Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University and AVCA Hall of Fame volleyball coach Shelton Collier announced this afternoon that he is stepping down as the Wingate University volleyball head coach. Collier has been the head coach at Wingate since 2002, guiding the Bulldogs to unparalleled success during his tenure while earning a spot in the Wingate University Hall of Fame. He will be inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame later this month at the AVCA Convention in Omaha. In his 41-year coaching career, Collier has an overall record of 1,150-301, good for a winning percentage of .793. He ranks seventh in all-time wins in the history of college volleyball and is second among all active head volleyball coaches. Collier went 585-93 during his Wingate career, with a 327-38 record in league play. He is the all-time SAC leader in wins, league victories and SAC Coach of the Year awards. A national search for the next Wingate volleyball coach will begin immediately.
"For over 40 years as a coach, with the last 20 being here at Wingate, I have sincerely enjoyed the challenge of helping collegiate female athletes learn how to earn the rewarding feeling and satisfaction of success, as well as facilitate ways for them to bring out the best in themselves and their teammates both on and off the court," Collier says. "I have also appreciated the opportunity to coach so many impressive young people who have exceptional personal qualities far beyond mine, who are often way smarter than me, and who have made my job fun, enjoyable and fulfilling for so many years."
In his 21 seasons at Wingate, Collier led the Bulldogs to 16 regular season SAC titles and 14 SAC Tournament championships. He turned Wingate into a dominant force in the conference and the region, with the 'Dogs capturing 16 of the last 17 regular season SAC titles and 13 SAC tournament championships in that time frame. Collier also guided Wingate to six NCAA Southeast Region championships, all coming since 2010, with the most recent one coming in 2022.
"This past season, with such a responsive, coachable, and motivated mix of older and younger players, we were able to win three championships and represent ourselves very well in the NCAA Tournament, falling just two points short of being in the final four against the eventual national champions," Collier says. "This was a very enjoyable and rewarding season for our team and for me as their coach."
Collier has been named the SAC Coach of the Year 11 times in his career, the most in league history. He is also an eight-time Region Coach of the Year, which is the most in the region. Collier was named the AVCA National Coach of the Year in 2013. He earned SAC and Region Coach of the Year honors in the 2022 season.
"As I make this incredibly tough decision, my main thought is that I do not believe I could maintain the obsessive time commitment in every area to give these players what they need to help them continue to keep winning championships every season as we have been able to do for so many years here," Collier says. "It has been very rewarding collaborating with so many different players who have such consistently amazing success over so many seasons. There are so many players who have contributed to incredible seasons and established incredible records that will never be broken. I have so much appreciation for the competitive spirit and joyful inspirational vibe of the Wingate players over the years, and will forever be thankful to them for their positive influence on my day to day happiness as a person and as a coach."
Collier has turned the Wingate volleyball program into a national powerhouse. Prior to his arrival, no team in the history of the league had earned recognition in a national poll or on an AVCA All-American team. Wingate cracked the AVCA top 25 in the 2009 season and has appeared in at least one poll every year since then. The Bulldogs had their first AVCA honorable mention All-American in 2007 and have had at least one player earn AVCA All-American recognition every season since then. This season saw the 'Dogs haul in a program-record four AVCA All-American honors, including second team accolades for Shannon Kasprak and third team recognition for Molly Lambillotte, with Emily Johnson and Maggie Young adding honorable mention honors. The Bulldogs have 14 of the 16 players in league history to earn a spot on an AVCA All-American team. Wingate is still the only SAC team to ever earn an AVCA top 25 ranking, ending the 2022 season ranked #17 after advancing to the national quarterfinals for the sixth time in program history.
"In terms of my future, I have no health issues, and will look forward to exploring something new when the time is right," Collier says. "The volleyball program here is in awesome shape with several veteran leaders returning, along with some highly-motivated young players, plus some talented incoming recruits who have signed for the fall and verbally committed for 2024. There is certainly a very bright future for the program."
Wingate's dominance over the past 17 seasons is unrivaled, piling up 29 SAC titles and six region championships in that span. Wingate has gone 474-47 overall since the start of the 2007 season, with a 278-18 record in league play. The 'Dogs have won 30 or more matches 13 times during Collier's career, while ranking in the top 10 nationally in winning percentage every season 2007, leading the nation in the category four times. Collier has led Wingate to 18 NCAA Tournament bids, including 17 straight appearances. Wingate has earned hosting duties at the NCAA Southeast Regionals nine times since the 2008 season, with the most recent coming in 2022. Five of Wingate's six regional championships have come in Cuddy Arena.
"I am so thankful to Dr. Brown, Kelley Kish, Dr. McGee and Steve Poston and have sincerely appreciated their support of me and Wingate volleyball," Collier says. "Lauren Tekavec as the current Associate Head Coach has been awesome for me and the players in so many ways and I am also so appreciative of the Wingate support staff, Wingate professors, our loyal fans, and the student-athletes who enthusiastically support our team."
Collier joined the Wingate coaching staff after incredibly successful stints at Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech. After an All-American playing career at Ohio State University, Collier's first head coaching job came at the University of Pittsburgh, where he piled up 296 victories in nine seasons and guided the Panthers to four Big East championships, earning Big East Coach of the Year honors. Collier then left for Pitt for San Diego, where he was an assistant coach for the USA Women's National Team. in addition, he was on the staff for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul Korea. After his stint with the USA program, Collier took over as the head coach at Georgia Tech, where he registered 271 victories and four ACC titles in 11 seasons, adding ACC Coach of the Year accolades. He inherited a team that was 8-30 and ranked 248 in RPI and in just four years led them to an ACC Championship and a #16 national ranking.
Beginning in 2003, Collier acted as the Head Coach for the USA Junior and Youth National teams, where he led programs to gold medals at multiple international events, coached both teams at several World Championship events, and was a top coach in the USA High Performance program for twelve summers programs while coaching at Wingate.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
DR. RHETT BROWN (Wingate University President)
"Coach Collier's tenure at Wingate has not only set a high bar for our women's volleyball program, his arrival on campus elevated the profile of our entire athletic department. Shelton demonstrated that regional and national success, outstanding academic achievement, and campus and community engagement should be the standard for all our coaches, athletes, and teams. The career achievements and accolades are staggering, and we have been the beneficiaries of Shelton being part of the University team for two decades. Coach Collier has simply made us better. I'll end with three words to summarize Shelton's Bulldog Athletics legacy: culture, competitiveness, and consistency. Many thanks, Coach!"
KELLEY KISH (Wingate Director of Athletics)
"While Shelton's volleyball legacy will forever be cemented in the Hall of Fame next week in Omaha, his place in Wingate Athletics history will live on. The positive impact he has had on our campus, for athletics and within the volleyball program is unmatched. Our alumna are better, having played for him and more importantly, to experience his mentorship, role modeling and the way he lives his values. We will definitely miss Shelton as a colleague daily, and while the banners and trophies will remind us of his time leading Wingate Volleyball, the impact on our department will extend well beyond his final day as Head Coach. I look forward to seeing this next chapter for Shelton to enjoy the Charlotte area, his family and always be part of our Wingate Family."
STEVE POSTON (Wingate Director of Athletics from 2001-21)
"It has been a personal pleasure and privilege to have witnessed the women's volleyball dynasty that Coach Collier has built at Wingate University over the past 20 plus years. Of course, his outstanding record speaks for itself as he has established himself as one of the winningest volleyball coaches in the nation. His success did not come easy or without sacrifice. Rather it was the result of many hours of hard work and dedication to his calling as a coach. More important than the wins and losses, however, has been his commitment to the growth of the young women who have been fortunate to have been a part of his program. His players have not only seen success on the volleyball court but he has also molded them into outstanding young women who continue make a positive impact long after they leave Wingate University. This will be his legacy. I congratulate Shelton on a job well done and wish him well as he enters the next phase of his life. I am blessed to call him my friend. I am certain he will continue to make a difference in the lives of those he touches. It has been our good fortune to have had Shelton Collier lead our women's volleyball program and represent our University. He did both in a first-class manner. Shelton Collier will be missed but certainly not forgotten.
SHANNON KASPRAK (2022 Wingate All-American/SAC & Region Player of the Year)
"I am so grateful, thankful, and honored to have been able to play for Coach. He truly inspired me every day to not only work hard on the court but off the court as well. He has had an immense impact on all of his players and has had an incredible impact on me. He made me love volleyball more than I already did and has created a culture and environment that is a legacy. It is difficult to find words to truly express how brilliant and amazing he is as a coach but the amount of gratitude I have and every other player has for him is immeasurable. He set us up to not only succeed on the court in volleyball and athletics but also transfer those valuable skills to our personal lives. Coach, thank you so much for everything you have taught me and every single player that has come through Wingate. You truly are an inspiration I cannot thank you enough."
MOLLY LAMBILLOTTE (2022 Wingate All-American)
"Coach has been an inspiration to every single one of his players for the last 41 years. He has not only inspired me to be a better athlete, but also to pursue a coaching career at the collegiate level. He has shaped me and hundreds of volleyball players into successful young women in all different aspects of life. Coach Collier has not only made us better athletes in our time here, but has poured his passion into advocating for our own successes on and off the court. Finding the right words to explain the gratitude we feel towards coach is difficult because of the huge impact he has made on us. I want to say thank you to coach for the sacrifices he has made and all the hard work he has put in to make sure we all have an amazing college experience."
ANNA HILTON (WUVB Alum; Only First Team AVCA All-American in SAC History in 2013)
"It's been almost 10 years since I graduated Wingate University and hung up my WUVB jersey for the last time. Little did I realize the impact playing for Coach Shelton Collier would have on my future. He is hands down the most knowledgeable, transformative, and dedicated coach I have ever had the honor to play for. Hearing the news he is now stepping down at Wingate brings me to reflect on the outstanding career of an incredible coach, mentor, and friend. I am so immensely proud of the countless athletic careers he has successfully shaped, including my own. Any athlete that has had the privilege to work with him cannot deny, he is one of the best coaches out there and has left his indelible mark on me, Wingate University, and the game of volleyball. Congratulations Coach, what a ride!"
LIZ WILLIS (WUVB Alum; All-American, Academic All-America honoree, SAC Presidents' Award Winner)
"Coach Collier has built a legacy at Wingate. The volleyball program's success has raised the bar significantly for D2 volleyball, and Wingate is only a part of coach's large contribution to the sport. His volleyball IQ is impressive, but the tactical skills aren't what most of the WUVB alumni lean on these days. The character built through team work and coach's leadership is still very much a part of all of us. I am so grateful for the opportunity coach gave me to be a part of something special. He means a lot to so many people and I hate that he will no longer be an active part of WUVB. I know he will be incredibly successful at whatever his next adventure may be. Thank you, Coach!"
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a laboratory of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina. Wingate offers 38 undergraduate majors as well as seven master's and four doctoral degrees. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences; the Levine College of Health Sciences; the Byrum School of Business; the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
Wingate is a leader in healthcare education, and nearly one in five Wingate undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 25 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award for 14 years straight. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.
