Head Coach Claude Shields

Coach Claude Shields was hired in 2011 as the first Head Men's Basketball Coach in school history and is entering his 10th season with the Pacers. Shields also serves as the Associate Director of Athletics.

Previous Coaching Experience

Before coming to the Pacers, Shields began his coaching career at Guiford College as an assistant under veteran head coach Tom Palombo. He was put at the helm of the Quaker's JV squad where he coached them to a .500 record and also helped recruit 17 student-athletes for the incoming class of 2011 which included the 2011-12 ODAC Rookie of the Year and two-time All-ODAC Performer. 

Shields has also worked basketball camps at UNC, Elon, Davidson, Wake Forest, and Guilford Colelge including the Hoop Mountain Showcase Events at Guilford in 2011 and 2012. In addition, he established his own Elite Camp at WPU in 2014.

Education

Shields is a 2010 graduate of the University of North Carolina where he played junior varsity basketball for the Tar Heels under assistant coach, C.B. McGrath, and current Stanford head coach, Jerod Haase. Haase led the Blazer to a Conference USA championship in 2014-15 before going on to upset the third-seeded Cyclones of Iowa State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Additional Information

Shields has previous ties to William Peace University through his mother, Virginia Lancaster '77, who played on the school's tennis team.