Men’s basketball coach Ray Shovlain draws up a play during a timeout (Photo courtesy of SAU Athletics).
At the beginning of September, SAU men’s basketball head coach Ray Shovlain made his long awaited return to the team after suffering an accident last winter. Shovlain, who is entering year 42 with the team, is ready to leave what’s passed in the past, and look ahead to the future.
“[The accident] is behind me, and I’m looking forward,” Shovlain said candidly and optimistically.
Shovlain thanked God, family, and friends for getting him back to the job he loves.
“I had a lot of former teammates, players, and students that reached out to me, which I think is another reflection of God’s strength. A lot of them stopped to see me and a lot of them offered thoughts and prayers, and without that I don’t know if I would have made it through,” said Shovlain.
Shovlain has always been one to be grateful. Anyone who asks him how he is doing will be greeted with the response, “Good. Always good.” His time away from basketball, however, has given him an even newer understanding of gratefulness.
“Man… don’t take anything for granted. You have to be grateful for every day that you are blessed with,” said Shovlain.
Shovlain also took time to reflect on his journey thus far in his coaching career and his time at SAU. Shovlain once again describes being thankful for any opportunity he has been given along the way.
“The ‘big time’ is where you are at right now. Everyone thinks the grass is greener down the street, and it might be a little greener, but there may be a lot of manure,” Shovlain portrayed.
“When I first started coaching here, I was only going to stay two years, and then I was going to go to Notre Dame, or Creighton, or whatever. We didn’t win very many games [at the beginning of his time with SAU], and I thought ‘It isn’t my fault, it’s everyone else’s fault.’ Then I woke up one day and I said the best job I can have is teaching and coaching at St. Ambrose University,” Shovlain chronicled.
Over the past 42 years, many students, staff, and even buildings have come and gone at SAU, but one of the few constants during that time has been Ray Shovlain coaching men’s basketball.
It’s been a long road back for Shovlain, who’s departure and return for the team remained uncertain throughout the last nine months. There was no concrete schedule for his return to the team, and complications with his recovery forced the team into a period of uncertainty.
Assistant coach Jim Kiss detailed how he first heard of Shovlain’s unavailability as he arrived for an away game.
“I actually drove myself that Saturday morning. I didn’t know until I got there because there was an hour difference between when the bus [with the players] got there and when I got there,” said Kiss.
“It was one of those things where I thought it was just going to be short-term, like just for that game or that week. As things got progressively worse [for Shovlain] I was kind of just thrown into this position,” Kiss added.
Kiss likened the remaining months of the season and the following off-season to the 2020-2021 season where COVID-19 forced massive schedule and roster changes. Now, as Shovlain returns and everything returns to normal, Kiss and the entire team share Shovlain’s attitude of looking forward.
“We have a very motivated and experienced group. Everybody shows up and it’s very business-like,” describes Kiss.
The Bees return to action on November 1, when they will travel to Whiting, Indiana for a weekend tournament. In Shovlain’s eyes, it won’t be the finish line of a long journey back, but rather the starting line to the rest of his coaching career.
