ORLANDO-- UCF Head Coach Sytia Messer announces Joshua Shen as the Director of Video and Assistant Director of Basketball Operations.
Shen comes to UCF after finishing a summer with Northwest Florida State Women's Basketball. Before making his way to Florida, Shen is capping off one year as an Assistant Coach at the reigning Division III American Southwest Conference Regular Season champs, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB) in Belton, TX. In his lone year, the Crusaders improved their win column by 11 wins, going from 13-8, the previous year, to 24-5 and 18-1 in conference. Along with that, the Crusaders went on a school record 20-game win streak, as well, as making it to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the third straight year. During his time there, Shen was involved mainly in video breakdown, scouting, recruiting, and post player development.
Before arriving at UMHB, Shen started his coaching career as the Assistant Coach at Panola College, a NJCAA DI program in Carthage, TX. During the COVID-19 year, the Fillies finished 13-8, beating the NJCAA Runner-Up Trinity Valley and top 10 foe, Tyler Junior College. In his time at Panola, Shen played a part in recruiting seven Division I transfers in his first year, and five the following year, before heading to UMHB. Also, Shen was instrumental in developing NJCAA All-American, Odeth Betancourt, who signed with the University of South Florida, as she finished nationally 8th in rebounds and 14th in blocks. In addition, he developed Region XIV All-Conference and Region players Alana Swift and Ginger Reece. After his fist year, he helped send four players D I and one other to D II. Shen was involved in many roles, such as, player development, strength and conditioning, scouting, film, basketball/equipment operations, social media, statistics, and recruiting.
Shen spent four years as an undergraduate student team manager with Baylor University's women's basketball program from 2016-2020. In his four years, the Baylor Lady Bears had incredible feats:
• 2019 National Champion, 1 Final Four, 3 Elite Eights, 4 Sweet Sixteens
• 4x Big 12 Regular Season Champion, 2x Big 12 Conference Tournament Champion
As a manager, his duties included basketball/equipment operations, bookkeeping in-game stats, video breakdown, assisting in scouting reports, and player development.
During his time at Baylor, Shen was involved in numerous experiences during the summer. After the 2019 season, Shen was a Basketball Operations Intern with the Atlanta Dream under current Baylor Head Coach Nicki Collen. He helped coordinate in-game and practice operations. Additionally, Shen was an Operations Intern and practice player for Los Angeles Sparks for the 2018 season.
Prior to his stints with the Dream and Sparks, Shen interned as a GYM and Womens' Sports and Olympics Intern with Wasserman Media Group from 2017-2018. He worked alongside sports agents Lindsey Kagawa-Colas, George David, Joe Smith, Darren Matsubara and others. Shen, has also assisted Noah LaRoche, founder of Integrity Hoops and NBA personal trainer, Olin Simplis. He has worked with athletes, such as Russell Westbrook, A'ja Wilson,
Spencer Dinwiddie, Delon Wright, Norman Powell and others.
Furthermore, Shen has experience working in various summer basketball camps for UC Santa Barbara, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Georgia and College Coaches Skills Camp. In addition, he is alumni of Uncommon Sports Group, formerly known as Managers on a Mission, after finishing a 2019 mission trip in Minnesota.
Shen, a 2016 Walnut High School graduate in Walnut, California, earned his bachelor's degree in Sports Sponsorship and Sales and in Management from Baylor University in 2020.