Shelby Lyman enters 2nd year as women’s basketball head coach
December 11, 2023
Shelby Lyman is in her second year as the head coach of UW-River Falls’ women's basketball program. In 2022, she served as the interim head coach and led the Falcons to their first winning record since 2017. Before the 2023 season, Lyman was named the program's permanent head coach. Through six games this season, the Falcons are 5-1.
Lyman’s history of success as a player and assistant made her a clear choice for the head coach position, but she faced quite the journey before arriving at River Falls.
Shelby grew up in the Seattle area but was recruited to Cornell University to play basketball during her college career. She was a four-year starter during her time there and made 109 starts for the team.
After graduating from Cornell, Lyman got chances to coach at multiple D3 basketball programs. She obtained an assistant coaching job with St. John Fisher College, which saw much success at the Division Three level. She spent three years at St. John before taking a position at her alma mater, Cornell University. She served as an assistant coach there for two years before moving positions again in 2019.
Lyman was appointed as the assistant women’s basketball coach at UWRF shortly after Head Coach Blake DuDonis was hired for the 2019 season.
Under DuDonis, the Falcons saw mixed results but increasing success. In his third and final season with the program, the Falcons grabbed a win over UW-Stevens Point in the first round of the WIAC tournament.
Following the tournament, DuDonis resigned from the head coach position. He left an opening that had to be filled quickly. “Blake and I had a really great relationship, and he encouraged me to take it,” said Lyman.
In April 2022, Lyman was named the program’s interim head coach, making this her first head coaching position for a university.
When asked about the facilities at UWRF, Lyman said, “I’ve played and coached in many different styles of arenas, and ours is always top-notch in terms of gameday environment.”
The Falcons experienced a solid 2022 season, finishing 14-11 overall, their best since 2017. Lyman says that she and DuDonis saw very eye-to-eye, but now she could add more of her style and flair to the team.
Though their overall record was good in 2022, the Falcons finished with a rocky 4-10 conference record. This tied UW-Platteville for the final spot in the WIAC tournament. Platteville ultimately obtained the #6 seed, which ended the Falcon's season. “The end of last year doesn’t sit great with anybody. It’s not something we talk about every day, but it is in the back of everyone’s mind,” said Lyman.
Despite not playing any conference games this season, the Falcons have come out hot, starting 5-1 and winning their five games by an average margin of 12.6 points. Their only loss is against the Division I University of St. Thomas.
When asked about the team's 5-1 start, Lyman credited the upperclassmen's ability to lead. “Many of them have been around me for 2-3 years, so they self-correct a lot and teach the underclassmen.”
This season marks the second straight year that Lyman’s Falcons have started 5-1. However, the Falcon’s true might will be tested against WIAC opponents in January and February of the new year.