FHSU Athletics

Craig Shaw enters his sixth season as head coach of the women's soccer program at Fort Hays State University in 2016. Shaw has compiled a record of 51-39-8 (.561) as head coach in the first five years of women's soccer at FHSU, averaging more than 10 wins per season. Shaw enters his ninth year as a head coach at the collegiate level, compiling a 91-58-10 (.604) overall record in eight seasons.

Shaw has coached four Daktronics All-Region selections, three NSCAA All-Region picks and 29 All-MIAA honorees, including 2014 First Team selections Mallory Diederich and Hailey Davey. Academically, Shaw’s Tigers earned the NSCAA team Academic Award for 2013-14, given to teams that put together a combined GPA of 3.0 or higher.
 
In just the program's second year of existence in 2012, Shaw guided the Tigers to a record of 14-7-1 overall, the MIAA Tournament Championship, and the program's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers saw a vast turnaround under Shaw following the program's first year of competition in 2011, when it finished 6-11-1 overall. He guided the Tigers to an eight-win improvement in 2012, while knocking off the top three seeds in the MIAA Tournament to grab an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers had three All-MIAA picks in 2011 and saw that number grow to six in the 2012 season. Jordan Hester was the program’s first ever All-Region Daktronics selection during the 2012 season.
 
The 2013 Tigers finished 7-8-3 (.472) with three All-MIAA selections, but rebounded with another strong showing in 2014, seeing their first ever All-MIAA First Team selections and narrowly missing a second NCAA Tournament appearance in the program’s history. The Tigers finished 2014 at 13-5-2 (.700), closing the regular season with an eight-game unbeaten streak before winning its first round MIAA Tournament game at home. The .700 win percentage was a new school record for FHSU. Overall for 2014, eight Tigers were named All-MIAA. Davey, Diederich and Kristen Thompson were picked to the Daktronics All-Central Region team and Diederich, Davey and Hannah Smith received NSCAA All-Region honors.

Shaw added another postseason victory in 2015, leading the Tigers to an 11-8-1 record before bowing out in the MIAA Tournament semifinals. A program-best nine players were given All-MIAA honors while a total of 12 earned MIAA Academic Honor Roll status.
 
Shaw came to Fort Hays State University from Ottawa (Kan.) University, where he served as the head coach for three years. In three years, Shaw guided Ottawa to a record of 40-19-2. The 2009 season was Ottawa's best under Shaw, finishing 17-4 overall. The Lady Braves won the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference with an unblemished 9-0 record. Ottawa improved in the conference standings each year under Shaw, finishing third in 2007, second in 2008, and at the top in 2009. The 2009 Ottawa squad also won the conference tournament and was an NAIA national tournament qualifier. Shaw was named KCAC Coach of the Year and NSCAA Regional Coach of the Year in 2009. He led the Lady Braves to NAIA national rankings in 2008 and 2009.

Ottawa had five NAIA All-Americans and 19 all-conference performers under Shaw. He coached the KCAC Freshman of the Year in all three of his years, the KCAC Goalkeeper of the Year in 2008, and the KCAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2009.
 
Prior to his stint at Ottawa, Shaw was the assistant men's soccer coach at St. Ambrose University in Iowa for two years from 2005 to 2007. He helped St. Ambrose to second and third place conference finishes in his time with the program. St. Ambrose was a conference tournament finalist each year and a regional tournament semifinalist one year while Shaw was with the program. He also was the head coach of the Assumption High School girls soccer program in 2006, helping the team to a 10-6 record while winning the Catholic Cup and appearing in the regional final.
 
Shaw also spent time as a head coach in his native country of Australia, at Bond University and the Nerang Soccer Club. Since 2009, he has served as the 97/98 Girls State Olympic Development Program Team Head Coach for the Kansas Youth Soccer Association and the 98 Girls Region II Olympic Development Program Team Assistant Coach for the United States Youth Soccer Association. He also served as an Olympic Development Program Assistant Coach from 1998 to 2000 for the Gold Coast Soccer Federation in Australia.
 
Shaw played soccer for the Nerang Soccer Club of the Gold Coast Premier League in Australia from 1996 to 2001. He then played collegiate soccer at the NCAA Division II level at Carson-Newman University in Tennessee from 2001 to 2004. While at Carson-Newman, he helped the team to conference championships in 2003 and 2004. Carson-Newman qualified for the Division II National Tournament in each of those years, making the Elite 8 in 2003 and the round of 16 in 2004. Carson-Newman held top-ten national rankings each of those seasons and was ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation in 2004. He and his wife, Alexandra, have two daughters, Torey and Bella.

Season-by-season Head Coaching History
2015 - FHSU - 11-8-1
2014 - FHSU - 13-5-2
2013 - FHSU - 7-8-3
2012 - FHSU - 14-7-1
2011 - FHSU - 6-11-1
2009 - Ottawa - 17-4
2008 - Ottawa - 15-5
2007 - Ottawa - 8-10-2
Overall head coaching record - 91-58-10