2002 Hall of Fame

Donald S. Shondell - Few individuals who have chosen coaching as a career, in any sport, can boast the success and record of Don Shondell during a 34 year career as Ball State University’s head men’s volleyball coach. He received the ultimate volleyball compliment in 1996 when he was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame. Don, a 1952 graduate of Ball State and a member of the Phi Delta Pi fraternity, began the BSU program in 1964 and served as head coach until conclusion of the 1998 season. During his 34 seasons he compiled a record of 769-280-6 record for a .733 winning percentage. His teams won or shared the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association title 18 times and advanced to the NCAA tournament on 13 occasions. Shondell’s teams finished third in the NCAA tournament 8 times.

Don became only the second men’s coach in the history of collegiate volleyball to record more than 700 victories in 1995. The Cardinal team advanced to the NCAA tournament that year and defeated Hawaii, the nations second ranked team, for third place in the tournament. His BSU team that year was the only team to defeat the top four teams in the country—UCLA, Hawaii, Penn State, and UC/Santa Barbara—and he was selected as the national coach of the year.

Shondell’s most prestigious recognition was in December, 1996 when he was awarded the AVCA Founder’s Award, which honors individuals who have been involved in the advancement of the sport of volleyball. He became one of nine people to ever receive the award. Many other national recognitions and awards have been bestowed on Don. An experienced volleyball clinician, he has lectured or taught at the AVCA Convention, the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Convention, the National Federation High School Athletic Association Clinic, and numerous other national meetings. He has also authored or co-authored a number of books and articles.

As a professor of physical education at Ball State, Dr. Shondell was named the Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 1980. In 1983 he was awarded the Outstanding Alumnus Award by the Teachers College and in 1994 received the Ball State Distinguished Alumni Award. Don and his wife, Betty, are parents of four–Steve, Dave, Kim and John. Steve, Dave and John have carried on the family volleyball tradition trough the Munciana Junior Olympic Volleyball program and outstanding careers as coaches of women’s volleyball teams at Muncie Burris, Muncie Central and New Castle high schools, respectively.

Basil L. Mawbey - Basil Mawbey is beginning his thirty-third year as one of the most successful and prominent high school basketball coaches in the state of Indiana. His coaching honors and records are to numerous to include in a brief statement. To date he has recorded 554 victories against 213 losses. He has coached Indiana high school teams to 15 conference championships, 20 sectional titles, 10 regional titles and 3 semi-state championships. His 1983 Connersville High School team won the Indiana State Championship and his 1989 Kokomo High School team was the runner-up state championship team. During his coaching career he has received 23 “Coach of the Year” awards and coached the Indiana All-Star Team, Indiana Junior All-Star Team and the IBCA Indiana All-Star Team. His 2002 team at Lewis Cass High School was the only undefeated team in Indiana with a 20-0 regular season record. He is actively involved with the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, a guest speaker at camps and clinics and director of one of the largest summer basketball camps in Indiana.

Basil graduated from Deedsville High School where he excelled in basketball, track and softball. Athletics was not his only area of concentration and he graduated as his class valedictorian. From Deedsville he migrated to Ball State to pursue Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees in physical education and mathematics. As an active member of Indiana Gamma he was chapter athletic director, played intramural basketball and was bike-a-thon coach. Upon graduation he started his thirty-six year teaching career which has included teaching mathematics at the middle school and high school levels, health, physical education, and drivers education. In addition to his distinguished teaching career, he has held numerous leadership positions at high schools where he taught and coached.

He and his spouse, Eileen, reside in Rochester, Indiana. They are the parents of four children–Cary, Leah, Christine and Dawn.

Gerald J. Jennings - Jerry Jennings enrolled at Ball State University following his graduation from John Adams High School in South Bend in 1953. He was initiated into Indiana Gamma during the spring of 1954. His leadership roles included chapter secretary, 1955-56, and chapter president, 1956-57. Following graduation in 1957, he served on the Alumni Housing Corporation board of directors until moving to Michigan in 1960. While at Ball State he earned Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees in 1957 and 1960 respectively. Jerry started his career in education teaching in the Muncie Community Schools from 1957 to 1960. He also served in the Army Reserve between 1957 and 1963.

Upon moving to Michigan in 1960, he began to work on his doctorate in teacher education at Michigan State University. He joined Eastern Michigan University’s Department of Business and Technology Education in 1963. Michigan State awarded him his Ph.D. in 1968 and he was promoted to full professor status at EMU in 1971. While at Eastern Michigan, Jerry taught numerous undergraduate and graduate technology courses. Under his leadership EMU became the first institution in Michigan to offer the new teaching certification in technology education. He served as undergraduate program coordinator for most of his career at Eastern and also as graduate program coordinator in later years. He received the Outstanding Faculty Member Award from the College of Technology in 1987 and was recognized by the College of Education for his service as coordinator of the Staff Development for School Improvement Program from 1983 to 1987. Jerry retired from EMU in 1998 and was granted emeritus status by the Board of Regents.

Jerry has also been active in the Ypsilanti community. He has been a leader for the Boy Scouts of America; a member of the Ypsilanti Public Schools board of trustees; active at numerous levels in Kiwanis; a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ypsilanti First United Methodist Church; and is a member of the Ypsilanti Historical Society Board of Directors. He is currently serving as Faculty Fellow on the Sig Ep Michigan Lambda Chapter Corporation Board at EMU.

Jerry and his wife, Mary, also a Ball State graduate, have three children–Brent, Vicki and Pamela–and two grandchildren. Jerry enjoys tennis, golf, gardening, reading and woodworking.