ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico volleyball head coach Jeff Nelson was awarded the Don Shondell Lifetime Achievement Award in Volleyball Coaching by Shondell, his former collegiate coach, after Saturday night’s match against Ball State.
Nelson, a 1986 alumnus of Ball State’s men’s volleyball team, has compiled a career record of 399-235 during his 20 years of coaching, which has included stops at Texas Tech, San Francisco and UNM.
“It was a great honor to receive this award from my college coach,” Nelson said. “Ball State has a great tradition in college volleyball and I am proud to be a part of it.”
Shondell was the men’s volleyball coach at Ball State for 34 seasons and finished with a record of 769-280-6. He was inducted into the National Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1996 and was named the National Coach of the Year in 1995.
Nelson will get a chance for his 400th career win Friday as New Mexico opens the Lobo Classic against Santa Clara at 7:30 p.m. MT at Johnson Center.