Howie Shannon
Howie Shannon (1923-1995)
Current position: Virginia Tech Hokies
Virginia Tech record: 104-68 (.605)
Overall record: 104-68 (.605)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 1 (1967)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 1 (1967)
- NCAA Tournament Final Four: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 1 (1966)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 1964-1971 | Virginia Tech |
| 1954-1964 | Kansas State (asst) |
Howie Shannon Facts
- Howard Shannon
- Born June 10, 1923
- Died August 16, 1995
- Hometown: Manhattan, Kansas
- Alma Mater: Kansas State University (BA, 1948)
- After graduating from Munday HS (TX), Shannon played for head coach Pete Shands at North Texas
- Left school in 1943 and served the United States during World War II
- Shannon later played one year for his hometown Kansas State Wildcats and head coach Jack Gardner
- Earned All-American honors (Helms Foundation) in 1948 but was unable to return for a final year
- Instead signed with the Providence Steamrollers of the BAA, playing the 1948-49 with them
- Drafted 1st overall by Providence in the 1949 BAA Draft (the final year before becoming the NBA), but the team folded and Shannon played the 1949-50 for the Boston Celtics instead
- Averaged 10.8 points per game over his two-year career, shooting 35.5% from the field and 79.5% from FT
- Returned to Kansas in 1950, spending the next four years as the head basketball coach at Topeka HS (KS)
- Joined Tex Winter‘s coaching staff at alma mater K-State in 1954, assisting there for ten seasons
- Part of five NCAA Tournaments (including two Final Fours) and seven Big Eight titles
- Also coached the Puerto Rican national team at the 1960 Summer Olympics
- Hired to be the head coach of the Virginia Tech Hokies in 1964
- Went 104-68 in seven years, reaching the NIT in 1966 and the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament in 1967
- Resigned from coaching in 1971 but continued to work full-time at VT in the physical education department
- Passed away in 1995 at the age of 72 after a battle with lung cancer
Howie Shannon Coaching Tree
- Allan Bristow (Charlotte Hornets)
- Charles Moir (Virginia Tech, Tulane, Roanoke)
- John Wetzel (Phoenix Suns)
