Shelley Sheetz was named the top assistant on Doshia Woods' staff on August 20, starting her first season in her second stint on the Denver women's basketball coaching staff.
An assistant on Erik Johnson's Denver staff from 2008-12, Sheetz returns to the DU women's basketball program off of three seasons at University of Loyola-Maryland. Prior to Loyola, Sheetz's coaching experience started with a season at Washington State (1999-00), followed by four seasons at San Diego (2001-05), three seasons at Pepperdine (2005-08), four seasons at Denver (2008-12) and three seasons at Boston College (2012-15). Following the stint at Boston College, Sheetz worked for Under Armour in Nashville and then became the Kay Yow Cancer Fund coordinator of Play4Kay. Sheetz is known for her player development, primarily working with guards and serving as the Greyhounds Recruiting Coordinator. During her first stint at Denver, Sheetz helped point guard Emiko Smith set a school record in assists with 725 and assisted the Pioneers to the 2011 WNIT. In Denver, Sheetz coached 1,000 point scorers Brianna Culberson, Britteni Rice and Morgan Van Riper-Rose. Rice (2010,11), Culberson (2011) and Smith (2012) all earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors during Sheetz time with the Pioneers.
Other highlights for Sheetz while at Boston College include the team setting a new record for 3-pointers made in back-to-back seasons (240 in 2013-14, 250 in 2014-15). Sheetz also recruited the nation’s top high school scorer in 2013. During her first season in Chestnut Hill, she helped the team improve by five wins from the previous year, including five wins in the ACC and non-conference victories over Rutgers and BYU. In her second season, the Eagles beat then No. 13 Duke at home while making 13 shots from 3-point range.
As a professional player, Sheetz played two-plus seasons in the American Basketball League from 1996-1998 with the Colorado Xplosion and Portland Power, and she also spent a year in Germany playing for BTV Wuppertal.
Sheetz was a standout point guard at the University of Colorado, Boulder where she became the school’s youngest inductee into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004. She capped a record-setting career by being named Colorado’s first Kodak All-American in 1994-1995 when she led the Buffaloes to a No. 2 overall ranking with a 30-3 record and a bid to the NCAA Elite Eight. She was also named an All-American by The Associated Press, Basketball Times and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, and she was one of five finalists for the prestigious James Naismith Award.
At the time of her graduation in 1995, Sheetz was No. 2 all-time in Buffaloes’ history with 1,775 points and 514 assists. Her 252 3-pointers made were additionally a Big Eight Conference record at the time. She was a three-time All-Big Eight First Team honoree and the conference’s Player of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year as a senior in 1994-1995. Colorado went 106-21 during her career, including a 49-7 mark in Big Eight Conference play.
