Luke Shields - Men's Tennis Coach - Boise State University Athletics

Photo of Boise State's 2023 MW Championship team with trophy.

Photo by: NCAA Photos

Luke Shields

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
LukeShields@BoiseState.edu
Phone:
208-599-7628

HONORS

4x NCAA Team Championship Participants (2019*, 2023, 2024, 2025)
2x Mountain West Regular Season Championships (2024, 2025)
3x Mountain West Tournament Championships (2019*, 2023, 2024)
ITA Northwest Region Coach of the Year (2019*)
4x Mountain West Coach of the Year (2017*, 2019*, 2023, 2024)
Boise State Record: 62-25 (.713)
Collegiate Career Record: 155-88 (.638)
* = accomplished at Fresno State

BOISE STATE TENURE AS HEAD COACH

Luke Shields returned to his alma mater in May 2022 as the 11th head coach in program history. The four-time Mountain West Coach of the Year – the last two with the Broncos in 2023 and 2024 – returned to Boise State, where he was a three-time All-American and is a member of the Boise State Athletic Hall of Fame, inducted in 2022.

In his first three seasons in charge of the Broncos, he has guided them to two-consecutive MW Regular-Season Championships (2024 and 2025), back-to-back MW tournament championships (2023 and 2024) and three straight NCAA Championship appearances. His team has gone 62-25 overall with three 20-plus win seasons.

In his first season with the program, the Broncos went 21-8 overall and 3-3 in Mountain West play to tie for third. Boise State won the MW Tournament Championship, going 3-0 at Las Vegas to earn the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, where the Blue and Orange fell at No. 15 Arizona in the opening round.

Year two saw Boise State go 20-11 overall and 5-1 in MW play to tie for the regular-season title. The Broncos repeated as MW tournament champs and advanced to their second straight NCAA tournament where they fell at ninth-ranked Arizona for the second time in two years. Sam Sippel advanced to the NCAA National Singles Championship, the first Bronco since 2014 to reach that national tournament.

His third year in charge of the Broncos saw the team reach the 20-win mark for the third consecutive season going 21-6 and finish the year ranked No. 42 nationally, they were ranked as high as No. 29 on Feb. 25. The Blue and Orange repeated as MW Regular Season Champion and advance to the NCAA Championship for the third straight year where Boise State fell at No. 11 California in the opening round. During the season the team recorded an upset victory over then-22nd-ranked Michigan State to go with notable wins over Indiana, VCU, Wichita State, Denver and No. 49 Washington. Jett Middleton and James Van Herzeele reached the inaugural ITA West Sectional during the fall.

During the first three years of the Luke Shields era, the team has earned seven All-MW singles honors, and three tandems have been named All-MW in doubles. In addition, the Broncos have earned seven ITA Scholar-Athlete awards; 11 Academic All-MW Team and five MW Scholar-Athlete accolades (3.5 or better cumulative GPA).

PRIOR TO BOISE STATE

Prior to Boise State, Shields spent one season as the associate head coach at Oklahoma (2021-22). The Sooners ranked as high as No. 19 nationally and were selected to the NCAA Tournament, where they advanced to the second round.

Shields was the head coach at Fresno State for five seasons prior to Oklahoma. While with the Bulldogs, Shields was a two-time MW Coach of the Year honoree, earning the accolade in both 2017 and 2019. The Bulldogs captured the MW Tournament Championship in 2019, earning Fresno State its first trip to the NCAA Championship since 2012, for which Shields was also named Intercollegiate Tennis Association Northwest Region Coach of the Year.

During his time at Fresno State, his student-athletes earned 12 All-MW singles and four All-MW doubles team selections.

The Bulldogs went 20-4 in 2021, the program’s most wins since 2012 and its best winning percentage (.833) this century. Shields ushered in one of the most successful stretches in Fresno State history, winning a conference championship and finishing ranked in the top 60 nationally in his final two seasons.

Prior to his run at Fresno State, Shields served as the associate head coach with the Broncos from 2013-15. During the 2013-14 campaign, he helped guide Boise State to a 28-5 record, the team’s best mark in nearly 20 years, and a final ITA ranking of No. 29. Additionally, during that time in Boise, the team produced two conference championships and two berths into the NCAA Championship.

Before returning to his alma mater for the first time, Shields spent three seasons as a women’s assistant tennis coach, the first season at Marshall with the last two at Washington.

Following his graduation from Boise State in 2008, Shields remained with the Broncos as a volunteer assistant for two seasons, where he helped the Boise State men’s team to the NCAA Tournament Round of 16 for the second time in program history.

COLLEGIATE PLAYING CAREER

Shields enjoyed a collegiate playing career that saw him rank as high as fifth nationally in singles and fourth in doubles. He represented Boise State at the NCAA Doubles Championship all four years and finished in the round of 16 in 2005, with Thomas Schoeck, and in 2008, with his brother Clancy Shields. Additionally, he reached the NCAA Singles Championship three times, including a round of 16 appearance in 2005.

Shields, who owns Boise State’s career (119) and single-season (35; twice) wins records, earned ITA All-America honors in singles competition in 2007 after finishing the year ranked No. 13, and in both singles and doubles as a freshman in 2005. He capped his freshman season ranked No. 8 in doubles. He helped lead the Broncos to WAC Championships in 2005, 2006 and 2007, earning All-WAC First Team honors every season.

The two-time team captain was the WAC Player of the Year in 2007 when he made the quarterfinals of both the ITA National Indoor Championships and the ITA All-American Championships. Shields won the ITA Mountain Regional singles title as a senior, and was named WAC Freshman of the Year during his collegiate debut. He also made the ITA National Indoor doubles semifinals as a sophomore.

Shields also excelled in the classroom and was recognized for his exemplary sportsmanship. He received the USTA Sportsmanship Award at the 2007 USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships and was named to the WAC All-Academic Team all four years of his career.

PERSONAL

In 2008, Shields earned his undergraduate degree from Boise State in communications with an emphasis in secondary education and kinesiology.

COACHING HISTORY

Boise State (2022-present): Head Coach (Men)
Oklahoma (2021-22): Associate Head Coach (Men)
Fresno State (2015-21): Head Coach (Men)
Boise State (2013-15): Associate Head Coach (Men)
Washington (2011-13): Assistant Coach (Women)
Marshall (2010-11): Assistant Coach (Women)
Boise State (2008-10): Volunteer Assistant Coach (Men)

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS AT BOISE STATE

2022-23 Capsule

Mountain West Coach of the Year
21-8 overall, 3-3 MW, tied for third
NCAA Championship, First Round
Mountain West Tournament Champions
Two All-MW Singles Honors
One All-MW Doubles Honor
Three CSC Academic All-District Honors
Three ITA Scholar-Athletes
Seven Academic All-MW Team Selections
Two MW Scholar-Athlete Honorees
Team finished season ranked 60th nationally

2023-24 Capsule

Mountain West Coach of the Year
20-11 overall, 5-1 MW
NCAA Championship, First Round
Mountain West Regular Season Co-Champions
Mountain West Tournament Champions
Two All-MW Singles Honors
One All-MW Doubles Honor
One NCAA National Singles Championship Participant
One CSC Academic All-American
Two CSC Academic All-District Honors
Four ITA Scholar-Athletes
Team finished season ranked 51st nationally

2024-25 Capsule

21-6 overall, 5-1 MW
NCAA Championship, First Round
Mountain West Regular Season Champion
Three All-MW Singles Honors
One All-MW Doubles Honor
Two ITA West Sectional Championships Participants
One CSC Academic All-District Honor
Team finished season ranked 42nd nationally

Coach Shields' Head Coaching Career Record

Year	School	Overall	Conference	Conference Titles	NCAA Championship
2015-16	Fresno State	10-17 (.370)	0-6 (.000) \| 8th
2016-17	Fresno State	18-13 (.581)	5-2 (.714) \| 2nd
2017-18	Fresno State	19-12 (.613)	6-1 (.857) \| 2nd
2018-19	Fresno State	18-11 (.621)	5-2 (.714) \| 3rd	Tournament Champions	NCAA First Round
2019-20	Fresno State	8-7 (.533)	COVID, season canceled
2020-21	Fresno State	20-4 (.833)	5-2 (.714) \| t-2nd
2022-23	Boise State	21-8 (.724)	3-3 (.500) \| t-3rd	Tournament Champions	NCAA First Round
2023-24	Boise State	20-11 (.645)	5-1 (.833) \| t-1st	Regular Season Champions Tournament Champions	NCAA First Round
2024-25	Boise State	21-6 (.778)	6-0 (1.000) \| 1st	Regular Season Champions	NCAA First Round
	TOTAL	155-89 (.635)	25-11 (.694)