Texas A&M International Men’s Basketball Head Coach Mac McConnell announced the addition of Lashon Sheffield to his staff as an assistant coach on Thursday. Sheffield brings with him a decade of coaching experience as well as professional basketball playing experience.
“Coach Sheffield is a young man that I’ve known for sixteen years, ever since he was a player and led Tarleton State University to their first Division II Final Four,” said McConnell. “Shef has worked for me at Ranger College, East Central University and recently we were coworkers at Tarleton. He will bring a world of experience as a coach and former professional player to our program. He understands the daily grind that it takes to build a championship program, the unlimited amount of hours that are needed and the loyalty that is called for in this business. Before anything though, Shef is a great father and role model for young people. He has a background that many kids can relate to, and he understands that it’s more than just coaching the young men, it’s being a person that they can trust and learn from. Coach Sheffield will benefit from TAMIU just as TAMIU will benefit from having Coach Sheffield.”
Sheffield comes to Laredo after serving two seasons as an assistant coach at Tarleton State University. At TSU, he was responsible for assisting with planning practices and in-game strategies, as well as monitoring players’ academic progress and managing team managers and student assistants.
“I would like to thank God, like always, for putting me in a position to continue my career,” said Sheffield. “I’m blessed to continue to help young men grow and teach them the game of basketball. Coach Mac has been a mentor to me and has helped me grow in this business, and I would like to thank him for this opportunity. I’m very excited to help bring an exciting and passionate brand of basketball to Laredo and ready to get the ball rolling.”
Prior to Tarleton, Sheffield spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Walters State overseeing skill development and recruiting. While there, his teams were the 2016-17 NJCAA Region 7 Zone Qualifier Champion with a 24-8 record and the 2013-14 NJCAA Region 7 Champions with a 20-14 record.
Sheffield also spent time as an assistant under McConnell at East Central University and at Ranger College handling skill development and recruiting.
Sheffield played for Tarleton from 2004-06 and was one of the elite guards in the Lone Star Conference while taking the Texans to new heights. In Sheffield’s two seasons, the Texans went 52-16 with back-to-back South Central Regional Championships and a Final Four appearance in 2005. The 2005-06 team was ranked No. 1 in the nation during the season.
In just two seasons, Sheffield scored 976 points while starting all 68 games for the Texans. He also had 230 career assists, which ranks 15th on the program’s all-time record. Sheffield was a second team All-LSC selection and LSC Newcomer of the Year as a junior and First Team All-LSC and First Team All-American as a senior. He was also named to the Lone Star Conference’s 75th Anniversary Team that ranked the Top 75 players and coaches who have had an impact on the game of basketball in the LSC.
Sheffield also had a successful professional career in Ireland, where he averaged 25.4 points per game for the UCC Demons. He also spent two years playing professionally in Germany.
A native of Memphis, Tenn., Sheffield holds a bachelor’s degree form Tarleton State University and is currently pursuing his master’s degree from East Central University. He and his girlfriend Ashley Gonzales have three daughters: Alexis, Aaliyah, and Ahlani.
