Shannon Sword, the winningest head women’s basketball coach at Ursuline College, has joined the Youngstown State women’s basketball staff as Assistant Coach/Director of Operations, YSU head coach Melissa Jackson announced on Friday.
“I am excited to welcome Shannon and her family back to YSU!” said Jackson. “Shannon brings tremendous experience and organizational skills to this position. She also has a great knowledge of the game and is familiar with our passionate Youngstown community. I look forward to the positive impact she will make on our program.”
Sword, who previously worked as an assistant coach with the Penguins from 2008-10, most recently served as the head coach at Division II Ursuline College since 2012. The Miamisburg, Ohio, native amassed 172 total wins during her time leading Ursuline College to become the winningest head coach in program history.
Sword was a two-time Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Coach of the Year while guiding the Arrows to G-MAC regular-season titles in 2015-16 and 2016-17 as well as a tournament championship in 2015-16. She also led Ursuline College to the program’s first-ever NCAA Division II tournament appearances in 2015-16 and 2016-17.
Sword helped the Arrows achieve the second-highest team GPA in all the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball in 2021-22. During her time leading Ursuline College, she coached three G-MAC Player of the Year selections, three G-MAC Freshman of the Year recipients and 15 all-conference honorees. Sword was inducted into the Ursuline College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023.
Prior to her time at Ursuline College, Sword served as an assistant coach at Ashland University from 2010-12. Working under Head Coach Sue Ramsey, she assisted the Eagles to the GLIAC South Championship in 2010. Ashland won 33 consecutive games in 2011-12 to finish 33-2 overall and capture the GLIAC regular season and tournament titles. The Eagles advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2011-12, falling in the National Championship game to finish ranked second in the nation.
Sword also served as a Graduate Assistant at Ashland from 2006-08 before spending two seasons as an assistant at YSU from 2008-10. She began her collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Division III Manhattanville College in 2005-06.
Sword scored over 1,000 career points during her standout four-year playing career at Cleveland State from 2000-04. She was a four-year letter winner and a four-time Horizon League All-Academic Team selection for the Vikings. Sword finished her CSU career holding school records for three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage in a season.
Sword earned her bachelor’s degree in Sport Management from Cleveland State graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2004. She earned her Master of Arts degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Ashland in 2008.
https://ysusports.com/news/2026/7/31/wbb-shannon-sword-hiring-announcement-073126
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