A coaching legend and a St. Ambrose University icon, SAU head men’s basketball coach Ray Shovlain announced today that the upcoming 2026-27 season will be his last on the bench.
Coach Ray will retire at the end of the season, his 44th year leading the Fighting Bees. Shovlain is the second-winningest active coach in the NAIA with 749 victories, trailing only Kim Elders, who has won 809 games at Cornerstone (Mich.).
“I have been blessed with a multitude of successes here at St. Ambrose through teaching, coaching and serving as Athletic Director,” Shovlain said. “I am grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given, and now it’s simply time for me to retire. It just feels right.
“I would like to thank (St. Ambrose Presidents) Dr. William Bakrow, Dr. Edward Rogalski, Sister Joan Lescinski and Dr. Amy Novak for allowing me the opportunity to teach, coach and lead at this great University. I want to thank all my former students and student-athletes who contributed to our success and have gone on to successful careers of their own. I want to thank (Director of Athletics) Mike Holmes for his support and leadership and all the coaches and support staff who I have had the pleasure of working alongside for many years. I especially want to thank my wife Betsy for her patience and guidance, and our daughter Katelyn and son Sean for their support over the years.”
Shovlain graduated from St. Ambrose in 1979 as the men’s basketball all-time assist leader with 712 in his four-year career, a record that still stands today. He returned to St. Ambrose as an assistant coach under Leo Kilfoy in 1980-81 and served as an assistant for Dean Brunson for two seasons before taking over the reins beginning with the 1983-84 season. The wins quickly followed.
Shovlain’s teams have posted 18 20-win seasons, 10 NAIA Tournament appearances, four Sweet 16 appearances, and the program’s first and only trip to the Final Four in 2004, when the team set a school record with 32 wins. His teams have never shied away from competition, regularly competing against NCAA Division I opponents.
He enters the 2026-27 campaign 51st on the all-time men’s basketball coaches career wins list, across the NAIA and all three divisions of the NCAA.
“I think we forget that we are watching, in real time, one of the most significant college basketball careers in the history of the game,” said Holmes. “I know some of our younger folks will have to look them up these legends I will mention, but Ray has surpassed Phog Allen in wins, and will likely surpass Henry Iba in wins this season – which makes him one of the best to ever do the job. For good measure, add an impeccable record of winning without shortcuts or violations, and a consistent contribution to the youth of the Quad-Cities community, and you have a model of what coaching collegiate athletes is supposed to be. What a blessing it is to be his colleague and a bystander to something truly noteworthy.”
Off the court, Shovlain served as the University’s Director of Athletics from 1994-2019. He stepped down as Athletic Director to focus on coaching and teaching, and was named the Professor of the Year in 1989 and 1993.
He also gained nationwide recognition as the activity director of the National Youth Sports Program (NYSP), a summer youth program aimed at helping economically disadvantaged children ages 10-16 in the Quad-City area. The St. Ambrose University NYSP program was selected for the Silvio O. Conte Award in 1996, recognizing it as the top NYSP program in the country. That remains one of Shovlain’s most-prized honors.
“I have always lived by the line, ‘To whom much is given, much is expected.’ I’ve tried to reach out to those in need and have encouraged my students and student-athletes to do the same. I continue to get a number of communications from former students who are reaching out to help in their communities. It warms my heart to see that they took things we challenged them with as students and they are carrying that out in their lives today. That’s what makes me most proud.”
Shovlain was inducted into the St. Ambrose Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2026, he was honored as the recipient of the McMullen Award, the University’s second-highest honor.
