. He was a key part of one of the biggest turnarounds in Boise State history in 2010-11. The Broncos were 22-13 and advanced to the semifinals of the CBI Tournament before falling to the Oregon Ducks 79-71 in Eugene, Ore. The 22 wins were a seven-game improvement over the previous year.
He began his coaching career in 2001-02 as volunteer assistant coach with Colorado while finishing his degree in sociology. In 2002-03, he moved on to Wyoming as a graduate assistant where he helped guide the Cowboys to a 21-11 record and an NIT berth. His first full-time coaching position was at Bowling Green State in 2003-04. He moved on to Northern Colorado for the 2004-05 season as the Bears were finishing their transition to NCAA Division I.
Vandiver transferred to Colorado following his freshman year at Hutchison Community College and was named Big Eight Newcomer of the Year in 1989. His senior season, he led the Buffs to the National Invitation Tournament finals in New York City, where they finished third. He averaged a double-double in his career for the Buffaloes and ended his career as the third leading scorer (1,876) and rebounder (962) in CU history. After earning First-Team All-Big Eight honors as a junior and senior, he was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 25th pick of the 1991 NBA Draft. After his collegiate career, Vandiver enjoyed a nine-year professional playing career in Europe. He played for teams in: Bologna, Italy (1991-92); Bilbao, Spain (1992-93); Girona, Spain (1993-94); Reggio Calabria, Italy (1994-95); Las Palmas, Spain (1995-97); and Madrid, Spain (1997-2001).
Vandiver, a native of Bolingbrook, Ill.., is married to the former Danielle Dodgion. They have five children: Aubrey, a former Cowgirl basketball player; Amber, a former Emporia State basketball player; Garin, a former Emporia State player; Alessandra and Gage.