The University of Alabama in Huntsville Department of Athletics on Friday announced that it has filled its head men’s basketball coach vacancy, hiring former Division I head coach John Shulman to the post.
“John Shulman is a successful veteran coach and winner, and we are elated to welcome him as our next head men’s basketball coach,” said UAH Director of Athletics Dr. E. J. Brophy. “His experiences in Chattanooga and several other stops make him ideal for the task of continuing our basketball excellence here in Huntsville.”
Shulman comes to the Rocket City with an extensive resume of collegiate coaching experience including serving as the head coach at Tennessee Chattanooga from 2004 to 2013.
“I am honored and humbled to be named head men’s basketball coach at UAH and so excited to get started,” Shulman said. “I want to thank Dr. Altenkirch, Dr. Brophy and Dr. Wren for this opportunity to lead a great group of talented young men. I am honored to carry on the Lennie Acuff legacy and the UAH way of winning and producing great young men that make UAH and the Huntsville community proud. It’s time to get to work and build on the success that UAH is accustomed to having. The Shulman family is very excited to become members of the UAH family.”
An introductory press conference for Shulman will be held early next week.
While at Chattanooga, the Mocs earned two NCAA tournament appearances following a pair of Southern Conference championships, and his team finished as the tournament runners-up in a third title game appearance. The second winningest coach in Chattanooga history, Shulman also won four SoCon North Division championships.
In 2005, he was named as the top collegiate coach in Tennessee thanks to a season that included a NCAA tournament berth and Chattanooga’s first win in 80 years over in-state foe Tennessee.
Shulman’s teams were particularly strong on the glass as the Mocs finished in the top three in the conference in both offensive rebounding and defensive rebounding in each of his nine seasons at the helm, and in eight of those nine years, Chattanooga finished in the top three in rebounding margin.
During his nine-year tenure at Chattanooga, Shulman mentored 18 players who would eventually play professionally, and his squads also featured 11 All-Southern Conference performers and 10 Southern Conference All-Tournament selections.
Shulman’s recruiting record speaks for itself as he brought to the Mocs four of the top 10 scorers, three of the top 10 shot blockers, four of the top 10 rebounders, five of the top 15 in field goals, and each of the top five best 3-point makers in program history.
Additionally, Shulman coached nine of the top 23 1,000-point scorers in Moc history.
Prior to taking over the top spot at Chattanooga, Shulman served as the team’s associate head coach from 2002 to 2004, and that came after stints as an assistant at each of Wofford, Tennessee Tech, and East Tennessee State.
Shulman earned both his bachelor’s and master’s in physical education from ETSU in 1989 and 1992, respectively.
Shulman is married to his wife Amy, and they have three sons in Max, Tanner, and JC.
Shulman named Head Basketball Coach at Alabama Huntsville
Photo Courtesy UAH Athletics
