Eddie Shannon

Eddie Shannon enters his third season at South Carolina on head coach Lamont Paris’ staff in 2024-25. He looks to help the team build upon last year’s historic season that culminated with a trip back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. Carolina tied a program record with 26 wins and the team went 13-5 in SEC play, good for a T-2^nd place finish. The 13 league wins tied the 1996-97 team for the most SEC wins in program history.

Shannon was instrumental in the recruitment of three key transfer additions for the 2023-24 Gamecocks in Ta’Lon Cooper (Minnesota), B.J. Mack (Wofford) and Myles Stute (Vanderbilt). He also was key in helping the Gamecocks land incoming transfers Nick Pringle (Alabama) and four-star, in-state prospect Cam Scott from Lexington High School.

Under Shannon, Cooper and fellow guard Meechie Johnson were named Second Team All-SEC in 2024 and were touted as one of the best backcourts in the SEC. It was the first time the Gamecocks had multiple All-SEC selections since 2009. Cooper finished eighth in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.51:1), while shooting a career-best 45.9 percent from 3.

Shannon was hired in the spring of 2022 after spending three years at Chattanooga as an assistant coach on Lamont Paris’ staff, which was his second stint in the Scenic City. During his time with the Mocs, they finished 65-29 and captured the Southern Conference regular season and tournament championship in 2021-22.

While at Chattanooga, Shannon helped coach some of the best guards in the SoCon and was highly regarded for his recruiting, teaching and player development. He was influential in the procurement of notable transfers Darius Banks, KC Hankton, and Avery Diggs.

Some of the players he’s worked with include 2022 Mid-Major National Player of the Year and SoCon Player of the Year, Malachi Smith, and David Jean-Baptiste, who scored over 1,700 points and became the school’s all-time leader in 3s made with 287. Both guards received All-SoCon honors multiple times.

Prior to his time in Chattanooga, Shannon spent two years on Reggie Witherspoon’s staff at Canisius as an assistant coach. During that time with the Griffs, they were 26-10 in league play, winning the conference regular season title in 2017-18. Their 15-3 conference record was the best in school history.

Shannon helped with the development of Isaiah Reese (First Team All-MAAC), Malik Johnson (Third Team All-MAAC) and Takal Molson (Newcomer of the Year and Second Team All-MAAC).

Prior to his time in Buffalo, Shannon spent two years at Chattanooga as an assistant coach and Director of Basketball Operations working under then head coach Matt McCall. During his time on McCall’s staff, the Mocs won the SoCon regular season and tournament championship in 2015-16. Shannon helped with the development of Greg Pryor, who was named SoCon Tournament MVP, and guard Tre McLean, who was voted First Team All-SoCon. The Mocs won a school record 29 games that season.

Following a successful playing career overseas, Shannon got into coaching and first served as an assistant coach at NCAA Division II Palm Beach Atlantic University from 2012-15.

A native of Riviera Beach, Fla., Shannon was a highly touted guard out of high school and became a four-year starter at the University of Florida (1995-1999) helping usher in the Billy Donovan era in Gainesville. He scored 1,168 points and left as the career leader in steals (204, still stands today). He’s the only player in school history with 200 or more career steals and finished second in career assists (493, now fifth). Shannon was tabbed an SEC Legend in 2015, an annual honor awarded at the conference tournament to program greats across the league’s 14 institutions. He is also a member of the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame.

After college, Shannon went on to play professionally overseas for 10 seasons with stops in Italy, France, Russia, Croatia, Latvia, Greece, Australia, Sweden, and Cyprus. He was named Guard of the Year in Russia and Sweden, while also being named Finals MVP in Sweden. Shannon led the Swedish league in scoring in 2002.

“As a former standout guard in the SEC, Eddie Shannon is extremely familiar with this league and what it takes to be successful, “said Paris. “He does a tremendous job with our perimeter players and is very familiar with our geographic footprint from a recruiting standpoint.”

“I’m honored and humbled to join Gamecock Nation,” said Shannon. “I’m extremely grateful to coach Paris for the opportunity. I will work diligently to help build a program that will make the Carolina community proud.”

He and his wife Nicole, married in 2017, have five kids: Jaden, Jamila, Melik, Justin, and Malachi.

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