Saint Mary’s University athletic director Brian Sisson announced that Courtney Shelton has been named head coach for the Cardinal women’s basketball team.
“We are thrilled to have Courtney on board leading our young women day-in and day-out,” Sisson said. “Courtney clearly stood out above the rest in a talented pool of candidates. Her vision for the program, coupled with vast experience in recruiting and development, and her track record of competitive success stood out.
“Her poise, maturity, attention to detail, and competitiveness will be great for our program,” Sisson added. “She is a rising star in the women’s basketball world, and we can’t wait to get her here and have her start moving our program forward.”
Shelton comes to Saint Mary’s after serving as a women’s basketball assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at NCAA Division I UW-Milwaukee during the 2023-24 season, helping guide the Panthers to a 16-16 overall record, including a 10-10 mark in Horizon League play.
“I am thrilled to be the next head coach at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota,” said Shelton. “I want to thank Father Burns, athletic director Brian Sisson, and the entire search committee for their efforts and support during this process.
“I’m committed to empowering these young women, fostering their growth on and off the court, and leading this team to new heights,” Shelton added. “It’s truly an honor and I can’t wait to get to work. Go Cardinals!”
Prior to her arrival at UW-Milwaukee, Shelton spent six seasons with Central Michigan. During her time with the Chippewas, the team amassed over 100 wins, and earned bids to the NCAA Division I Championships in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. During the team’s run in 2018, the eleventh-seeded Chippewas picked up wins over both LSU and Ohio State to reach the Sweet 16.
In addition to the team’s national success, the program was also a force within the Mid-American Conference, with three regular season and two MAC Tournament championships.
Under her tutelage, several guards coached by Shelton have reached unprecedented success. Micaela Kelly was the 21st selection in the 2021 WNBA Draft, while Presley Hudson became Central Michigan’s all-time leading scorer. In her most recent season, Shelton both recruited and coached Sydney Harris, who was selected as the MAC Freshman of the Year for the 2022-23 season.
Shelton has also served as an assistant coach at Northwood University, where she was responsible for player development and focused on guard play. She was also in charge of all on- and off-campus recruiting efforts among many other aspects of the program. Shelton got her start on the sidelines as the video coordinator with Central Michigan during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.
Shelton played collegiately at Northern Illinois, where she was a three-year starter for the Huskies. In her 102 career games, she scored 643 points and connected on 33 percent of her career shots, while shooting just under 31 percent from beyond the arc. Throughout her collegiate career, she corralled 247 rebounds while adding 270 assists, 16 blocks, and 73 steals.
A native of Roscoe, Ill., Shelton earned her undergraduate degree in Communication Studies in 2012 at Northern Illinois and later added her postgraduate degree from Central Michigan in Sports Administration in 2015.
