Shaun Pohlman will begin his fifth season as the head coach of the Lewis-Clark State College Volleyball program in 2022. During his first four seasons, Pohlman displayed glimpses of a new future for Warrior Volleyball following suit to his successful junior college career that spanned 11 years.
The Warriors saw multiple successes in various aspects of the program. The 2020 season, played in the spring of 2021, was shortened due to COVID and LC played just 14 matches. Even through a slew of injuries, the Warriors finished with a record of 7-7 and three players earned All-Cascade Conference honors. The program finished above .500 (17-14) in the 2021 season and advanced to the first Cascade Conference tournament in school history.
In 2019, Pohlman led LC to a 20-11 finish while entering the national spotlight in the national polls at No. 24 while knocking off several ranked Frontier Conference foes. In the 2018 campaign, Pohlman’s Warriors had the best start to a season since 2010, finishing 17-9 overall with all losses but one coming at the hand of nationally ranked programs. The team defeated three nationally ranked teams while also making it to the second round of the Frontier Conference Tournament.
In his short time at LC, 11 Warriors have been voted all-conference (five first team, four second team, one honorable mention and one all-freshman), eight earned Frontier Conference Player of the Week honors with one NAIA National Player of the Week, four were tabbed as American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-West Region team members, one picked up the Frontier Conference Newcomer of the Year award, and one earned both the NAIA All-American and AVCA All-American accolades. On the academic front, the 2018 Warriors had a First-Team CoSIDA Academic All-American – a first for Pohlman and the first for the program since 2001. Pohlman’s holistic approach helped improve the team GPA from a sub-3.0 to a 3.24 in his first year. Additionally, for the past three fall seasons, 15 Warriors earned Academic All-Conference, 16 made the President’s List (3.75 or higher) and 10 saw the Dean’s List (3.25-3.74).
Pohlman came to Lewis-Clark State by way of Northwest College (Powell, Wyoming), where he amassed a 168-49 (0.680) record over seven years. Upon taking over for the Trappers in 2011, the program grew into a national powerhouse with an Elite Eight finish in 2013, back-to-back Final Four finishes in 2014 and 2015, and a sixth-place finish in 2016 at the NJCAA National Championship.
Prior to the team’s national success, Pohlman’s 2011 squad finished tied for fourth in conference with a 16-14 overall record then swiftly gained speed in 2012, ending the season as the Wyoming Community College Athletic Conference (WCCAC) Champions (12-0 conference record) with a 22-11 overall record.
At Northwest, Pohlman coached 23 Wyoming Community College Athletic Conference (WCCAC) All-Conference players, 22 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-Region IX-North players, 21 Region IX-North All-Tournament Team members, six NJCAA National Players of the Week, five Region IX-North Players of the Year, five WCCAC Players of the Year, six AVCA All-Americans, seven NJCAA All-Americans, four NJCAA Nationals All-Tournament Team Members, four Northwest College Outstanding Female Athletes of the Year, three Northwest College Trapper Award of Excellence student-athletes two Region IX-North Freshman of the Year winners, the 2016 Region IX-North Setter of the Year, and the 2012 Region IX-North Libero of the Year.
Pohlman reached the 100-win milestone in 2012 and the 200-win milestone in 2016. He was named the NJCAA Region IX-North, WCCAC, and the NJCAA District I Coach of the Year four times in his seven-year tenure at Northwest. Pohlman was named the AVCA Two-Year College West Region Coach of the Year in 2014 and again in 2015, and was nominated for National Coach of the Year those same years.
Prior to Northwest, Pohlman was the head coach at Dodge City Community College where he finished his final season second in conference (11-3) and 27-10 overall during the 2010 campaign. Pohlman took over Dodge City in July of 2007, just a couple weeks before the season started. Despite the first season ending at 4-31, his final three seasons produced a 61-44 record and he earned Conference Co-Coach of the Year in 2008. While at Dodge, Pohlman produced six All-Region VI players, one Jayhawk West Player of the Year, one NJCAA Division I National Player of the week, and an NJCAA All-American.
Pohlman’s success not only found its way on the court, but in the classroom and community as well. The Trapper volleyball program was recognized by the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Park County for their involvement with their lunch buddy program (www.nwc.edu via Powell Tribune, September 25, 2014). Pohlman strives for the members of his teams to be “more than an athlete” and was recognized by the Northwest College athletic department for three consecutive years, as a Trapper Volleyball player earned the Trapper Student Award of Excellence - “In Recognition of the Student Athlete who demonstrates Excellence in the areas of Academics, Citizenship, Leadership and Athletic Performance.”
Pohlman’s teams won the AVCA Team Academic Award five times and qualified as an NJCAA National Academic Team of the Year seven times. Thirty-three of Pohlman’s athletes have earned NJCAA Academic All-American status. In 2012-13, 12 of 14 of his Trappers were named to the Region IX Academic All-Region team, and in 2017, 15 of 18 earned the recognition. Additionally, in 2016-17, every player earned a 3.0 GPA or better and the team combined for a team GPA of 3.68 followed by a 3.64 in 2017-18.
Pohlman was born and raised in Twin Falls, Idaho, where he attended the College of Southern Idaho. There he earned his Associates of Arts Degree in Sign Language and Deaf Studies. Pohlman completed his Bachelors of Science Degree in Educational Interpreting in Sign Language at Idaho State University.
As a player, Pohlman joined the Idaho State Men’s Volleyball Club in 2003 as a setter, starting his first year. The following year, he took the reins as the President of the ISU Men’s Volleyball Club where he led his club team to a reputable finish as the Bronze National Champions and earned Second-Team All-Conference as a setter.
Coach Pohlman states that he lives, eats, and breathes volleyball and claims he is a student of the game and always will be. Since the start of his coaching career, he has attended numerous coaching clinics and is currently IMPACT and CAP Level I certified by USA Volleyball.
Shaun and his wife, Megan, reside in Lewiston with their sons Kesh, Kasen, and Ledger, along with their dog, Murphy.
| Season |
W-L
Overall |
W-L
Conference |
Conference
Regular Season |
Conference
Tournament |
NAIA Ranking |
| 2018 |
17-9 |
6-6 |
Fourth |
Second Round |
N/A |
| 2019 |
20-11 |
8-4 |
Third |
First Round |
N/A |
| 2020 |
7-7 |
7-7 |
Fifth |
N/A |
N/A |
| 2021 |
17-14 |
11-11 |
Sixth |
First Round |
N/A |
| 2022 |
16-12 |
12-10 |
Sixth |
First Round |
N/A |
| Totals |
77-53 |
44-38 |
|
|
|
.592 |
.537 |
|
|
