Staff Directory
- Title:
- Head Coach
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THE SHIELDS FILE
Twitter: @Palukashields
Hometown: Grand Junction, Colo.
EDUCATION
Boise State (1998)
Bachelor's in Communications
COACHING HISTORY
Fresno State
2015-Pres.: Head Coach
Boise State
2013-15: Associate Head Coach (Men's)
Washington
2011-13: Assistant Coach (Women's)
Marshall
2010-11: Assistant Coach (Women's)
Boise State
2008-10: Volunteer Assistant Coach (Men's)
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
Boise State
2004-08
Fresno State’s head men’s tennis coach since the fall of 2014, Luke Shields brought the Bulldogs back to a position the program had not been since the school made the move to the Mountain West. Within four years, Shields’ program progressed each season before capturing the program’s first conference title since joining the MW.
Throughout his tenure, the program has seen 12 All-Mountain West Singles Team and four All-MW Doubles Team selections. Fresno State has twice claimed the Freshman of the Year award with Zdenek Derkas earning the honor in 2017 and Cem Erturk a year later. Derkas captured the conference’s top honor being named Player of the Year in 2019.
Shields also owns a pair of Coach of the Year awards, earning it in 2017 during his second year at Fresno State. That year he guided the Bulldogs to an eight-win turnaround from the year before (10-17 to 18-13) and a five-win increase in conference play (0-6 to 5-2) as the ‘Dogs moved from eighth to second in the standings. His second came in 2019 as a he guided the ‘Dogs to their first MW championship.
Following a shortened 2020 season, the Bulldogs returned in 2021 to earn their highest win total since 2012 (20) and their best winning percentage in 25 years (20-4; .833). The 'Dogs finished tied for second in the league standings (5-2) and ranked No. 3 in the ITA Northwest rankings. Overall, Fresno State was ranked No. 64 in the country, its highest ranking to end a season since 2012. Zdenek Derkas was named to the All-MW Singles Team for the fourth straight season while Dario Huber joined him. Derkas and Angus Bradshaw were named to the All-MW Doubles Team. The ‘Dogs claimed three ITA Northwest Region honors with Steve Loop being named Assistant Coach of the Year, Bradshaw was Most Improved Senior and the team received the Community Service Award.
In a season cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, Fresno State finished 8-7 in 2020. During the shortened season, the Bulldogs picked up a win over No. 44 Auburn at Blue Gray National Tennis Classic and secured a tournament title on its home court in the Pacific Central Valley Championship. Derkas and Alexey Aleschev were named to the All-MW Singles Team while Johannes Seeman and Cagatay Soke were tabbed to the All-MW Doubles Team. Derkas was named also ITA Northwest Region Most Improved Player. Bailey Gong was named to the 2020 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Men's At-Large Second Team, the second Fresno State tennis player to garner the honor during the past decade.
Year 4 under Shields was a banner year in which Fresno State won its first Mountain West Championship, the Bulldogs made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2012. Shields was named the 2019 MW Coach of the Year and the ITA Northwest Region Coach of the Year. Fresno State finished the season with an overall record of 18-11 (5-2 MW). Derkas was named the MW Player of the Year. Derkas and Angus Bradshaw were selected to the All-MW Singles Team.
Fresno State finished the 2018 season with an overall record of 19-12 (6-1 MW). The Bulldogs were undefeated at home with a perfect 11-0 record. Fresno State finished the regular season in second place, earning the No. 2 seed in the 2018 Mountain West Championship. The Bulldogs made a run for the title before falling to No. 1 Utah State in the championship match 4-1. Erturk was named the MW Freshman of the Year. Derkas and Xander Veys were both All-MW Singles Team selections.
Shields was named the 2017 Mountain West Coach of the Year during his second season with the Bulldogs. Fresno State finished the season with a 18-13 (5-2 MW) record and took second place in Mountain West regular season play. The Bulldogs entered the 2017 Mountain West Championships as the No. 2 seed. Fresno State defeated No. 7 Air Force 4-0 in the quarterfinals before falling to No. 3 seed UNLV in the semifinals 4-3. Zdenek Derkas became Fresno State's first Mountain West Freshman of the Year. Euan McIntosh and Veys were named to the All-Mountain West Singles team. McIntosh and Patrik Pech were named to the All-Mountain West Doubles team
Fresno State finished Shields’ first season in the Valley with a 10-17 (0-6 MW) record. The No. 8 seed Bulldogs upset No. 1 seed Utah State 4-2 in the 2016 Mountain West Championships quarterfinals, before falling to eventual champions UNLV 4-2 in the semifinals. McIntosh and Nikolas Papic were named to the 2016 All-Mountain West Singles team. McIntosh and Mantas Bugailiskis were named to the 2016 All-Mountain West Doubles team. Ended the season with one nationally ranked doubles team in Mantas Bugailiskis and Euan McIntosh at No. 80.
With seven years of coaching experience, four in the Mountain West, Shields was named the eighth head coach in the history of the Fresno State men’s tennis program, Fresno State Director of Athletics Jim Bartko announced on Sept. 24, 2015. Shields spent the previous two seasons as an associate head coach at his alma mater, Boise State, where he was a three-time collegiate All-American.
“Bringing Luke Shields to Fresno State will give us the ability to continue to build upon the history of our men’s tennis program,” Bartko said. “Luke’s knowledge of the sport and understanding of what it takes to be an elite player at the NCAA level has already translated into success coaching within our conference and beyond.”
As a member of the Bronco coaching staff, Shields was actively involved in the day-to-day operations of the program, coaching and recruiting, as well as helping organize and run the Bronco tennis camps and outreach programs.
“I would like to thank Jim Bartko for his competitive spirit and a great vision, and [Assistant Athletic Director for Administrative Operations] Christina Roybal and the search committee for granting me this opportunity,” Shields said. “Also, a special thanks goes to [head women’s tennis coach] Ryan Stotland and his wife Natalia for donating their time and energy to keep this team together throughout this process. Fresno State tennis has a long history of success and I am honored to take the lead in moving this program forward. My goal as a player and a coach has always been to win a national team championship and I am thrilled to be at a program that has the same competitive mindset.”
During the first season of his second (2013-14) coaching stint with Boise State, he helped guide the team to a final Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) national ranking of No. 29 with a 28-5 overall record. Boise State went 8-0 versus Mountain West opponents, 12-0 against teams from the ITA Mountain Region and 11-6 versus nationally ranked opponents. He also assisted in coaching Andy Bettles to his second-straight appearance at the NCAA National Men's Tennis Singles Championship.
In year two, he helped guide the team to its fourth-consecutive Mountain West championship while advancing to its fourth-straight NCAA Tournament. Boise State finished the season 15-16 overall, 6-3 versus league opponents and 8-1 against ITA Mountain Region competition. The Broncos finished the year ranked 59th nationally.
In his two season as the Broncos associate head coach (2013-15),Shields saw the team earn nine MW postseason honors, seven MW All-Academic team awards, two MW Scholar Athlete Awards (for maintaining a 3.5 or better accumulative GPA), Blue Gray National Tennis Classic Most Valuable Player and Sportsmanship Award winners, seven MW Player of the Week honors, as well as, one ITA Mountain Region Senior of the Year.
Prior to returning to his alma mater, Shields was an assistant coach for the Washington women’s team, helping guide them to 49th and 46th-place finishes in the 2012 and 2013 ITA rankings, respectively. The Huskies' tandem of Gray Ysidora and Natali Coronel paired to win the 2013 Pac-12 doubles championship for the first time in school history.
After graduating from Boise State in 2008, Shields stayed with the Broncos and assisted for two seasons, helping the squad make the NCAA Round of 16 for just the second time in program history, upsetting 14th-ranked Alabama in the second round. Shields then spent the 2010-11 season as the women's tennis assistant coach at Marshall University. In that one season, the Thundering Herd was ranked as high as 34th nationally.
As a player, Shields was ranked as high as No. 5 nationally in singles and fourth in doubles during his career. He made the NCAA Doubles Championship all four years, with round of 16 finishes in 2005 and 2008, and made the NCAA Singles Championship three times with a round of 16 run in 2005. He was named an ITA All-American in singles in 2007 when he finished the year ranked 13th, and grabbed All-America honors in singles and doubles in 2005 as a freshman, finishing the 2005 season ranked eighth in doubles. The Broncos won the Western Athletic Conference team title in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Shields was named to the All-WAC first team every year and earned WAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2005.
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.
Shields earned his undergraduate degree in communications with an emphasis in secondary education and kinesiology in 2008 from Boise State. He is the older brother of Utah State head men’s tennis coach, Clancy Shields.
